Don’t shame people for how long it took them. Be grateful for the insight they now show. Shaming them online makes it scarier for people to change their world view
I think it is mainly the fact that we have been shouting this from the rooftops for years, and all we got was ridicule.
And now, suddenly, when they realise they are also fucked, we are expected to be the bigger person.
These are the same people who always had a “what about…” ready. The same people who never wanted to sacrifice anything or make hard choices. No, they needed the bigger car, the cheap flights, the endless convenience, and they laughed while others tried to go net zero.
“It is pointless anyway, because big industry are the real polluters,” they said, as if that excused doing absolutely nothing.
I do not fear what is coming for me. I fear what is coming for my children because of years of selfish, egocentric people refusing to think about what they were doing to everything around them.
So yes, I understand the point about not making it scarier for people to change their worldview. But I am not going to pretend it does not matter how much damage was done while they mocked the people who saw it coming.
But you didn’t “only get ridicule”. It’s accepted fact in wide swathes of population. You don’t even know (I don’t think?) that this person was any kind of skeptic, they’ve just adjusted how important they think it is.
I think you’re doing exactly the wrong thing here: you’re taking the worst example of anti-climate-science people and projecting it onto this example you have a single sympathetic post from.
“It’s accepted fact in wide swathes of the population” who still mostly didn’t do anything to change their behavior in response. What’s the difference between a climate change denier who refuses to reduce driving and a climate change acknowledger who refuses to reduce driving? Practically speaking, not much!
I am in the same position as OP. This summer has made me fear global warming even more than before.
That doesn’t mean I’ve done nothing. Don’t project onto other people, some people actually do make sacrifices.
I, for example, do my daily commute on public transport. Which takes me 40 minutes each way. While I could easily drive to work, which would be 15 minutes instead. That’s 50 minutes I lose every working day. I also work from home as much as my boss lets me. Of course, that’s not really a sacrifice, but there’s actually people that go to the office when they could easily WfH.
I also avoid using the elevator as much as I can. Less than 3 floors means I’m taking the stairs every time. For a year or 2 I had to go up to the 8th floor once per week. Not once did I take the elevator.
I avoid LLMs as much as humanly possible. And I actively try to convince as much people I can that LLMs are a huge waste of resources.
I wear my clothes until they’re actually broken. If they no longer fit me, I store them, in case they fit me in the future. I own 2 pairs of shoes. One of daily use, the other in case the main ones break or are otherwise temporarily unusable (drying or whatever). It’s not a money issue, I could easily buy new clothes.
I use my electronics until they break or become otherwise unusable. Until ~3 years ago my second monitor was a 4:3 screen with less than 720p resolution. ~3 years ago that screen stopped working.
When I do buy new electronics, the EU energy rating is one of the most important features I consider.
I don’t order food delivery. I just walk to the restaurant and bring the food home myself. Either walking or on non-electric bike.
Before buying online, I first search for a physical local shop that would sell the item.
There’s plenty of things you can do as a normal citizen that can help slow global warming.
I do many of the things you do, other than public transport becuase we have none, but still, it almost feels you are wasting your time/life for people who dont care. You take public transport, 10 people drive a ford f teen thousand getting 7 mpg to carry 1 human 5 miles.
Unless you enjoy being martyr I guess. Ive kind of come to the conclusion that we are fucked, so I will live life as I want, don’t have kids to suffer the future, and thats that. Sure I can be somewhat responsible but I’m not going to quit traveling or using AC on the basis of saving the planet. Its just not worth it. I’m not saying purposely be wasteful, but I have 1 limited life, I’m not going to restrict myself for the sake of a million dumbasses who couldn’t care less.
I’m not saying give up entirely (i also take the stairs, why not, keeps you healthy), but I’m saying its not worth being a martyr, going into a cave and yelling at clouds that everyone else is wrong for having a car and AC.
I won’t be buying a new vehicle ever, I won’t be using amazon to purchase stuff i can easily get used, I won’t be using llms etc. But will I give up meat completely and never travel? No, sorry.
I’m also not going to convince my neighbor with 5 kids , a camper, a boat, and a mcmansion (theyre also bankrupt) that theyre destroying the planet. They dont care and won’t change.
I disagree with the implication that unilateral sacrifices are going to make any significant difference. Reduce driving sure, but we need large scale systemic change, not a handful of exhausted altruists.
Ok, that’s not what they said though. Having said thait… how do you know what actions they did or did not take in this case?
Do you think it is more productive to criticise someone who took insufficient action and who is now taking more action, or to praise them/react positively/keep quiet?
This guy is pretty explicitl that he believed in it, he just didnt feel it yet. It was an abstract, far-off issue in his mind until it was palpable, which I don’t think is unreasonable, thats kinda just how our brains work
And when you see fuck all done by the people sitting in office, being guided by the smartest professors in the country, you’re naturally going to think media is mostly just selling fear as they always do - Because if it was that dangerous, surely we’d do more large scale changes
Yeah a big part of it is just a refusal to change the ways we are accustomed to. I myself am guilty as much as anyone. I buy used for many things (no amazon or Walmart use), I drive small cars, dont litter etc, dont use herbicide or pesticide etc. Normal stuff. But the fact is I occasionally eat meat and use AC like everyone else. Only difference is theres no kids to perpetuate the destruction and the suffering, so maybe I’m ahead there.
I think anyone who thinks it will get better is just delusional. It will not change, and there is only suffering ahead for the younger generation, sorry.
Nothing in the image suggests that. And we’re talking about someone who opens with “I believe it’s happening, but I haven’t noticed it.”
The kicker is that it’s not individual consumers that need to change anyway. It’s large corporations and governments. If there’s any individual behavior that needs changing, it should involve armed resistance.
Don’t shame people for how long it took them. Be grateful for the insight they now show. Shaming them online makes it scarier for people to change their world view
I think it is mainly the fact that we have been shouting this from the rooftops for years, and all we got was ridicule.
And now, suddenly, when they realise they are also fucked, we are expected to be the bigger person.
These are the same people who always had a “what about…” ready. The same people who never wanted to sacrifice anything or make hard choices. No, they needed the bigger car, the cheap flights, the endless convenience, and they laughed while others tried to go net zero.
“It is pointless anyway, because big industry are the real polluters,” they said, as if that excused doing absolutely nothing.
I do not fear what is coming for me. I fear what is coming for my children because of years of selfish, egocentric people refusing to think about what they were doing to everything around them.
So yes, I understand the point about not making it scarier for people to change their worldview. But I am not going to pretend it does not matter how much damage was done while they mocked the people who saw it coming.
But you didn’t “only get ridicule”. It’s accepted fact in wide swathes of population. You don’t even know (I don’t think?) that this person was any kind of skeptic, they’ve just adjusted how important they think it is.
I think you’re doing exactly the wrong thing here: you’re taking the worst example of anti-climate-science people and projecting it onto this example you have a single sympathetic post from.
“It’s accepted fact in wide swathes of the population” who still mostly didn’t do anything to change their behavior in response. What’s the difference between a climate change denier who refuses to reduce driving and a climate change acknowledger who refuses to reduce driving? Practically speaking, not much!
I am in the same position as OP. This summer has made me fear global warming even more than before.
That doesn’t mean I’ve done nothing. Don’t project onto other people, some people actually do make sacrifices.
I, for example, do my daily commute on public transport. Which takes me 40 minutes each way. While I could easily drive to work, which would be 15 minutes instead. That’s 50 minutes I lose every working day. I also work from home as much as my boss lets me. Of course, that’s not really a sacrifice, but there’s actually people that go to the office when they could easily WfH.
I also avoid using the elevator as much as I can. Less than 3 floors means I’m taking the stairs every time. For a year or 2 I had to go up to the 8th floor once per week. Not once did I take the elevator.
I avoid LLMs as much as humanly possible. And I actively try to convince as much people I can that LLMs are a huge waste of resources.
I wear my clothes until they’re actually broken. If they no longer fit me, I store them, in case they fit me in the future. I own 2 pairs of shoes. One of daily use, the other in case the main ones break or are otherwise temporarily unusable (drying or whatever). It’s not a money issue, I could easily buy new clothes.
I use my electronics until they break or become otherwise unusable. Until ~3 years ago my second monitor was a 4:3 screen with less than 720p resolution. ~3 years ago that screen stopped working.
When I do buy new electronics, the EU energy rating is one of the most important features I consider.
I don’t order food delivery. I just walk to the restaurant and bring the food home myself. Either walking or on non-electric bike.
Before buying online, I first search for a physical local shop that would sell the item.
There’s plenty of things you can do as a normal citizen that can help slow global warming.
I do many of the things you do, other than public transport becuase we have none, but still, it almost feels you are wasting your time/life for people who dont care. You take public transport, 10 people drive a ford f teen thousand getting 7 mpg to carry 1 human 5 miles.
Unless you enjoy being martyr I guess. Ive kind of come to the conclusion that we are fucked, so I will live life as I want, don’t have kids to suffer the future, and thats that. Sure I can be somewhat responsible but I’m not going to quit traveling or using AC on the basis of saving the planet. Its just not worth it. I’m not saying purposely be wasteful, but I have 1 limited life, I’m not going to restrict myself for the sake of a million dumbasses who couldn’t care less.
Thus becoming one more of the million dumbasses.
That exact mentality is what got us here.
You don’t want to put in the effort? Cool, you do you. I don’t care. I’m not following you though, the stairs are way healthier as a bonus.
I’m not saying give up entirely (i also take the stairs, why not, keeps you healthy), but I’m saying its not worth being a martyr, going into a cave and yelling at clouds that everyone else is wrong for having a car and AC.
I won’t be buying a new vehicle ever, I won’t be using amazon to purchase stuff i can easily get used, I won’t be using llms etc. But will I give up meat completely and never travel? No, sorry.
I’m also not going to convince my neighbor with 5 kids , a camper, a boat, and a mcmansion (theyre also bankrupt) that theyre destroying the planet. They dont care and won’t change.
I disagree with the implication that unilateral sacrifices are going to make any significant difference. Reduce driving sure, but we need large scale systemic change, not a handful of exhausted altruists.
Ok, that’s not what they said though. Having said thait… how do you know what actions they did or did not take in this case?
Do you think it is more productive to criticise someone who took insufficient action and who is now taking more action, or to praise them/react positively/keep quiet?
This guy is pretty explicitl that he believed in it, he just didnt feel it yet. It was an abstract, far-off issue in his mind until it was palpable, which I don’t think is unreasonable, thats kinda just how our brains work
And when you see fuck all done by the people sitting in office, being guided by the smartest professors in the country, you’re naturally going to think media is mostly just selling fear as they always do - Because if it was that dangerous, surely we’d do more large scale changes
Yeah a big part of it is just a refusal to change the ways we are accustomed to. I myself am guilty as much as anyone. I buy used for many things (no amazon or Walmart use), I drive small cars, dont litter etc, dont use herbicide or pesticide etc. Normal stuff. But the fact is I occasionally eat meat and use AC like everyone else. Only difference is theres no kids to perpetuate the destruction and the suffering, so maybe I’m ahead there.
I think anyone who thinks it will get better is just delusional. It will not change, and there is only suffering ahead for the younger generation, sorry.
That’s not insight, it’s still the same selfishness as before: “This is bad for meeeeee!”
There’s levels to it. They have clearly recognised that they need to adjust their behaviour.
Nothing in the image suggests that. And we’re talking about someone who opens with “I believe it’s happening, but I haven’t noticed it.”
The kicker is that it’s not individual consumers that need to change anyway. It’s large corporations and governments. If there’s any individual behavior that needs changing, it should involve armed resistance.
Yeah. You’re only supposed to shame them in your head.
I am not seeing any shaming here.
Only now is it clicking
sounds like disbelief
it’s hard to see from someone else’s perspective, and it can be confounding to try
“only now clicking” is not inherently an insult, but I suppose it could be implied, but without more context I can’t be sure
Yep it sure can be 🙄
That’ll bring back everyone dying of heat stroke. Dumb asses need to know they’re dumb asses.