With the month long heat wave.

  • squidsarefriends@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    Friendly reminder that it’s not about denial anymore. It’s about how urgent is the existential threat of tipping points and how radical and fast should we act.

    One side says, let’s stay reasonable, let’s not hurt the economy, don’t panic because of the these crazy Greta maniacs. Source: We managed a lot of crisis in the past, sometimes it’s not that hot, lobby money.

    The other side says we have to hit the breaks immediately or a lot of people are going to die. Source: Science.

    • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      What are you basing the existential threat claim on? I don’t think I’ve heard a credible scientist ever claim it’s going to end our specie. The yearly excess deaths estimates I’ve heard vary from few hundred thousand to couple million a year in 2050 - 2100.

      • DerKriegs@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        While your numbers, if factual (no source posted), are statistically correct (in that it won’t make our species go extinct), you have to remember a simple fact: those numbers represent individual human lives. Family, friends, neighbors, your pizza guy, etc. Pretty brutal to be so flippant about.

        Also, this doesn’t take into account the potential for cascading environmental system failures that could be caused by such warming. These unknowns could greatly change the equation.

        I realize you are mainly arguing the point in response to “existential threats” being bandied about, but it’s a weird stance to take here.

          • DerKriegs@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            Thanks for the solid source! I do understand the need for keeping the discussion real, but the article clearly states,

            …concluded that to avert catastrophic health impacts and prevent millions of climate change-related deaths…

            Sounds pretty existential to me, at a scale we have never experienced.

            • Thorny_Thicket@sopuli.xyz
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              1 year ago

              Sure. I’m in no way against fighting the climate change and under no illusion that it’s not going to affect the lives of billions of people and will lead to probably tens of millions of unecessary deaths. It’s a true crisis.

              I just personally get irritated when people talk about it as if an asteroid is heading towards earth and is going to wipe out us all. It’s unproductive and causes extreme anxiety to many (especially young) people who don’t know better and it’s also free ammunition for climate change deniers to point out how “the libs lie about this too” etc.

              • DerKriegs@lemmy.ml
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                1 year ago

                That anxiety bit is too true, it has me fairly despondent when I think about it too long. It’s fair assertion you make, for sure.

          • TheMage@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            Exactly - it is your duty to question the Government and the scientists that work for them. Lets be honest, the Govt’s track record for truth is a tad suspect and thats being extra nice. As I said earlier, the alarmists have been selling this to us(or trying to) in differently wrapped packages now for several decades. Even back in the 1970’s there were hysterical claims being made. None of it came anywhere close to being true. So, logically, people question it.

            More importantly, people question the mitigation tactics which seem to only affect the lower/middle classes directly. Another tough thing for the average Joe to swallow.

      • squidsarefriends@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        People are already dying because of the heat or starving because of droughts and water scarcity. Based on the IPCC report it will become even worse, especially of we don’t manage to avoid the tipping points of the climate crisis in the next few years.

          • squidsarefriends@feddit.de
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            1 year ago

            (Sorry, English is not my first language)

            If I understand you correctly you criticize my usage of the word existential, bc it implies that the climate catastrophe will kill all humans? If yes, then I have to correct myself. While this could be a possible outcome, it’s not based on actual research.

            • DerKriegs@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              Nah, existential is spot on

              Relating to existence

              Seems all too apropos in this context.

      • friendlymessage@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        There are definitely worse scenarios. The worst I know states that most parts of the world will be uninhabitable by humans and estimate that there will be 1-1.5 billion survivors by the end of the century. So, end of our species? No, just too damn close for comfort.

        Some more context: I couldn’t find the report unfortunately and I don’t know wether it’s a majority opinion in science. The scenario talks about a temperature increase of 7°C and of course it’s a worst-case scenario. However, it’s definitely a possible scenario.

        Edit: found this, definitely a credible scientist.

    • TheMage@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      Can you elaborate on the “hit the brakes immediately” or we’re all going to die statement? What “Science” backs this claim up? Legit science please, not from agenda-laden website.

      • squidsarefriends@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        The IPCC report is what you‘re looking for! And since it‘s it‘s almost impossible to even reach the goal of 1,5 degrees, we should hit the breaks better sooner than later. It‘s not an „oopsie“ problem we would face otherwise. People are already dying.

        • TheMage@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          No - Im not looking for anything, actually. I just would prefer that those that chest-thump about this stuff would walk the talk and take a “lead”. But they refuse. What does “hit the brakes” mean? Are the rich going to also hit the brakes? Or is this all on us “little people” as usual?