When #Copernicus published its update "April 2024 was warmer globally than any previous April in the data record" I heard it in a casual radio message, followed by an update on football.
Even though I have to deal with #ClimateChange professionally, the realization that we are in an uncharted climate territory does not make it any less mind-boggling. Casually mentioning this unfolding threat to our civilization in between the really relevant news and sports borders with denialism. #DontLookUp
@Havant_Enviro
It might be very convenient to gaslight on climate scientists for not yet solving the #climatecrisis. Do you think that the military sector sends us a regular update on their carbon footprint? In fact, it is even voluntary to report military emissions.
Climate scientists do warn on the immense climate footprint of military activities, at the #COP28 and elsewhere. You might want to inform yourself before making the claim.
Throwback to our die-in action last December at the steps of the Danish Parliament, calling out the failure and deadly corruption of the #COP process: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QvrT7S-4LLs
28 years, 28 pointless meetings. How much more climate failure until we act?
Tough words here from Elisabeth Robson about the severe danger of a singular focus on carbon emissions, when the crisis we face is much broader than that.
"Why are we not talking about Ecological Overshoot?"
I’m writing this as COP28 is wrapping up in Dubai, UAE. There was a lot of talk about climate change and fossil fuels — mostly whether we will “phase down” or “phase out” our use of fossil fuels — and about so-called “renewables.” The conference ended with a global goal to “triple renewables and double energy efficiency.”
“We acted, we delivered,” claimed COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber, as if building more industrial technologies like wind turbines and solar panels and making more energy efficient buildings and cars will somehow restore biosphere integrity, regrow all the old-growth forests, un-pave the wetlands, un-pollute the water, land, and air, and reverse the 1000x-faster-than-normal rate we are exterminating species.
The global focus on climate change, cemented by almost 30 years of UN conferences, has blinded the world to our true predicament — that is, ecological overshoot — of which climate change is just one of many symptoms. Organizations, governments, corporations, the media are all talking about climate change and the supposed “solutions” of renewables and energy efficiency, while essentially ignoring the ongoing destruction of the natural world.
Carbon tunnel vision means other problems get short shrift. And the “solutions” that corporations are selling us in order to meet the goals set by federal and state law will actually make many of the other symptoms of ecological overshoot worse. Far worse.
Everyone’s planning assumes the same — that the economy, population, extraction, development, and consumption will all continue to grow. Indeed, an economy based on debt requires life-as-we-know-it to continue.
But this is simply not possible on a finite planet with finite resources and ecosystems already shattering under pressure. Basic laws of ecology tell us that when a species overshoots the regenerative capacity of its environment, that species will collapse. This is true for humans too.
Corporations have created technologies and industries they can sell to the world as “solutions” to climate change. These “solutions” allow corporations and the governments they influence to believe we can continue with Business As Usual. The pervasive propaganda about these “solutions” allows us regular folk to believe we can continue life-as-we-know-it without having to worry too much because “someone’s doing something about climate change.”
Unlike the “solutions” to climate change that corporations are constantly trying to sell us, there is no profitable technology that will eliminate habitat loss, species extinctions, pollution, and deforestation. And so what we hear from organizations, governments, corporations, and the media is all climate change all the time, because someone’s making money.
"For the first time there will be a dedicated food day, and #food, #agriculture and #water will be the focus of at least 22 major events during the fortnight of #COP28 talks in Dubai.
For the first time, too, the FAO will outline how food systems must change for the world to stay within the globally agreed goal of limiting temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels."
"At COP27 “Agribusiness and governments offered patented patches designed not to transform the food system, but to keep it the same.”
Campaigners hope for a real discussion of why the current western diet, being exported around the world to developing and middle-income countries, is inherently unsustainable, and what can be done about that."
This is like "EV EV EV!" and bike, walk, & transit infrastructure.
Both are needed but you only hear about one.
"Documents show industry intends to go ‘full force’ in arguing #meat is beneficial to the environment at #climate summit.
Meat and dairy companies are under increasing pressure over their large #GreenhouseGas footprints. The dairy industry is responsible for 3.4% of global human-induced #emissions, a higher share than aviation."
First of all, and most of all, I want to give a massive salute to all those people who refuse to give in to climate doom, and couldn't give a damn what climate doomers say.
If you're determined to keep pushing for meaningful action on climate change no matter what the charts and graphs are saying, you are golden.
You will save this planet. Just keep going. You've got this.
"I do make a conscious choice every morning to say ‘yes, I know what all the bad news is’ – that’s easy to get because that just screams at you from whatever news feed you have – but also, what is positive that is going out there? What are the disruptive pieces that are real, strong evidence of the fact that this is changing?”