Don't overstate 1.5 degrees C threat, new IPCC head says – DW – 07/30/2023
www.dw.com
Jim Skea, the new head of the UN's IPCC climate panel, said it was not helpful to imply that temperature increases of 1.5 degrees Celsius posed an existential threat to humanity.

In short, we aren’t on track to an apocalyptic extinction, and the new head is concerned that rhetoric that we are is making people apathetic and paralyzes them from making beneficial actions.

He makes it clear too that this doesn’t mean things are perfectly fine. The world is becoming and will be more dangerous with respect to climate. We’re going to still have serious problems to deal with. The problems just aren’t insurmountable and extinction level.

  • Carighan MaconarEnglish
    55•1 year ago

    His whole point is that we should try not to think that way. Not “this side” versus “the other side”. There’s an endless space between “we’re already fucked no matter what” and “everything is perfectly fine no need to act”. And that’s the point.

    And you can very much notice what he worries about already. People are already utterly numb to news about climate disasters. We need a better way to show issues and showcase solutions that makes people motivated and hopeful to keep everyone pulling in the same direction.

    • @assassin_aragornOPEnglish
      16•1 year ago

      Yeah exactly, you can already see a “welp we’re fucked, no point in anything” opinion that’s becoming more pervasive.

      A good question is if not wanting kids because of climate change falls into this nihilistic thinking or if it’s reasonable. Certainly, life will get more difficult. We have more stake in changing the future however if there’s young people we care about.

      I’m just rambling now. I think regardless of all else, the point is that things are not irreversibly fucked, and we should do what we can to unfuck it.

      • @AA5BEnglish
        1•1 year ago

        not wanting kids because of climate change

        Dr Nihilism here, my older teen questioned whether it’s really a good idea to bring kids into tho world, so I hit him with the population implosion coming right after climate catastrophe, population going beyond sustainability before plateauing, mass die-offs …. Don’t test me before coffee

    • QuokkaEnglish
      3•1 year ago

      What we need is politicians to fucking listen to their citizens who want them take real action on climate change.

      What we personally think means jack shit if the capitalists in charge don’t want to hear it.

      • @hglmanEnglish
        1•1 year ago

        Maybe liberal democracy isn’t so democratic.

      • @SCBEnglish
        1•1 year ago

        Politicians absolutely listen. They mirror the desires of their constituents.

        You won’t see a situation where politicians take action on climate change if their constituents do not support such action, full stop.

        • Athena5898
          0•1 year ago

          yeah gerrymandering and attacks on voting would like to have a word with you.

          you want politicians to listen, you make them listen. Power corrupts absolutely, if you want people in power to listen, you make them listen. It’s time politicians become afraid of the workers again, from either loss of revenue or other things.

          • @SCBEnglish
            1•1 year ago

            I am a literal climate lobbyist. Politicians listen to their constituents, full stop.