Climate Emergency
- Oil is not the problem - the exponential monetary system is
- We need SYSTEMIC, not piecemeal, solutions to climate (eg EVS)
- Reduced oil availability will cause a financial/economic cascade
- The Maximum Power Principle applies to our energy behavior/choices
- Solving for: a) climate, b) equity and c) growth have different solutions
- Climate change is an emergent cultural phenomenon - not the fault of fossil fuel companies
- Oil is the master resource and will leave us before we leave it. The UK is unlikely to ‘stop oil’
- Democracies will never vote for austerity
- We are in a new ‘biophysical world. Old rules and expectations no longer apply
- Currently there is no “choice” to slow our metabolism. (But there are other choices)
- Remember, you’re not entitled to everything you like. You’re. Not entitled to convenience and comfort. Stop accepting that it’s okay that your lifestyle might cause others pain and suffering. Acknowledge that. OWN IT. And stop accepting it.
- Stop flying
- Organize a climate protest. Join a climate protest.
- In the winter keep your heat at 55 F. Yeah, that’s cold. Put on extra layers of clothes. Figure it out. Adapt.
- In the summer keep your AC set to 78. Yeah. That sucks. It’s uncomfortable. Turn on more fans. Keep a fan near you. Splash cold water on your face. Do less in the heat of the day. Figure it out. Adapt.
- Turn your hot water heater down
- Eat less meat. Eat no meat. Stop wasting food.
- Stop buying products that come in plastic. If it comes in plastic you don’t buy it. Look for ways to minimize all of your waste. Yes, this means you often will have to do without things you like. You’re not entitled to everything you like.
- Stop driving. Or drive less. Lobby your local government for bicycle racks, for bicycle infrastructure. Ride your bike.
- Just do less. Much of the change we need is people doing less. Stay home. Do something in your neighborhood. Stop assuming you’re entitled to eating out, vacations and the sort of lifestyle so many assume they are entitled to. If it involves the burning of fossil fuels for travel.
- Don’t consume stuff you don’t need.
- Participate more in your government. Join or start a group that is advocating for better pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. Get a bike. Ride a bike for transport. Don’t make excuses for not doing so. If it’s not safe or you have physical limitations that’s okay, but don’t drive when you don’t HAVE to. DON’T DRIVE WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO.
- Treat your automobile as a necessary evil rather than a glorified cultural icon that brings social status and pleasure.
- If you must use an automobile make it count, get the most out of the carbon you are adding to the atmosphere. Minimize trips to stores. Buy as much as possible and stock up.
- In the summertime minimize baking and cooking during hot weather. Shift your diet to things that can be prepared without heating up a house from the inside.
- Share resources with neighbors and families. Don’t upgrade devices just because you want to. Live with what you have and repair, reuse, recycle everything. Treat “trash” as a resource because it is. Re-think your idea of “waste”.
- Stop growing grass lawns. Plant more native wildflowers for habitat. Plant fruit trees and fruit bushes.
- Examine your privilege. Make it a point to learn about how your life compares to that of others. The top 10% don’t seem to have taken much time to truly understand the context of how others live on the planet. Make it a point to understand how your lifestyle has caused pain and suffering to others. Yes, I’m repeating myself because it’s a point that warrants repeating.
- Understand that the things that you do matter. Both the positive and the negative. When millions of people repeatedly engage in behaviors that add carbon to the atmosphere it adds up. It adds up today and tomorrow and everyday going forward. Stop contributing to it.
- Work less, earn less, do less, spend less. Become okay with sitting on your porch and watching the birds. Take a walk. Help a neighbor fix a chair. In other words stay closer to home, help each other waste less. Find more value and meaning in the little things.
- Re-evaluate success and self worth. As it stands, success in wealthier nations equates to a negative. Get that. In a hyper-materialist-consumerist culture “success” as buying power is not a positive. Stop treating it like that.
- The climate emergency is a full blown emergency. Re-orient your life as though you were living in a real existential crisis. You are. Throw everything you’ve got at this. Encourage others to do the same. Sometimes you’ll be uncomfortable. Sometimes you’ll make others uncomfortable. That’s to be expected. We need to turn our lives upside down.
- Nothing about this is going to be easy. Accept that. It’s going to be messy. It’s going to hurt. It’s going to be difficult. This is why we have been avoiding it. We’ve made it worse. The longer we wait the harder, more painful it will get for everyone.
- Remember, we’re in this together. We’re in this together.
- David Wallace-Wells, Video: Climate Change: Where do we go from here, emissions figures added by me: Wikipedia.
My take on a personal climate impact assessment and plan. 🌍
As others have noted in recent similar threads, I'm not suggesting that personal action on climate is the primary or only action needed. Far from it! I'll continue to be a loud-mouthed advocate of action at every level possible. In the past I've helped organize and joined in on a variety of direct actions. As far as I'm concerned we should have immediate short, long-term and ongoing climate strikes with the aim of shutting down business as usual. But while I support collective direct action I'm also a fan of personal direct action because as individuals we all add up. The US is collectively 300+ million people. If those 300 million people made a real effort to make changes, well, they add up to an entire country of people making a change. Lastly, the fastest way to make such direct impact is simply conservation. It can be done by anyone today. No barriers other than a lack of effort.
Before I dig in on details, a note about the context. I'm single, no kids, work from home. My tiny house is in a rural setting with nearest town/stores about 8 miles away.
So, my take is, let's do this and stop making excuses. Here's my PEAAP (Personal Environmental Action Assessment and Plan)
Transportation/Traveling
Local transport for home supplies and groceries
I have an older, 2007 Toyota Matrix, gasoline. At my current rate my mileage for 2023 will be around 110 miles, about equal to 2022. In 2020 and 2021 my miles were closer 200 each year as I was making more trips to town for a home-bound family neighbor who I shopped for. Going forward I'll keep my present course which amounts to 1 trip to town every 7-8 weeks. When I do drive I focus on efficiency. Slow acceleration, coasting, etc.
I've got several extended family/neighbors within about a mile that I visit and this is either done by foot or bike. I'd thought/planned to switch to a bike for grocery runs to town but I have 2 dogs and a cat so for now I just plan my grocery trips to coincide with resupply of their food which typically get's purchased in fairly large bags.
I don't do air travel (or much travel really) so no flying to report other than two trips back before 2001. I've taken Amtrak and were I to need to travel any distance in the states I'd look to Amtrak if possible.
Housing
I've been living in a 200 sqft tiny house for most of the past 15 years. It's located under mature trees in an area that is predominantly shady due to a pre-existing woodland which helps a great deal during the summer. Location is Missouri so fairly hot and humid.
Heating is currently an electric oil radiator and on average is kept at around 62° F daytime, 58° night. I'd like to get this down a bit lower. I bundle up in the winter, it's easy and cozy. Also, I'm in the habit of going for at least one dog walk a day, often two. And in the winter I find that after a walk I'm warmed up for at least an hour after. In addition to the heater I have a heat tape that is used to keep pipes from freezing in the small, covered space where my water pipes enter my cabin.
I also have a well house that has to be heated when outside temps drop below and stay below a certain temperature close to freezing. I've made this far more efficient in recent years, It's a small space. I use a fan and an electric oil heater. I've got a remote thermometer and smart plug. When the temp in the well house drops below 34 the heater and fan go on. When it hits 38 they go off. Also, heat tape for the pipes in the well house to keep pipes from freezing in the outdoor section.
During the summer my cabin is cooled by a mix of fans, outdoor air when possible. Once it get's hot enough outside that I can't keep the cabin below 79° I use a window AC at which point the average temp is around 77°. As much as possible I monitor and adjust. When it's cool outside I turn off the AC and open windows for fresh air, especially at night. It's a balancing process that also includes monitoring humidity. When the AC is on I find that a two fans easily allow me to be comfortable at 77°.
Cooking is mostly a microwave or small electric induction cooktop. I also have a small propane stovetop/oven for power outages and a small amount of baking in the winter. A small refrigerator/freezer for food. It's not mini but perfect for full time living and one person.
No hot water though I do use hot water to shower in a neighboring cabin that belongs to my sister and brother-in-law. I don't shower nearly as often as most people.
I have a mini wash machine for laundry, hang to dry.
I have a solar panel and battery for charging my iPad, iPhone and a set of USB string lights. It's also what I use to charge 4 batteries for a lawn mower which is used for various patches of grass. I'm generally not in favor of grass lawns and mowing but am currently trying to manage/remove an invasive plant, lespedeza, that has to be mowed. The alternative is to let it take over any open area which would be a signifiant loss of native species. So, I'm mowing minimally in areas that require it for foot traffic as well as to remove lespedeza.
My current average use of electricity is about 9 kWh per day which could come down a bit but probably not too much as that's mostly heating and cooling and I think I'm going about as far as I can go.
Food
I've been mostly vegetarian for the past 33 years. Exceptions to that include occasionally eating some fish from the lake near my cabin. For a short time I also ate small amounts of venison when hunted by family. And when I come across leftovers from family I'll eat that whatever it is. I'd rather eat it than see it wasted.
In the summer I avoid cooking in the cabin as much as possible. I'll use the microwave but if I want pasta or anything that needs to significant time I'll do it in my little outdoor kitchen. Much of my summertime diet is easily done with no cooking.
In the winter I cook as much as I need as any residual heat helps keep the cabin warm.
Beverages: I stopped buying any kind of drink that comes in plastic, glass or aluminum. Currently I buy the following drink related products: pre-ground coffee, bulk spices for tea, paper containers of cocoa, soy milk and non-dairy creamer both of which come in lined paper cartons. Currently experimenting with composting those.
My primary rule of food consumption is to only purchase food that comes in steel or paper. I do allow for food that comes in plastic bags such as popcorn kernels, bread and tortillas. All other food comes in paper/cardboard or steel. This has allowed me to cut consumption of plastic to near zero. Exceptions to this: coffee which comes in a kind of vacuum packed plastic and vinegar that comes in plastic and is used sparingly.
In general I look for ways to reduce packaging for food and other household products. Example: I consume a LOT of peanut butter. After saving up quite a few wide-mouthed glass jars that peanut butter comes in I started buying bulk peanuts in 20lb bags. Every 10 to 14 days I just blend a new jar of peanut butter as I use them. It's minimal effort and 10 minutes at most. That leaves 1 plastic bag that I use over the course of several months to collect what little trash I have.
Personal hygiene and household products
Bar soap that's packaged in paper covers 99%. In the past I've very sparingly used dish soap in a plastic container but have cut this to near zero. I have a jug that I've had forever and only use it when I must. Toothpaste and deodorant both come in throw away packaging. For laundry I use the laundry strips.
Clothing and footwear
I almost never buy new clothing. Underwear, that's about it. Most of my current clothing is just stuff I've had for years or stuff that was given to me by family that were cleaning out closets. I've had to buy 2 pair of jeans over the past 5 years. Currently I've got several pair of boots that were donated by above mentioned family. Other shoes I've purchased. I walk A LOT so over the years I've gone through what I expect is more than the average consumption of shoes. That said I wear them until they are, literally, falling apart.
Electronics
This is the area of personal consumption that I most need to improve.
My current flat screen LED tv is most certainly going to be my last. It's 4 years old but at the moment my plan is to not replace it. Instead I'll use an iPad or secondary computer display as a tv instead. That's what I'm doing currently and it works fine.
My day-to-day computer is a 13" iPad Pro. It's the 2021 model and I expect to use it for at least another year or two, possibly longer. I'll keep current iPhone for much longer. I have a Mac Mini (2021) that is usually turned off or, if on, is functioning as a file server. It will likely be the last "computer" I buy as it's a device I have as a back-up for work should the iPad fail for some reason.
My plan for electronics devices going forward, as it's been in the past, is to minimize frequency of upgrades as much as possible. I don't have a hard rule on this.
Conclusion
I'm using far less than the average citizen of the US but still using more than the average used in many countries. Just having a refrigerator, window AC and heater put me in a category above most of my fellow humans and thus, more than my share in the global context. That said the vast majority of my fellow humans are using far less than their fair share. There's a balance to be found somewhere far below the average energy/resource consumption in the US but also above the lowest.
Others posted in recent weeks: Michael's PEAAP
Greta
Greta Thunberg: “I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. And then I want you to act. I want you to act as if you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house was on fire, because it is.” 🌍
Excellent presentation describing the already ongoing migrations and what will happen as the climate emergency deepens. From growing food scarcity, increasingly difficult living conditions and economic impact, those least responsible are already being forced to leave their homes.
Abrahm Lustgarten, a nationally recognized writer and thinker about climate change, was the presenter for the 2023 Linda Cotter Speaker Series, co-hosted by the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs and Mid-Maine Global Forum.
Unlivable: how a changing climate will force a global migration - YouTube
🌍
Canadians have crammed into a local airport and lined up along a major highway out of the Northwest Territories to escape wildfires, a day after authorities warned the blazes were moving closer to the territory’s capital and largest city, Yellowknife.
Authorities had called on Yellowknife’s nearly 20,000 residents to leave the city by Friday, and an evacuation order was also issued for surrounding communities.
Thousands flee as ‘unprecedented’ fires hit Canada’s Northwest Territories - YouTube
I wish I didn’t have to tell you about this again, but I do. It’s not being reported much in the news — and you know why?
Because it’s not ‘new’ (the origin of the word ‘news’), it’s old. This has been going on for months now, and corporate news outlets are simply tired of reporting it. But it is still happening.
Canada’s boreal forests are burning up.
At least 1100 fires are active, more than 700 out of control. Over 13 million hectares have been burned so far, with no end in sight. It’s an unprecedented climate and environmental disaster.
As climate-related disasters become more frequent, more unpredictable and intensively destructive, a step change is needed in how governments and societies respond to the threat. In this regard, state authorities in Hawaii appear to have been badly behind the curve. An emergency management plan, published by state officials last year, identified tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic hazards as potentially deadly threats, but described the risk of wildfires to human life as “low”. That judgment now looks culpably complacent.
Global heating has inaugurated an era of climatic instability and volatility. Proactively analysing and preparing for worst-case scenarios means acting to anticipate disasters that may not happen, and persuading the public that such caution is worth the cost – both financially and in terms of disruption. The rest of the world, not just Hawaii, needs to wake up to this new and deeply challenging reality.
The Guardian view on Hawaii’s lethal wildfire: lessons to learn from a catastrophe
As weather systems spin out of control across the globe, we take a closer look at how the United States is tackling the “too much” and “too little” of water.
Two very different case studies. The first, a Native tribal community in Washington State, forced to relocate their coastal village to higher ground.
Then, Phoenix, Arizona, where a historic megadrought and heatwave have created dual water supply and heat survival crises.
Constant adaption to crises will be the primary story of our future.
Climate Change Hits Home in the USA | Troubled Waters - YouTube
Personal responsibility and action during two crises: Covid and Climate
When Covid arrived in the spring of 2020 there seemed to be two responses: those that masked and those that refused because it infringed on their “personal liberty”. Those that masked did so regardless of whether there were local, state or federal mandates requiring them to do so. The science at the time suggested that the best any one of us could do to stop the spread was to wear a mask. The responsible, ethical, compassionate behavior, regardless of government mandate forcing the behavior, was to mask up and limit social exposure.
Now, it’s 2023 and we can plainly see that we are in a climate emergency. There is no doubt that we are in it. Will you wait to be forced by government mandates to do the right thing by limiting your negative behaviors? Will you cry, scream and complain that your personal convenience and liberty trumps the ethical and compassionate changes that you can make to limit your contribution to the climate crisis.
Pick your fucking side.
Maui Burning
Of course seeing the predictable but hollow expressions of concern about the wild fires in Maui. If you’re fucking concerned then change your life to reflect the climate emergency we’re living in. Use a bike or e-bike instead of an oversized truck or SUV. Own your contribution to the carbon. Protest, protest, protest.
Stop pretending to be powerless. Stop pretending there’s nothing that can be done. Stop pretending that ONLY government can fix the climate emergency. Stop waiting for the government to force you to do the right thing.
It’s not individual action when we all recognize that we don’t live in a vacuum. It’s not individual action when we look around us and see others taking action. 2+2+2+2 and on adds up. Individual action adds up to collective action. If we all took direct action in our lives by the millions we would be making real change.
STOP MAKING FUCKING EXCUSES BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT INTERESTED IN TRYING TO BE THE SOLUTION. YES, THE SOLUTION MEANS YOU HAVE TO MAKE AN EFFORT. YES, THE SOLUTION MEANS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO DO WITHOUT SOME CONVENIENCE AND MAXIMUM COMFORT. THAT IS THE SOLUTION.
Extreme weather events and our warming planet are primed to strike commodities and the food supply like never before.
The recent global heat wave, deadly floods across China’s grain belt and wildfires that spanned several continents have put a spotlight on how climate change may wreak havoc on the world’s most-consumed food crops.
Studies show that future climate projections indicate significant reductions of crop yields in high-risk regions.
As climate woes intensify, risks to food supply (and inflation) grow
Join us as we bike around New York City with Doug Gordan, the co-host of The War on Cars Podcast. We explore a wide array of fascinating topics about reshaping our communities and reclaiming our public spaces. From his passionate advocacy work and the undeniable social benefits of choosing bikes over cars, this rider story is a thought-provoking journey into the world of urban mobility and sustainable transportation.
Riding bikes and walking are critical for lowering carbon emissions.
Overall, a majority of respondents – 53% – said addressing climate change should be given priority even at the risk of slowing the economy. … But almost three-quarters of Republicans (72%) said the economy should be given priority, even at the risk of ignoring climate change.
Slowing the economy is absolutely necessary. It’s an inconvenient truth that the hyper consumerism and endless growth foundation of global capitalism are the root of the problem.
Also, conservatives sure do love money!
Climate change is settled science. Republicans don’t see it that way in new poll : NPR
As climate debates remain polarized and politicized, Huckabee’s guide is part of a small but determined contingency of climate disinformation materials marketed to children and families…
This sort of deliberate disinformation is largely to blame for the public’s lack of science literacy, particularly in regards to climate science. I’m both disgusted and fascinated by the way that conservative Christian politicians in the US have manipulated their base. But also, how that base now seems to have more control.
Mike Huckabee Is Now Peddling Climate Misinformation to Children – Mother Jones
To understand this moment, we have to recognise that there is an existential struggle on both sides. While environmental scientists and activists fight for the very survival of the habitable planet, the fossil fuel, meat and internal combustion industries are fighting for their economic survival. Either they are regulated out of existence or human society across much of the world will fail. We cannot all win: either these industries survive or we do.
Seven states and 30 Native American tribes lying in the Colorado River Basin prepare to make hard choices as water levels plummet due to a 23-year drought.
I fail to understand how using a desert for agriculture, golf courses and large cities makes any sense. Even less so as intensifying climate change is now making it worse. And it will only get worse.
Nate Hagens discusses energy, specifics oil as the foundation of the modern economic system.
There are ecological and energetic laws that apply to all life, including humans and our economies. By accessing a huge surplus of dense carbon energy in the form of fossil sunlight, we’ve effectively turbo-boosted our economies, populations, and material wealth - but what happens if this fossil abundance were to go away? What are the systemic implications of an economy tethered to growth, tethered to carbon?
He ends the video with “10 Systemic Inferences” which I would simplify as: The primary problem is global capitalism.
It’s interesting and insightful to view the planet as an organism in which increasingly complex human social organization (dominated currently by capitalism) based on intensely concentrated fossil fuel energy has resulted in a machinery that is, by it’s own logic, not capable of a solution.
10 Systemic Inferences
Just Stop Oil !? Part 2 - Oil is the Economy | Frankly #39 - YouTube
Andy Bell’s harrowing account of being caught up in the wildfires in Greece. While I agree with his conclusion I hope he and others of the 10% stop holiday air travel. Those that are causing the least damage are suffering and yes, dying for the holidays and conveniences of the wealthy.
The climate emergency is here now. Not in the future. If you are planning to travel to affected countries, I’d strongly recommend you don’t for yours and everyone’s safety.
I often hear people ask, but what can I do. My own sister asked this question a week ago after listening to me go on and on for the thousandth time about how we’re not doing enough. So, I’ve made a list. It’s long. It’s not complete.
First, begin by looking at how you live. Our lives are different. My list below is just preliminary and based on my observations. But a key point is don’t wait for a broken government to fix your problems. Don’t wait for a lawmaker to force you to begin implementing the solutions today. Don’t put off the changes you have control over in your life today.
Perspective.
The average American refrigerator produces as much carbon emissions as the average citizen of Nigeria, .6 metric ton. The the average citizen of Mali produces only as much carbon as the average British tea kettle, .1 metric ton.
How did the US go from having luxurious, widely used passenger trains to the Amtrak system we have today?
Will the United States ever catch up to the rest of the world when it comes to train travel, or are Americans stuck with an underfunded, inefficient rail network forever?
More was spent in 2022 on US highways than in the combined 52 year history of Amtrak:
Federal Highways: 64.3 billion Amtrak budget: 2.3 billion
Updated high speed rail is an essential element of cutting our carbon emmisions as is cutting air travel.