A new study says that in a little more than five years the world will likely be unable to stay below the internationally agreed temperature limit for global warming if it continues to burn fossil fuels at its current rate.

The more I see reports like this the more, hopeless I feel. Sometimes, I get to a point where I’m not even depressed but deeply numb by the catastrophe that is happening. Mass insanity we see, mass insanity.

  • magnetosphere@kbin.social
    243·
    1 year ago

    “We don’t want this to be interpreted as six years to save the planet,” study co-author Christopher Smith, a University of Leeds climate scientist, said. “If we are able to limit warming to 1.6 degrees or 1.65 degrees or 1.7 degrees, that’s a lot better than 2 degrees. We still need to fight for every tenth of a degree.”

    I appreciate the tenacity of these people, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s virtually hopeless at this point. I still try to choose environmentally friendly options, and I act as if things might change for the better, because hey, maybe I’m wrong. I don’t want to be a bigger part of the problem than I already am. Still, though, I’m pretty sure humanity is screwed.

    Here’s how I see it: the people who can do the most won’t be motivated to make drastic changes until things get bad. Unfortunately, by the time things get bad, it’ll be far too late. Simple. Depressing, but simple.

  • neanderthal@lemmy.world
    73·
    1 year ago

    We better get to it.

    Business as usual will more than likely make WW2 look like a trip to your favorite vacation spots.

    The things the we can’t do that crowd are worried about will not matter because those things will no longer exist. This will destabilize or collapse every nation on earth.

    The can do right now things aren’t even huge sacrifices. They will actually save you money:

    • Eat less beef
    • Drive less
    • Cut food faster (eat your leftovers)
    • Buy less stuff
    • Adjust your thermostat

    Those things aren’t going to come close to fixing everything, but they buy valuable time for big changes that take time to implement like renewable energy to happen.

    • IninewCrow@lemmy.caEnglish
      5·
      1 year ago

      My knee jerk reaction to this has always been to say that these individual actions are inconsequential compared to what mega corporations and multinational companies are doing to pump the majority of pollution into our environment.

      But I no longer think that … I think you are correct.

      If we all collectively did this … If we all or the majority of us followed through with everything you suggested, it would have a major effect with the economy … if it has an effect on the economy it would affect corporations … and if it affects corporations, they lose power and are forced to produce less or even die off.

      Corporations exist because of our small collective contributions … the things we buy, the services we purchase, the things we consume … if we collectively stop doing all that or cut it down significantly, it would starve the beast. In an economy of perpetual growth, even just a tiny dip caused by less consumption would be enough to destabilize a major corporation.

      If we all just simply bought less or just ate less … it would kill off so many useless corporations.

      I’ve come around to your logic and I eat less, consume less and completely avoid fast food.