I'm really dreading this next summer here in Canada. Last year the forest fires were brutal (picture having no AC, poisonous smoke and 30C (86F for the Americans) outdoors and about 35C (95F) inside) and we had hardly any snow so far this winter, so next year the entire fucking place is probably going to be on fire all summer long.
Also we're definitely getting an AC before then lol.
In addition to residential, Heat pumps are absolutely showing up in commercial constructions. Recent US climate incentives are targeted at just this change and you’ll see a LOT of new buildings claiming that credit.
"We can’t afford to use shareholder money…to support an underpriced product."
I made a claim to replace a door on one of my vehicles and my insurance premium went up for an amount and time that, when I did the math, came out to the amount they paid out for the claim. WTF is the point of all this other money I've been paying you for years if you're just going to recoup your "loss" by temporarily raising my rates?
The whole point of insurance is that you're gambling and hoping to lose. It's fundamental to its nature that it be a scam. Insurance companies can only make money if their customers, on avergae, lose money to the nsurance company.
You said "vehicles", but assuming it's a car (I know nothing about boat or plane insurance), the company has you bent over a barrel: it's mandatory you have car insurance and every car insurance company knows it, so they can and do get away with abuses other insurance companies can't because at least other kinds of insurance are optional.
Reminds me of a Lemmy thread from a few months back where people were defending health insurance. Fools.
That won't work because a <$0.01 tax on steak relative to the impact caused by meat-eating in most countries won't change anyone's mind. If everyone went vegan, the world still fails. If nobody went vegan but the businesses went carbon neutral, we're all fine.
In the US point of view, we only produce 20% more methane emissions than in the pre-colonial days, and the only way these changes will actually be a meaningful net positive is through anti-natal terraforming to lower animal population than was ever really natural.
I'm ok with some countries bearing more weight to help than the harm they cause, but only if it will actually make a difference. 100 million people in my country choosing to stop eating meat suddenly (or being forced to at gunpoint) doesn't change anything.
Zero responsibility for doing my research and coming up to a different conclusion than you? Oh hell no. I take 100% responsibility for it. I live it. I breathe it. I know more about the environmental impact of meat than 9 out of every 10 vegans I end up dealing with on the internet.
The 10th is either not a jerk to me, or is clearly a zealot. I allow for zealotry (not happily). I'm not a fan of willful ignorance.
I would say definitely less snow in the US North-East than "back in my day", but certainly more storms/weird weather. Like we are supposed to have possibly 70mph wind gusts tomorrow with snow/sleet/rain all in a 24hr period of time.
We haven’t had very many storms in New England this winter. The last big storms in a row, were back in 2013-15 and they were still late February storms. Our first plowable storm was Sunday, and we’re scheduled for 2-3 inches of rain tonight.
I used to work in the ski industry, but it was already a low paying job, when the season starts 1+ months later and ends sooner, it’s barely worth the gas money to get there.
I absolutely detest SUVs (I hate how they drive, and the sheer size, as well as the efficiency issues mentioned here), and will do my damndest to avoid ever buying one, but it’s starting to feel like I’m simply being relegated to buying a used car.
The average American consumer is frustratingly dumb :(
The dealer is constantly selling crack without shame and impunity.
Users keep buying and taking the crack.
Everyone blames the user for not quiting crack.
In case anyone is wondering about my metaphor, industry has lots of power and they produce a lot of pollution in order to give us the junk we think we want to buy. They have all the ability to take on more efficient and environmentally safer solutions but they don't because it will affect their profits. So they shift the responsibility to us and tell us that we need to stop buying this stuff and they'll stop making them. Unfortunately we're hooked on this stuff and they know it.
They're blaming the junkies for making them sell the stuff that is destroying everyone.
I disagree that the really hard things don't cost money.
Eating less meat does, at the surface, cost the consumer less money. If I go in to the supermarket, it's cheaper to buy a bunch of chicken wings than it is to buy some plant based protein (not to mention my kids will actually eat the chicken). And yes, I know, "ThErE aRe pLeNTy oF cHeAPeR WaYs to EaT a nOn-MEaT DiEt.". Thank you, Mr Vegan, we're talking about converting the masses here. Government's can change that by changing subsidy weights, but then it's not really an individual-led change at that level.
Same for decarbonisation of heating - if I want to install a heat pump and insulate my home better, that costs money!
As for flying yes, that's more about regulating air travel to make it cost more and stopping the practice of airlines having to fly empty flights to retain their use of that flight plan. Again, not really an individual-driven change. Especially because the impact of flying disproportionately leans towards the more wealthy and business.
I agree, "the really hard things often don’t require money, but a change in people!" despite what I'm sure are OP's best intentions, is juts more of the same corporate shifting of responsibility away from themselves and on to the individuals they have trapped. Unless the change they mean is becoming an active anti-capitalist and plotting the demise of the rich, which I somehow doubt.
As long as profit is the priority of society, those who make it off of the backs (and eventual destruction) of the rest of us aren't going to stop, and as long as they keep going, anything we do in terms of personal eating habits/recycling/travel and so on is an irrelevant drop in the ocean. The only way to have any real impact is remove them and destroy their system.
Sorry about that, that was really badly worded by me. I meant to express that behavorial change is a hard challenge, while (some) technological issues can 'simply' be solved by throwing money at it.
I am fully convinced that we need a radically different economic system that steers away from profit as ultimate goal.
Same for decarbonisation of heating - if I want to install a heat pump and insulate my home better, that costs money!
And older multi-story apartment buildings are often practically impossible to switch to heat pumps. These older buildings make up a vast majority of european city dwellings. All you can realistically do is update insulation and the central heating system to be more efficient, but decarbonizing the latter—I don't even know if there are heat pump based solutions that can heat water to 50...60°C needed if it gets to -20°C and colder. And if there is, installing it would be a nightmare.
Individual heat pumps for each apartment? Where to put the 2 to 4 external heat exchangers per apartment that is needed? If they're on the walls 30 meters from ground how do you have access to them for deicing if they clog up with snow and ice? If they're on rooftops you need mighty long piping to lower floors.
Heat pumps are awesome, but for apartment buildings you have to plan them in from the beginning.
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