Former head of the UN climate science body told the BBC's Today programme he was very pessimistic.

Former head of the UN climate science body told the BBC’s Today programme he was very pessimistic.

  • Izzgo@kbin.social
    13·
    1 year ago

    I’m almost 70. First learned about climate change in 1972. Back then I was certain we would prevent at least the worst of the results, because we were passing good laws around pollution and environmental issues. But no, big time capitalism decided that short term (a few decades) profit was more important to them than leaving behind a habitable planet for their great grandchildren. I presume they thought that, being ultra rich, they would be able to either escape to another planet or build viable domes to live in.

    Please don’t tell my son, but I sometimes wish I’d chosen abortion. Now he has 3 children, and I cry for their future.

    • HubertManne@kbin.social
      5·
      1 year ago

      Im just young enough to experience the 70’s a bit. Feels to me like everything passed that starting with reagan was just a big slide. I am so happy im not just a touch older or that I had gotten my career going faster because if I had I might have had kids. I have siblings with kids and grandkids though and I to weep for their future.

    • BraveSirZaphod@kbin.social
      3·
      1 year ago

      Back then I was certain we would prevent at least the worst of the results

      Well, to be the bearer of good news, this is probably going to happen. The Paris Agreement aims to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, and while there’s still quite a lot of work to do and it’s not going to be easy, this is a reachable target. There will still be significant consequences, plenty of people will suffer, and it’s not remotely just or fair, but it also is not a cataclysmic and apocalyptic scenario.

      It’s really important to maintain some perspective with these things. A lot of very hard work has been done to get us to this point, and we shouldn’t completely lose sight of that, even if we deserve quite a lot more and shouldn’t even be in this situation in the first place.

  • Lumidaub@feddit.de
    7·
    1 year ago

    I fucking hate that by now I my first reaction to this kind of news has become “… yeah. pity.” I realistically have another 40 years on this shitshow of a planet and I can’t feel optimistic about it at all.

    • Ganondorf@kbin.social
      3·
      1 year ago

      Yeah it’s really frustrating to know how long this conversation has been happening and there’s still be minimal change, often no change disguised by marketing or quiet conversions back to the status quo. CEOs and the rich who are bankrolling this shit need to start facing real consequences.

      • argv_minus_one@beehaw.org
        3·
        1 year ago

        They’ll have real consequences when they hunker down in their bunkers, only to be killed and eaten by their own security guards, once the collapse of civilization makes their money worthless.

        But by then it will be far too late for the rest of us.

  • Ni@kbin.social
    3·
    1 year ago

    2.7C increase would not look good for the majority of the world and it seems to be where we are heading. Very disheartening, but all we can do is keep on doing what we can regardless!