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Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by perfunctory on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @09:10AM (#36970397)
A gentle reminder to everyone - we don't have to be passive observers of the unfolding global climate catastrophe. We can pretend that we are intelligent, responsible grownups and go do something about it.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by westcort on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @09:24AM (#36970567)
If governments wait too long some rogue organizations might start geoengineering efforts. A few orbiting Mylar shields are in order.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by giraffe_lady on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @10:08AM (#36971114)
I know we're all really dedicated to solving social problems with far fetched technology but this is a lot even for here, come on.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by realusername on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @11:19AM (#36972096)
At some point it's either going to be using tech to try to directly solve the issue or accept dying and people will never take dying as an option, regardless of the morals behind the other option.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by giraffe_lady on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @11:42AM (#36972434)
Somehow I doubt those are the only two options.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by eq88 on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @12:00PM (#36972700)
It's almost like we need to decouple from the tech and media induced buying spree that is propped up on manufactured obsolescence. That we need sweeping reform and people need to take going Vegan (or at least cutting down meat consumption) more seriously. Air travel should not be subsidized until we have cleaner means of transport, and above all we need to return the buck back to Corporations who green washed us into ownership of their messes. Finally, we also need to be very critical about carbon credits, or emissions offsetting, which can be (and have been) incredibly corrupt. I'm also aware that this platform isn't going to look favourably on "tech slow down", as it is very hard to want to slow down or turn off the faucet.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by realusername on Thursday August 03, 2023 @04:56AM (#36983193)
Personally I doubt that there's any other one, the impact of climate change seemed widely underestimated and the recent large spike of emissions has yet to have any effect. There's already way too much emissions already "locked-in".

We are already having "once in a lifetime" events every month.

Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by westcort on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @11:50AM (#36972550)
The first well-done climate models by Manabe and Wethereld in 1975 found that a 2% reduction in solar radiation would cancel the effect of a doubling in atmospheric CO2 levels.[0,1] This problem has an engineering solution that should be implemented as soon as possible. [2]

0. https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/atsc/32/11/1520-0...

1. https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/atsc/32/1/1520-04...

2. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-sun-shield-over....

Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by giraffe_lady on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @01:11PM (#36973732)
When I see stuff like this I think immediately of like, the Four Pests Campaign, kudzu in the US south, Australian erosion caused by rabbits etc. We can't even reliably predict or manage the consequences of our actions across a single ecosystem. Mind boggling to me that we still however have high confidence in our ability to.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by pabs3 on Friday August 04, 2023 @03:21AM (#36996561)
A fictional account of what could happen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Piercer#Plot

Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by westcort on Friday August 04, 2023 @09:56AM (#37000114)
A 2% reduction in insolation is consistent with solar cycle variations. Aerosols are not the way to do it because they are not reversible, but a shield at L1 is.
Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by voisin on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @12:20PM (#36973011)
As a (hopefully) intelligent, responsible adult, I am at a loss as to what to do that will have any effect. I’ve installed solar, and a heat pump water heater, I don’t have AC despite the sweltering temperatures. I eat primarily plants. I vote for the party that lies to me most persuasively that they will do something about the environment, though I know neither party will do anything of substance.

And yet I turn around and feel that all my efforts are undermined by neighbours who take their giant trucks and 5th wheels or travel trailers on long summer drives at 4 miles per gallon for fun.

Until we have COVID-style restrictions on our lives, we as a society will never voluntarily give up all the bullshit that is feeding climate change.

Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by ASalazarMX on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @12:33PM (#36973199)
> Until we have COVID-style restrictions on our lives, we as a society will never voluntarily give up all the bullshit that is feeding climate change.

Oh, we will. When food, shelter, energy, etc. become scarcer and more expensive, we will change our way of life, whether we like it or not.

Re:South America is living one of the climate extreme events by avgcorrection on Wednesday August 02, 2023 @04:58PM (#36977321)
This is what 40 years of propaganda by the likes of British Petroleum (the ones who invented “carbon footprint”) about how climate change is about middle class people making consumer choices does to you.