Climate Change/Mass Extinction Megathread

[Josquius]

Consumer choices do decide who gets into power however.

And recent history has shown there's a lot of opportunity for populist anti logic rhetoric. If the far right latch harder onto climate change it could be very dangerous.

Where do they go from denying climate change exists that would make things more dangerous?  Actively trying to increase the production of greenhouse gases I suppose?

You do get some of them going this way.... though I think that would be a bit much for a politician trying to be serious.
More "Who cares about tomorrow. What about jobs today. I am entitled to park my car anywhere I want. Kids these days have it too easy.".

[Syt]

I mean, the GOP intends to punish companies that move away from using fossil fuels: https://www.rawstory.com/desantis-on-disney/

[The Minsky Moment]

Never underestimate the power of tribal affinity.

Don't listen to those woke Democrat lemmings about how cliffs are bad. Going over cliffs is our lemming heritage.

[The Larch]

Consumer choices do decide who gets into power however.

And recent history has shown there's a lot of opportunity for populist anti logic rhetoric. If the far right latch harder onto climate change it could be very dangerous.

Where do they go from denying climate change exists that would make things more dangerous?  Actively trying to increase the production of greenhouse gases I suppose?

In oil-rich Texas, GOP lawmakers push bill to punish Wall Street for fossil fuel disinvestments
The bill would direct state investment funds to divest from companies that cut ties with fossil fuel companies, pitting Texas against some increasingly carbon-conscious Wall Street investors.

A bill filed in the Texas Senate Thursday would direct the state's massive investment funds to divest from any companies that "boycott" fossil fuels.

Pressure is increasing on Wall Street for companies and investment funds to reduce their financial support for oil and gas companies. Environmental activists have long called for Wall Street and university endowments to stop investing in fossil fuels, and several universities have complied.

Last year, Larry Fink, founder and chief executive of BlackRock, one of the world's largest investment companies, wrote to shareholders that the firm would make climate change "a defining factor" in its investment strategy, and in January, he further said it would exit investments that present a "sustainability-related" risk.

The Texas bill bites back: If passed, the legislation filed by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, along with four other Republican state senators, would require state entities — including state pension funds and Texas' massive K-12 school endowment — to divest from companies that refuse to invest in or do business with fossil fuel-based energy.

Texas state funds identified in the bill include the $46 billion Texas Permanent School Fund, the largest such K-12 fund in the U.S; the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, which manages nearly $165 billion in investments; and the Employees Retirement System of Texas and Texas Municipal Retirement System of Texas, which each manage $31 billion.

Senate Bill 13 — low numbered bills signal a high priority for lawmakers — would also prevent companies, retired beneficiaries and others from suing the state over the divestments. In February, before the winter storm that left millions of people across Texas without power and killed dozens, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said legislation to prohibit the state from doing business with firms that "boycott" oil and gas companies was a priority and will "pass easily," according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The early version of the bill directs the state comptroller to create a list of companies and funds that "boycott" fossil fuel companies and allows the attorney general to take enforcement action against state funds that do not divest from the companies on the list.

If the state fund determines that divesting would cause it to lose value or deviate from its benchmark, it could provide that information in a written report to the comptroller, the Legislature, and the Texas attorney general to request an exemption.

[The Larch]

10 years ago:





Today:

An unoccupied house on stilts in Rodanthe, North Carolina, collapses into the ocean this afternoon.
Was worth $381,200 according to Zillow.

https://twitter.com/TollyTaylor/status/1524128479394029571

[crazy canuck]

Don't Look Up!!!!!!

[garbon]

Don't Look Up!!!!!!

A rather poor film.

[Zanza]

Consumer choices do decide who gets into power however.

And recent history has shown there's a lot of opportunity for populist anti logic rhetoric. If the far right latch harder onto climate change it could be very dangerous.

Where do they go from denying climate change exists that would make things more dangerous?  Actively trying to increase the production of greenhouse gases I suppose?

In oil-rich Texas, GOP lawmakers push bill to punish Wall Street for fossil fuel disinvestments
The bill would direct state investment funds to divest from companies that cut ties with fossil fuel companies, pitting Texas against some increasingly carbon-conscious Wall Street investors.

A bill filed in the Texas Senate Thursday would direct the state's massive investment funds to divest from any companies that "boycott" fossil fuels.

Pressure is increasing on Wall Street for companies and investment funds to reduce their financial support for oil and gas companies. Environmental activists have long called for Wall Street and university endowments to stop investing in fossil fuels, and several universities have complied.

Last year, Larry Fink, founder and chief executive of BlackRock, one of the world's largest investment companies, wrote to shareholders that the firm would make climate change "a defining factor" in its investment strategy, and in January, he further said it would exit investments that present a "sustainability-related" risk.

The Texas bill bites back: If passed, the legislation filed by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, along with four other Republican state senators, would require state entities — including state pension funds and Texas' massive K-12 school endowment — to divest from companies that refuse to invest in or do business with fossil fuel-based energy.

Texas state funds identified in the bill include the $46 billion Texas Permanent School Fund, the largest such K-12 fund in the U.S; the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, which manages nearly $165 billion in investments; and the Employees Retirement System of Texas and Texas Municipal Retirement System of Texas, which each manage $31 billion.

Senate Bill 13 — low numbered bills signal a high priority for lawmakers — would also prevent companies, retired beneficiaries and others from suing the state over the divestments. In February, before the winter storm that left millions of people across Texas without power and killed dozens, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said legislation to prohibit the state from doing business with firms that "boycott" oil and gas companies was a priority and will "pass easily," according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The early version of the bill directs the state comptroller to create a list of companies and funds that "boycott" fossil fuel companies and allows the attorney general to take enforcement action against state funds that do not divest from the companies on the list.

If the state fund determines that divesting would cause it to lose value or deviate from its benchmark, it could provide that information in a written report to the comptroller, the Legislature, and the Texas attorney general to request an exemption.

Not investing into the future seems a poor strategy.

[DGuller]

I'm not convinced that humanity is a not an evolutionary dead end.  Sure, we've been making an almost vertical leap in technology for the last few centuries, but in the long run that may be a sign of instability rather than fitness.  Sometimes a quick rise is just a sign of recklessness that will eventually multiply your past success by zero.

[Jacob]

I'm not convinced that humanity is a not an evolutionary dead end.  Sure, we've been making an almost vertical leap in technology for the last few centuries, but in the long run that may be a sign of instability rather than fitness.  Sometimes a quick rise is just a sign of recklessness that will eventually multiply your past success by zero.

I think we'll cling on for a while. We may inflict massive catastrophes on ourselves that result in significant die-offs, but I think humans are tenacious enough that some will survive and eventually repopulate the planet. I think our capacity for completely destroying the possibility of human life is still fairly limited. That said, we can definitely utterly fuck up civilization and our way of life as it exists now. And that will suck. But I expect the species will bounce back eventually.

[CountDeMoney]

I'm not convinced that humanity is a not an evolutionary dead end.  Sure, we've been making an almost vertical leap in technology for the last few centuries, but in the long run that may be a sign of instability rather than fitness.  Sometimes a quick rise is just a sign of recklessness that will eventually multiply your past success by zero.

Considering how, for all practical purposes, we exist and perform completely contrary to other participants of the global ecosystem, I can't necessarily disagree.  Mr. Smith was right with Morpheus.

If we do survive, it'll be through a combination of our intelligence, technology, hubris and dumb fucking luck.

[Sheilbh]

I think we'll cling on for a while. We may inflict massive catastrophes on ourselves that result in significant die-offs, but I think humans are tenacious enough that some will survive and eventually repopulate the planet. I think our capacity for completely destroying the possibility of human life is still fairly limited. That said, we can definitely utterly fuck up civilization and our way of life as it exists now. And that will suck. But I expect the species will bounce back eventually.

Agree. I've said it before but I think it's the huge challenge of climate politics to convey the scale without inducing so much despair that people just give up and end up passive. And I think it's a political problem so you need people engaged and active.

On the other hand I've always thought if humanity ends it'll be nukes. Which is not exactly much more warm and reassuring and I'm not sure there's a solution because that capability is always in our hands

[CountDeMoney]

On the other hand I've always thought if humanity ends it'll be nukes. Which is not exactly much more warm and reassuring and I'm not sure there's a solution because that capability is always in our hands

The only thing that you can guarantee when you give a chimpanzee a revolver is that sometime, somewhere, something is going to get shot.

[crazy canuck]

I have more faith that once the Boomers die off things will turn for the better.

[CountDeMoney]

I have more faith that once the Boomers die off things will turn for the better.

It would certainly help in the US re: debt, social safety net, etc., but it's inconsequential when the other side of the planet is bunny humping like it's going out of style. 

Tacking on 85 million humans a year slopping is not helping things, dead Boomers or no.