The one boundary that is not threatened is atmospheric ozone, after action to phase out destructive chemicals in recent decades led to the ozone hole shrinking
So we can do it when we need to.
I remember when the hole in the ozone was something we were all worried about. I remember the news segments and the magazine covers and the protests.
I don’t remember the massive coordinated media campaigns running into the tens of billions of dollars. I don’t remember an entire political party simultaneously saying there’s no ozone hole and that the ozone hole is actually good for us. I don’t remember rednecks standing in rows on Texas highways shooting AquaNet into the air to own the libs.
We used to be able to do it. Nixon founded the EPA. There was a general consensus that had a role in reducing pollution and disease. The republicans fought against establishing social security, saying that old people should support themselves and anything else would turn the US literally communist.
We’ve lost even that much.
Nixon may have been the guy in charge when we realized we needed the EPA, but let’s not pretend he was some champion for the environment.
He vetoed the Clean Water Act for fuck sake.
And from what I understand, the only reason we were able to shift away from CFCs (main pollutant destroying the ozone) was because the alternative was comparable in price, if not cheaper.
I don’t remember the massive coordinated media campaigns running into the tens of billions of dollars. I don’t remember an entire political party simultaneously saying there’s no ozone hole and that the ozone hole is actually good for us. I don’t remember rednecks standing in rows on Texas highways shooting AquaNet into the air to own the libs.
I honestly think it’s because the sacrifice and change to switch off aerosols was so small and the fossil fuel industry is much less niche and much more powerful. It took much more to get the world off of leaded gasoline and even that was a pretty small change versus the huge shift off of fossil fuels which would have to take place to fix this.
We’re going to make ourselves extinct because we’re addicted to going vroom vroom. There’s still “car enthusiasts” out there, and people who like to roll coal. And celebrities buying private jets.
Also, it ties into everything: heating, cooling, electricity… We’re fucked.
Basically this. It was a small ask to not use aerosols for everything. We’re OK with doing things to help the world and people at large when it doesn’t directly affect us that much.
It’s one thing to ask people to not use their hairspray so much. It’s a whole other thing to say “hey we need to switch away from gasoline engines and cars entirely.”
Enjoy the next 10 or so years everyone, they’ll likely be the last normal years of your lives.
Normal? It’s already weird.
Weird is nothing compared to what we’re headed for.
Sure, but weird is not normal.
The planetary boundaries are not irreversible tipping points beyond which sudden and serious deterioration occurs, the scientists said. Instead, they are points after which the risks of fundamental changes in the Earth’s physical, biological and chemical life support systems rise significantly.
…
Phasing out fossil fuel burning and ending destructive farming are the key actions required.
In other words, we’re all gonna die.
Nonono, spontaneously in the near future all humanity will reject greed and gluttony to begin working together, optimizing resource use, and minimizing global impact to levels the geological and biological systems can cope with.
/exhalepowerfuldrugs
Is there a way to stop it, like which are the most poluting factories, where are they and how do we turn them of and how do we make sure they are never turned on again?
Removed by mod
its frustrating working for a company that promotes itself as progressive and has net zero targets well beyond what is legislated, but they also force an arbitrary number of office days for “reasons”
pretty sure we’re past the point of no return (or points), but i’d be up for some heavy vandalism
So… where?
The source of the most greenhouse gas emissions by far is power and heating. Switching to renewables is the answer. Like, yesterday. For ecological diversity, agriculture has to become sustainable and deforestation has to stop.
For air pollution, we need to ditch our cars.
For ground and water pollution, we need to ditch plastics. These are all just the biggest factors, starting points really. And they all intermingle and affect each other.
