Climate Change | UN Report: Code Red for humanity

[Buster15]

Very interesting speach from Mark Carney, departing governor of the BoE regarding business and climate change.

Essentially he is warning that as we go forward, there are going to be two types of businesses.
Those who embrace climate change and put at the heart of their business model and those who will ultimately try to continue as normal and will wither and die.

He was speaking about investors who since the first Paris Climate meeting have ploughed well over £2.5 trillions into fossil fuel industries.
These have historically made good returns.
But if this is repeated in the next decade, these returns will continue to drop as customers move away from such sectors.

If anything is going to tackle the climate emergency, it has to be profits driven.
There has to be a price on CO2.
And it has to be done by not just those businesses profiting from damaging our planet but by those emerging businesses who will drive those relics out of the market place.

 

[11101]

Very interesting speach from Mark Carney, departing governor of the BoE regarding business and climate change.

Essentially he is warning that as we go forward, there are going to be two types of businesses.
Those who embrace climate change and put at the heart of their business model and those who will ultimately try to continue as normal and will wither and die.

He was speaking about investors who since the first Paris Climate meeting have ploughed well over £2.5 trillions into fossil fuel industries.
These have historically made good returns.
But if this is repeated in the next decade, these returns will continue to drop as customers move away from such sectors.

If anything is going to tackle the climate emergency, it has to be profits driven.
There has to be a price on CO2.
And it has to be done by not just those businesses profiting from damaging our planet but by those emerging businesses who will drive those relics out of the market place.

Or an opportunity to being green. A lot of investment managers are beginning to avoid high polluting businesses for fear of unseen future costs.

As with everything, it cant just be taxes to address the problem. There needs to be viable alternatives or it wont change.

 

[Red Dreams]

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/decade-end-climate-change-numbers_n_5e026b09e4b0b2520d10f41d

7 Numbers Show How Dire Climate Change Got This Decade
From melting ice caps to record-breaking wildfires, hurricanes and floods, the deadly consequences of human-caused global warming are here.

 

[Wibble]

Over 5 million hectares if bushkand has burnt out in Australia so far and tiday kooks like being another terrible day. Currently much of the population a small town in Victoria is on the beach with rural.fire service surrounding them as the fires advance. Sounds like most of the town will be lost. Hopefully the loss of life will be limited.

Now our evangelical PM has bothered to return from holiday in Hawaii we should be ok as his plans to support firefighters and to.tackle climate change are thoughts and prayers. Thank goodness he is back.

 

[berbatrick]

@11101
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...edience-to-force-climate-action-idUSKBN1WS01K
Almost 400 scientists have endorsed a civil disobedience campaign aimed at forcing governments to take rapid action to tackle climate change, warning that failure could inflict “incalculable human suffering.”

 

[Buster15]

@11101
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...edience-to-force-climate-action-idUSKBN1WS01K
Almost 400 scientists have endorsed a civil disobedience campaign aimed at forcing governments to take rapid action to tackle climate change, warning that failure could inflict “incalculable human suffering.”

It looks increasingly clear that the next decade is going to be a make or break one for the people and of course the species of our planet.

All the talking and all the posturing and all the kicking the can down the road has to stop and decisive action has to start on a global scale. And quickly.
If not, all the promises and pledges of net carbon nutrality by 2050 or hopefully earlier will simply have added to the hot air.

I would love to say that I am optimistic about the future. Especially for my young grandchildren.
But the level of inertia, even now is agonisingly and unacceptably slow.
Australia should be the wake up call we all need.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

It looks increasingly clear that the next decade is going to be a make or break one for the people and of course the species of our planet.

All the talking and all the posturing and all the kicking the can down the road has to stop and decisive action has to start on a global scale. And quickly.
If not, all the promises and pledges of net carbon nutrality by 2050 or hopefully earlier will simply have added to the hot air.

I would love to say that I am optimistic about the future. Especially for my young grandchildren.
But the level of inertia, even now is agonisingly and unacceptably slow.
Australia should be the wake up call we all need.

With Johnson as PM, and Trump likely to get a new term in the states... No chance in creating a unison front in the UN to force all countries (most of them at least) to make the changes necessary to be prepared for a different climate and weather and not make the situation any worse than it is or is going to be.

 

[711]

Over 5 million hectares if bushkand has burnt out in Australia so far and tiday kooks like being another terrible day. Currently much of the population a small town in Victoria is on the beach with rural.fire service surrounding them as the fires advance. Sounds like most of the town will be lost. Hopefully the loss of life will be limited.

Now our evangelical PM has bothered to return from holiday in Hawaii we should be ok as his plans to support firefighters and to.tackle climate change are thoughts and prayers. Thank goodness he is back.

I can't understand what's happening to be honest. The BBC is reporting that the Australian armed forces have been requested to help. Requested today. Surely that should have been done some time ago, they should have been creating firebreaks, moving water and supplies, preparing for evacuations if necessary. Plus all the actual firefighting stuff the military have at airfields and so on should have been put into readiness for emergency use. I thought Australia was a tough 'can do' country, are they really as clueless as the British press is portraying them?

 

[golden_blunder]

I just saw a graphic on the beeb showing the locations of all the fires in the 7 days up to 31 December. It’s literally everywhere in Australia. Crazy,

Stay safe @Wibble and any other aus based cafites

 

[Wibble]

I just saw a graphic on the beeb showing the locations of all the fires in the 7 days up to 31 December. It’s literally everywhere in Australia. Crazy,

Stay safe @Wibble and any other aus based cafites

It has been a terrible fire season so far and it isn't over. At this rate the burnt area will exceed the entire area of Eire very soon.

I now live close to the center of Sydney so I'm safe from the fire - smoke aside.

 

[Wibble]

I thought Australia was a tough 'can do' country, are they really as clueless as the British press is portraying them?

No.

We are very well prepared but after many weeks of unprecedented fire activity there are now things the armed forces can help with - mainly logistics and evacuating people by ship, as many roads are closed and rushing to open them risks tree falls killing people.

The majority of the firefighting effort is conducted by our huge volunteer rural fire service and the biggest issue is how to compensate them for lost income as they don't usually getvpaid. This has been more or less sorted out with government funding.

We have only lost a handful of lives this season which is remarkable given how big and fierce the fires are. As this is likely to be the new normal there are things that will need to change and be funded (even more water carrying planes and helicopters) and we will need to look at how we deal with being less able to back burn to reduce fuel loads in winter due to climate change, and probably many other things, but the effort so far has been excellent.

How we address climate change is the big guestion especially when we have a denialist coal loving government.

The lack of political leadership is also a big issue and our PM's decision to stuff off to Hawaii for a family holiday while the country burned has pissed everyone off - even those who voted for him - hopefully it will bite him in the arse.

Edit: a few more lives lost. 15 this year so far with a 16th likely

 

[arthurka]

If there ever was any doubt these doubts have gone rapidly here in Iceland. Our Glazers are vanishing at an alarming rate. Since the year 2000 more Glazers have melted than in 200 years before and if nothing changes all Glazers will be gone in less than 200 years. These are just two human lifetimes and these are Glazers that have been here for over 2500-3000 years with the oldest being around 9000 years old.
Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are really catching and biting us in the ass. For over 800.000 years CO2 has fluctuated between 180ppm to around 280ppm at the start of the industrial revolution, today it's over 400ppm and still rising. We have added 40% more CO2 into the atmosphere in 100 years or in 1 human lifetime. All ecosystems are under stress or collapsing from our way of living.

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

Zoo in Krefeld, Germany on fire after New Years Eve celebrations fireworks land on monkey house. I know it's not exactly climate change but I didn't want to start a new thread so I thought I'd put it here as people may point to the unusually mild weather as a factor.

 

[711]

No.

We are very well prepared but after many weeks of unprecedented fire activity there are now things the armed forces can help with - mainly logistics and evacuating people by ship, as many roads are closed and rushing to open them risks tree falls killing people.

The majority of the firefighting effort is conducted by our huge volunteer rural fire service and the biggest issue is how to compensate them for lost income as they don't usually getvpaid. This has been more or less sorted out with government funding.

We have only lost a handful of lives this season which is remarkable given how big and fierce the fires are. As this is likely to be the new normal there are things that will need to change and be funded (even more water carrying planes and helicopters) and we will need to look at how we deal with being less able to back burn to reduce fuel loads in winter due to climate change, and probably many other things, but the effort so far has been excellent.

How we address climate change is the big guestion especially when we have a denialist coal loving government.

The lack of political leadership is also a big issue and our PM's decision to stuff off to Hawaii for a family holiday while the country burned has pissed everyone off - even those who voted for him - hopefully it will bite him in the arse.

Edit: a few more lives lost. 15 this year so far with a 16th likely

Thanks Wibs. I realise I came across as criticising the whole effort, sorry for that, it was just the not calling the armed forces in that puzzled me, we take that as normal here, moorland fires, washed out bridges, collapsing damns and so on. Plus volunteers as well of course.

I

 

[Buster15]

If there ever was any doubt these doubts have gone rapidly here in Iceland. Our Glazers are vanishing at an alarming rate. Since the year 2000 more Glazers have melted than in 200 years before and if nothing changes all Glazers will be gone in less than 200 years. These are just two human lifetimes and these are Glazers that have been here for over 2500-3000 years with the oldest being around 9000 years old.
Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are really catching and biting us in the ass. For over 800.000 years CO2 has fluctuated between 180ppm to around 280ppm at the start of the industrial revolution, today it's over 400ppm and still rising. We have added 40% more CO2 into the atmosphere in 100 years or in 1 human lifetime. All ecosystems are under stress or collapsing from our way of living.

Highly depressing but realistic overview of the complete and utter mess we have and are making to our only home. And in such a short period of time.
It is just staggering how stupid we are to even think that we could live such an unsustainable lifestyle and get away with it.

Our small planet simply cannot copy with 7 thousand million people and their impact on its delicate ecosystem.
The same ecosystem that we evolved from.
We are not separate from nature but an intrinsic part of it.
And if or when that delicate ecosystem collapses then so do we.

 

[Wibble]

Thanks Wibs. I realise I came across as criticising the whole effort, sorry for that, it was just the not calling the armed forces in that puzzled me, we take that as normal here, moorland fires, washed out bridges, collapsing damns and so on. Plus volunteers as well of course.

We are very well set up.for fires because they happen every year but if you didn't know this the request would appear to be very late in the piece. The size and intensity of this year's fires have overwhelmed our resources despire having quite a bit of assistance from overseas - firefighters and machinary.

The state governments have performed well, especially Victoria, but the federal government has been dead at the wheel. With the latest request for armed forces to assist it still required the states to ask. Although it is the states role to do so you would have thought the federal government would have been looking at ways to help. They seem paralysed by the inescapable fact that global warming has made the fires much worse - something they are actively trying to ignore to keep their snouts in the coal industry trough.

They were warned about how bad this fire season were going to be months ago and they sat on their hands for with no new funding or resources provided. So there is going to be some blame to share around when this is over but that is a way off with terrible fire conditions returning this weekend.

 

[Sweet Square]

Highly depressing but realistic overview of the complete and utter mess we have and are making to our only home. And in such a short period of time.
It is just staggering how stupid we are to even think that we could live such an unsustainable lifestyle and get away with it.

Our small planet simply cannot copy with 7 thousand million people and their impact on its delicate ecosystem.
The same ecosystem that we evolved from.


And if or when that delicate ecosystem collapses then so do we.

The issue isn't the amount of people on the planet but that our economic model(Capitalism)depends on constant growth and mass inequality.

 

[Buster15]

The issue isn't the amount of people on the planet but that our economic model(Capitalism)depends on constant growth and mass inequality.

It is the result of a large number of things. Yes the economic model is a factor.
But the population growth is having an undeniable effect on the ecosystem all over the world.
Just look at the huge number of species in decline primarily due to loss of habitat.
And that is caused by human greed as well as numbers.

 

[Pexbo]

Anyone under the impression that we won’t do anything until it is too late is severely mistaken. When it’s too late, we still won’t do anything.

When London is half submerged and the UK coastline has shrunk by 50 miles, The Sun will have a front page spread of buxom young beauties enjoying the beach in Croydon, with a secondary headline article celebrating the fact we no longer have any ports for immigrants to sneak into.

 

[RobinLFC]

I don't know how much of this is true, but the whole thread is disheartening and shows some disturbing facts. Western, or at least Belgian, media has been relatively quiet about this topic so far. On the other hand, one of my best friends just returned home after 1 year in Sydney - he drove from Cairns to Sydney in December and said that you only saw some smoke coming up from the ground if you stayed close to the coastline and that things were only getting worse once you went land inwards. Probably doesn't make much of a difference for the nature but at least most people seem to be safe and/or cautious, which is good.

Lack of coverage is a bad thing though, luckily Twitter exists or the media would totally cherry pick want they want us to know about and what not.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

I don't know how much of this is true, but the whole thread is disheartening and shows some disturbing facts. Western, or at least Belgian, media has been relatively quiet about this topic so far. On the other hand, one of my best friends just returned home after 1 year in Sydney - he drove from Cairns to Sydney in December and said that you only saw some smoke coming up from the ground if you stayed close to the coastline and that things were only getting worse once you went land inwards. Probably doesn't make much of a difference for the nature but at least most people seem to be safe and/or cautious, which is good.

Lack of coverage is a bad thing though, luckily Twitter exists or the media would totally cherry pick want they want us to know about and what not.

I just read that thread. Didn't realise it was THAT bad. I've got friends in Sydney but they're away in NZ at the moment. Will see what they say.

 

[berbatrick]

the pictures look like blade runner 2049 (the outside the city parts)

 

[Wibble]

I don't know how much of this is true, but the whole thread is disheartening and shows some disturbing facts. Western, or at least Belgian, media has been relatively quiet about this topic so far. On the other hand, one of my best friends just returned home after 1 year in Sydney - he drove from Cairns to Sydney in December and said that you only saw some smoke coming up from the ground if you stayed close to the coastline and that things were only getting worse once you went land inwards. Probably doesn't make much of a difference for the nature but at least most people seem to be safe and/or cautious, which is good.

Lack of coverage is a bad thing though, luckily Twitter exists or the media would totally cherry pick want they want us to know about and what not.

NSW just declared a State of Energency and ordered the tourist evacuation of 300klms of the coastline before conditions worsten again this weekend. Up to 5 million hectares has burnt so far which is indeed an area bigger than Belgium. 17 dead and 18 missing so far. The wildlife toll will be massive with koalas especiallly badly affected.

The fires are fairly close to Sydney at the moment and the pollution is often reaching hazardous levels. Other places are even worse.

 

[RobinLFC]

NSW just declared a State of Energency and ordered the tourist evacuation of 300klms of the coastline before conditions worsten again this weekend. Uo to 5 million hectares has burnt so far which is indeed an area bigger than Belgium. 17 dead and 18 missing so far. The wildlifectoll will be massive with koalas especiallly badly affected.

The fires are fairly close to Sydney at the moment andcthe pollution is iften reaching hazardous levels. Other places are even worse.

Thanks for the update, doesn’t sound too good... I hope you and the other Aussies on here stay safe.

 

[Tarrou]

I’m in Sydney now it’s actually a bit better than it was. Canberra is pretty bad at the moment though.

 

[VeevaVee]

For the "young generation" she is merely another social media star and the Friday's demonstrations are a nice get-together event.

The so called "Millennials" are the worst. I don't have Instagram but my wife does (she is in her early twenties), albeit not being active, she has all her former school friends there. Literally all the girls (in particular) are travelling non-stop by plane. Paris, Turkey, New York, Maledives, Thailand, you name it. I'm not THAT much older but I don't remember students flying across the world non-stop being a thing 20 years ago or so. Of course they take their selfies with the newest iPhones, post about their newest Amazon binge deliveries (half of the stuff probably getting sent back) etc.

This is so ingrained in "Millennials", even the German version of Greta, Luisa N., had to delete all her travel photos (a lot) from her Instagram account.

It's all a big event and the majority of the followers are sheep. Herd mentality. For the press it's a great topic, can chew on it forever.

Someone travelling doesn't stop bringing massive amounts of awareness to the climate a good thing though. I can see why they'd cover their tracks to reduce the amount of idiot know it alls chirping up mind. It should be up to the powers that be to create better ways of doing things, but they're not interested in speeding up that process unless there's power/money in it for them.

I don't think they do take it seriously. I think most take seriously what gives them votes. Greta and others like her are creating an environment where taking action against climate change gives you votes, so they will take action because of that.

Agreed, massively.

 

[Sweet Square]

Anyone under the impression that we won’t do anything until it is too late is severely mistaken. When it’s too late, we still won’t do anything.

When London is half submerged and the UK coastline has shrunk by 50 miles, The Sun will have a front page spread of buxom young beauties enjoying the beach in Croydon, with a secondary headline article celebrating the fact we no longer have any ports for immigrants to sneak into.

They know their audience

For the "young generation" she is merely another social media star and the Friday's demonstrations are a nice get-together event.

The so called "Millennials" are the worst. I don't have Instagram but my wife does (she is in her early twenties), albeit not being active, she has all her former school friends there. Literally all the girls (in particular) are travelling non-stop by plane. Paris, Turkey, New York, Maledives, Thailand, you name it. I'm not THAT much older but I don't remember students flying across the world non-stop being a thing 20 years ago or so. Of course they take their selfies with the newest iPhones, post about their newest Amazon binge deliveries (half of the stuff probably getting sent back) etc.

This is so ingrained in "Millennials", even the German version of Greta, Luisa N., had to delete all her travel photos (a lot) from her Instagram account.

It's all a big event and the majority of the followers are sheep. Herd mentality. For the press it's a great topic, can chew on it forever.

 

[Pexbo]

They know their audience

ACAB Rees-Mogg (noticed him on Twitter a few times now) nails it there.

 

[Wibble]

I’m in Sydney now it’s actually a bit better than it was. Canberra is pretty bad at the moment though.

Visible smoke hasn't been as bad as it has been but P2.5 were poor/very poor yesterday again. Back at fair this am but getting hotter again

The PR disaster for the government with SCOMO doing a runner from angry residents in Cobargo. He has fecked this up.so badly it would be funny if 1400 houses hadn't burned and 17 people died.

 

[Pexbo]

Visible smoke hasn't been as bad as it has been but P2.5 were poor/very poor yesterday again. Back at fair this am but getting hotter again

The PR disaster for the government with SCOMO doing a runner from angry residents in Cobargo. He has fecked this up.so badly it would be funny if 1400 houses hadn't burned and 17 people died.

Whats the situation there politically at the moment? Any chance ALP will get in any time soon?

The Liberals are an infuriating party.

 

[Sweet Square]

 

[Wibble]

Whats the situation there politically at the moment? Any chance ALP will get in any time soon?

The Liberals are an infuriating party.

They are in deep trouble with the bushfire crisis but they just won a GE despite being a shambles for years, largely based on people not connecting with Bill Shorten, so there won't be a change anytime soon.

 

[VidaRed]

Anyone who denies climate change is taking place is retarded and they should have no voting rights.

 

[Cooksen]

I don't know how much of this is true, but the whole thread is disheartening and shows some disturbing facts. Western, or at least Belgian, media has been relatively quiet about this topic so far. On the other hand, one of my best friends just returned home after 1 year in Sydney - he drove from Cairns to Sydney in December and said that you only saw some smoke coming up from the ground if you stayed close to the coastline and that things were only getting worse once you went land inwards. Probably doesn't make much of a difference for the nature but at least most people seem to be safe and/or cautious, which is good.

Lack of coverage is a bad thing though, luckily Twitter exists or the media would totally cherry pick want they want us to know about and what not.

Some of the photos look straight out of an Apocalypse, my parents who live in suburban Melbourne are getting thick plumes of smoke which is affecting everyone.

We have always had bushfires in Australia but these ones are on another level and it could get worse

 

[Maccaa]

Smoke was really bad in Melbourne today with the worst to come tomorrow, 2 confirmed dead in Victoria with another 28 unaccounted for. Apparently tomorrow is going to get a lot worse, tragic scenes at the minute.

 

[Pexbo]

They are in deep trouble with the bushfire crisis but they just won a GE despite being a shambles for years, largely based on people not connecting with Bill Shorten, so there won't be a change anytime soon.

Disappointing, you really would hope that this cataclysmic event would be the kick up the arse they need to realise that climate come before economy. You’re probably going to be the first country that has to accept just how intrinsically linked Climate and Economy are going to be from now on.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

Conservative climate change denying government [x]
Media blanketed by Murdoch [x]
Powerful coal lobby [x]

At least the western media is giving this adequate attention because its white people suffering and losing property. If this was a different country, they probably won't even give a feck.

Zambia is going through a debilitating famine at the same time due to drastically altered climate patterns and very little reporting on it.

The conservatives are going to drive the world into apocalypse.

 

[freeurmind]

Conservative climate change denying government [x]
Media blanketed by Murdoch [x]
Powerful coal lobby [x]

At least the western media is giving this adequate attention because its white people suffering and losing property. If this was a different country, they probably won't even give a feck.

Zambia is going through a debilitating famine at the same time due to drastically altered climate patterns and very little reporting on it.

The conservatives are going to drive the world into apocalypse.

At least they got to "own the libs".

 

[Maagge]

Conservative climate change denying government [x]
Media blanketed by Murdoch [x]
Powerful coal lobby [x]

At least the western media is giving this adequate attention because its white people suffering and losing property. If this was a different country, they probably won't even give a feck.

Zambia is going through a debilitating famine at the same time due to drastically altered climate patterns and very little reporting on it.

The conservatives are going to drive the world into apocalypse.

And they'll never own up to it either. When everything has gone to shit they'll say it's all a natural cycle instead of realising maybe endless economic growth isn't that healthy.

 

[Wednesday at Stoke]

And they'll never own up to it either. When everything has gone to shit they'll say it's all a natural cycle instead of realising maybe endless economic growth isn't that healthy.

I don't even think its endless economic growth or capitalism that is to blame here. There is opportunities for growth, research and development and job creation by switching to greener energy sources, re-planning infrastructure around less carbon emissions etc.

Its the firm resolve of the rich and wealthy to maintain the status quo at any cost without opening themselves up to the competition that comes from altering the playing field. They don't mind if they are ruling over ashes and dust as long as they are the ones ruling.