Climate Change

[Aloka]

Here's an interview with a climate scientist from the Ecological Buddhism website:

Climate scientist James Hansen: “I may be alarming but I'm not an alarmist”

by Katherine Bagley

“We have a society in which most people have become unable to understand or appreciate science, and partly that’s a communication problem, which we need to try to alleviate.”


Climate scientist James Hansen has been a prominent figure in the global climate conversation for more than 40 years. His 1988 congressional testimony on climate change helped introduce the problem of rising greenhouse gas emissions to the American public, and he has led study after study examining exactly how our world will change as a result of global warming. Eight years ago, he made the rare decision to begin engaging in climate activism, and has since gotten arrested outside the White House in a rally against the Keystone XL pipeline. In this 2016 interview for Yale environment 360, Hansen opens up about his unconventional career path, his frustration watching policymakers’ four decades of climate inaction and what he believes the world could look like a century from now.

Continued:

http://www.ecobuddhism.org/science/f...ticles/jhi2016

Any comments about the interview, or anything else on the Eco Buddhism website ?

[daverupa]

I don't see human attitudes to climate issues changing very quickly at all, and I think they are not changing fast enough. The scientific community has begun saying that some consequences are unavoidable, and that other consequences - worse ones - are on the way. Despite being possible to avert, I really don't think there's enough time to make substantive changes for future generations... and, those generations aren't going to have enough time to do much at all.

Rising sea levels, mass species extinction, and wars & worse related to dwindling resources... yeah, humans are done, they just don't know it yet. Or so it seems to me.

[Aloka]

Professor Brian Cox explains climate change to denier Australian Senator Malcolm Roberts. (13 minutes)

[daverupa]

This is beneficial to hear, sobering to consider, and -- I worry less & am more and more convinced of this (and as a result letting go) -- it is simply too late in the game with too many undecided/pseudo-skeptical/confused people generating inert governments responsible for the worst impacts. They are critically slow -- ineffectually slow -- and frankly, life on the planet will get worse for humans for a very long time before it gets better, and perhaps humans don't last that long.

[woodscooter]

The video makes for a very interesting discussion.

The two opposed parties, Cox and Roberts, manage to remain calm enough to make their points and each listens to what the other has to say.

The video is an excerpt from a longer TV programme, but I think it's safe to say that neither party becomes convinced by the other's argument.

Amongst the more rational climate-change deniers, there is an acceptance that the climate is changing, but it's doing so naturally, part of some bigger cycle of change, and global warming is not caused by mankind at all.

Sadly, industrialisation has continued unchecked. Some governments are in agreement that "something must be done", but we need all governments and all people to co-operate against the effects we are seeing. That's not going to happen.

What's the world going to look like in twenty or fifty years time? Well, I suspect there will be new uninhabitable deserts, and there will be walled fortress cities where industry and technology will continue, providing habitation for the few, and continuing to generate pollution into the atmosphere.

[Aloka]

Note

This topic was started in 2016 and I've moved it here now.

Does anyone have anything to add in connection with climate change?

[Olderon]

U. S. President, Donald Trump.

Nothing more to say.

(Not really!)

Wife and I had a discussion about this issue last week, which ended poorly. I remembered and shared with her (a big mistake) that I had never seen any reports in the newspapers or on T.V. , which stated that Donald Trump had actually taken any official action, which ended The U.S.'s participation in The International Climate Change agreement signed by U.S. President Obama in Paris. I had seen and heard that he promised to do so during his campaign for U.S. President, that he threatened to do so, and even bragged to do so both on Twitter and in person both before and after his various diplomatic tours of Europe. But, I had no memory of him actually doing it, which was a big mistake when dealing with a woman, a wife, and a member of MENSA. For the other blokes on the board, it is common knowledge that it is always a huge mistake to debate the accuracy of one's male memory with that of a woman's memory regarding any matter. Big, big mistake!

According to my wife's version of reality, fact is Trump did what he promised, or at least tried. However, as our legal action folks at The NRDC pointed out (contested), legally, according to the contractual terms of the international agreement signed in Paris by President Obama, Trump cannot independently do so:

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/america...aris-agreement

My wife, however, ... a "died" in the wool Trump hater..., (pun intended),....but seriously, " a dyed in the wool Trump Hater", insists that the "bozo", U.S. President Trump, and his class clowns (The U.S. President's Cabinet Members) have effectively denied The U.S.'s ability to participate in The Paris Climate Change Agreement with various administrative actions and inactions.

So, the disagreements and arguments amongst and between U.S. citizens, family members and their political affiliations goes on.

At this point, for the sake of mental equanimity, some level of domestic peace and tranquility, the common welfare, and even the common defense, I have personally chosen to accelerate and advance my work to become a Tathagata regarding the matter:

"What does it mean to become a Tathagata?: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tath%C4%81gata

Ironically, both my wife and I are scientifically and factually on the same side of The Global Warming issue: "Global Warming is not a beneficial thing." "It has the capacity to cause great harm and dukkha". "Mankind is in fact making a significant contribution to its proliferation and increase in magnitude." The only disagreement between us is in the conclusions we draw about our President."...or at least... "my President"...as she has never accepted Donald Trump as hers. (Hmmm? Does this mean she and all the Democrats are now illegal aliens???... will have to check that out with the NRDC.) As a political independent and a social and financial conservative this thought somehow strangely appeals to me.

Bottom line: I watch FOX news and CNBC. Wifey watches CNN and MSNBC. "Chaos!" What saves our marriage is that we both watch PBS, with is replete with shows from The BBC for those board members, who reside in our Mother Country. (Guess which one of us has to wear his headsets, while she and I are watching our preferred shows simultaneously!)

Widening the humoristically political divide further complicating our relationship: My wife watches and laughs at the antics of Steven Colbert, and I Greg Gutfeld, both very funny guys. :)

[justusryans]

My ideas on the matter are that no matter the cause or reason behind it, global warming is here. The deniers are so convinced it’s a hoax or flawed science that I can’t see the world wholeheartedly getting behind this in time to effect a change, or at least effective change. It’s too bad when profits are placed ahead of environmental responsibility.
It doesn’t help that our current administration has taken to drinking the kool aid. This needs to be addressed

[philg]

When I was taking O-level Geography at school in the UK in the 1960's I was taught about global warming, how the ice sheets and glaciers were receding, how much of this was part of the normal pattern of warming and cooling over millions of years, and how much was attributable to human causes. Since then the warming he told us about is coming true, and so are the consequences.

Even if there were no human contributions to global warming, the consequences for life on Earth are so dire that we should be working flat out to do something about it. One problem is that people think that these things happen over millions of years. They do, but the consequences of those millions of years can take a couple of years to reach fruition. Another problem is that there is too much money tied up in present human causes of warming, and people would rather untold millions die than shares collapse. It's not just capitalism, of course. Communist Soviet Union has dome much the same thing for political reasons, and the same in China.

With extremists like Putin, Trump, May and others in charge there is very little chance that anything constructive will be done in the time scale left to us. As Buddhists we can just accept the end of life as we know it as part of the process of continual change, or try to actively participate in attempts to educate the world, or move to less low lying areas, or build ourselves shelters against the huge storms that will appear as the atmosphere warms, or any combination of these. Your choice really.

[Aloka]

From the UK's BBC website today:

Regular heatwaves 'will kill thousands'

By Roger Harrabin


The current heatwave could become the new normal for UK summers by 2040 because of climate change, MPs say.

The Environmental Audit Committee warns of 7,000 heat-related deaths every year in the UK by 2050 if the government doesn't act quickly.

Higher temperatures put some people at increased risk of dying from cardiac, kidney and respiratory diseases.

The MPs say ministers must act to protect people - especially with an ageing population in the UK.

Scientists differ on whether the current global rash of heatwaves is definitely caused by climate change.

But all agree that future heatwaves will be hotter and more frequent thanks to carbon emissions.

The MPs highlight a warning from the Met Office that UK summer temperatures could regularly reach 38.5C by the 2040s.

Continues at the link:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44956310

Any thoughts ?