Forget ‘doomers:’ Warming can be stopped, top climate scientist says
Forget ‘doomers:’ Warming can be stopped, top climate scientist says
Michael Mann points to prehistoric catastrophes, modern environmental victories.
Cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/12956314
"I push back on doomism because I don’t think it’s justified by the science, and I think it potentially leads us down a path of inaction,” said Mann during a talk last Thursday at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.
“And there are bad actors today who are fanning the flames of climate doomism because they understand that it takes those who are most likely to be on the front lines, advocating for change, and pushes them to the sidelines, which is where polluters and petrostates want them.”
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it's not that doomers are denying that it can be stopped. it's just that, given the data an behaviour of people&politics, they don't really see that it will be stopped
Yeah that's my thing too - I have no doubt that scientifically it can be stopped - there's even a real example with how crazy quickly nature started to recover during the COVID lockdowns - but it would require people to not be selfish, stupid assholes so it's never gonna happen.
Well tbf, it will happen as the selfish stupid assholes die from climate change with everyone else
Doomers are nihilistic assholes. If you dont think the politics will do it, then fill your hands and do direct action to force them.
“Doomers” don’t think there is literally no way to stop it. They generally think that the people who can pull the lever will continue not to do so because they’ve resisted it for decades. It’s lack of faith in our collective will and dedication to action, not that there is no course of action that can stop it.
I can’t blame them. I still advocate for change and work towards it, but they’re not the problem. It’s climate change deniers and politicians who refuse to do anything about it.
Blame is being misdirected here as usual. Which contributes to why people are “doomers.”
You can pulll the lever. That's my point. There are more people who want to stop the climate catastrophe than not.
We are many. They are few. Rise.
LOL I can't even get people to eat LESS meat and ride bikes. You're utterly delusional.
But people do that more now than they ever have, many individuals do take steps to help the environment. We don't need all the masses to rise, just enough dedicated action from a portion can have massive impact.
Individual decisions are necessary but nearly negligible. Focus your work on the infrastructure of corporations.
Definitely, maybe the general cultural shift towards more sustainable practices will help eventually, but when I say 'dedicated action' I don't mean taking shorter showers.
One individual action is. Ten thousand are not.
Ten thousand can also be completely negligible. Protests and marches with far more than 10,000 people happen pretty regularly, and don't change much.
Now, 10,000 people actively removing the biggest polluters is a different story, but so far at least I can't even think of one instance of that happening.
just popping in because this was reported - I would suggest being supportive of others who are trying to accomplish the same kind of things you are rather than calling them "utterly delusional"
As opposed to them calling the people who wants to do the same thing as them but feeling hopeless about our chances "nihilistic assholes". I'm sure that's a very supportive and productive thing to do.
ok I got a bike lane put in in my city and bike ridership is up 15%.
I gave my mum a Palak Paneer recipe and now she eats it once a week
My district saw a 10% swing in the last election and surprise elected a green candidate.
I think your the delusional one if you think change isn't possible. just a few years ago conservatives were hoarding incandescent bulbs.
There is a world of difference between getting a bike lane installed and getting the world superpowers to collectively stop polluting.
More bike lanes -> more bikers -> more people voting for bike lanes. And then suddenly gm is marketing their fancy overpriced bike to you instead of their car.
Congratulations, these are wonderful achievements. A lot of us are doing what we can. Just because we haven’t done everything you have done doesn’t mean we aren’t trying.
And if your trying then you aren't a doomer.
If y'all truly think that most “doomers” are literally sitting around waiting to die and that this article is required to “call them out” then you’re just tilting at windmills and not casting blame at the people who are the actual problem.
Congratulations; the dent you've made is a rounding error. There are 100 companies which cause 71% of carbon emissions, and you aren't changing how those companies operate without Molotov cocktails
Can't hold a pitchfork while your stuck inside your hummer.
I mean, you could joust, and mowing through the line of horseback cops who are getting ready to attack a protest is probably the most ethical use of a Hummer. It'd need to be an H1 though, with the Humvee frame, the newer ones are just regular truck frames with ugly panelling
Where do those 100 companies get their money from? That 15% increase in local bike riders is a 15% reduction of petroleum industry income - if we can get similar results elsewhere.
From little things big things grow.
This was already addressed by another admin. However, I want it to be perfectly clear that users are expected to be(e) nice when using Beehaw. Thus, you can have a week vacation to think about that.
Direct action doesn't happen by talking.
Agreed! Giving up is giving in to oligarchs who have profited relentlessly off of our suffering and the defiling of our home. Stand up! It’s better to die on your feet fighting than on your knees, groveling to the rich while they pickpocket your dying corpse.
Climate apocalypse is here for us all. Wanton apathy and inaction leads only to guaranteed failure!
But politics is us. This is what democracy is all about.
The problem is the population at large still doesn't understand the gravity of the situation.
Yeah, we stopped for a few days for covid and mother earth immediately started to make a comeback while we all collectively decided to develop brain conditions rather than make slight adjustments to our lifestyles.
it's not nice to cast 'brain conditions' in a negative light nor to accuse people who are acting in self interest of having any conditions other than not caring about their fellow human!
That's the same thing.
Those are different things.
Of course, that's a political problem not a scientific one.
Yes but the outcome is just as bad.
Which I think bolsters the argument for anti-doomerism (yes, I'm making that a word now).