I think nations and governments like the United States, France, England, etc, that contribute the most to the climate emergency and pollution, owe smaller island nations reparations and efforts to restore their biodiversity and coasts + improved hurricane preparedness, since a lot of those nations also suffered under their imperialism/slavery anyway. And yes, Hawai'i counts!!
Hey, Ayana! Your "Subway Take" invitation called to mind my bumper sticker version of our task from Cows Save the Planet: "Oxidize Less, Photosynthesize More" (Not terribly catchy--except for us science nerds!)
Ayana, my wife Debbie was a volunteer at a passive solar conference in Amherst in 1980. At least once a month, forty-six years later, I hear her say: "We had the technology then."
She's right. And your post names what I've come to think is the harder truth underneath that: we've never lacked the physical technology. What we've lacked are the social technologies — the ways of deciding together, moving together, and holding each other to account — that implementation actually requires.
The first problem is engineering. The second is human. We're much better at the first. I, for one, am willing to work hard on the second.
I am so struck by your comment. I work on helping institutions shift their food purchasing away from corporate supply chains and being partners in building more regional, sustainable ones.
And to your point, we have the technology to do it, it’s simple in many ways - what makes it hard is the social technology to make changes, make decisions, design slightly new ways of doing things and then committing to doing them. Things like writing a food menu that is seasonal instead of assuming tomatoes are coming from far away in January, changing a contract that says a university must buy 90% of its products from Sysco, committing to meeting once a week to ensuring everyone is doing what they need to do to bring on a new farm-friendly distributor/hub and actually buying the new foods. As you say, the hard work is about the accountability - the human part.
Exactly. The obstacle is rarely technical. It's systemic. When cost and convenience are the only metrics that count, everything else—community, resilience, stewardship—becomes invisible.
I think about this all the time. Especially whenever I see news about resources going to research & innovation. Like you said -- okay, yes, let's do more innovation but can we also implement the things we already know about first?!
No fuel that works as a reolacement for gasoline or diesel in a car or truck is a climate solution. The climate emissions at the tailpipe are comparable to fossil fuels, and there is no way to get them back. Almost all of these replacement fuels are made of corn, soy or other plants grown on farmland - where we should be growing food!
I love the way you have laid this out - very user friendly. Also—your title. Immediately lit a rage fire for me, bc I have been saying this shit for mf*ing years. The most frustrating piece (for me) about all this—climate change, sustainability: we know what to do, we have the tools, we largely know how to do. Just won’t. Wtaf. Help me, pls. Anyway, thank you for this and the article shares. V helpful. I love wkshopping/getting insight into climate communication. Is anything more important.
When it comes to energy, many people may not realize that they may be able to do just as much, if not more, by conserving.
I do not have a lot of money so I got RV style solar panels to stick in my backyard and some of the cheaper Ecoflow batteries (power stations) to plug my appliances into.
In order to make them work for most of what I had to plug in, I got a watt meter and started testung what appliances used the most power. In the end, most of my savings is not from the panels and batteries, but from the knowledge of what consumes the most energy in my home, like heating water.
So, here we are, 50 years later, and it turns out that Jimmy Carter already had one of the most important plans for reducing home energy use with solar water heating since this one thing is often 20% or more of a homes energy bill. Focusing on the big use items can help get it done as well.
Imagine if we only "implemented" on a larger and longer scale what Carter started so long ago.
More people will get the gist of what I am talking about when more of them get the balcony panels as well. They will discover what I did, I think.
As far as fossil fuel and transportation, simply not going places we do not need to go, or conserving, is also a HUGE and simple way to save now.
I can not afford an EV so that is what I do. If you want to go somewhere and it is not absolutely essential for your need to survive, just say NO and do not go.
So, yes we also have the technology we need, but my experience is that there is also no need to wait to make a huge difference, and one does not always have to spend a lot either. I am at an advantage in that I live in a mild climate, but everyone can forgo unnecessary travel.
That is a no brainer - or it should be.
Say no, just don't go, or find an alternative way to get there.
On the individual level building micro ecosystems one yard at a time. At the international level, we need to hold multi national corporations accountable. Since they are people they should pay for their crimes and not chump change either like now.
Do we really have the climate ‘solutions’ we need? If you don’t count the option of massive reductions in activity - which no-one is talking about - all the empirical data says our other current solutions, including the energy-transition, are just hopelessly-inadequate.
From my vantage of a lifetime: a rush of green energy infrastructure os polluting our water, air, and destroying ecosystems. we must "use" less and listen to what earth needs: living systems of land air water (Earth LAW). See the book and film Bright Green Lies. Check @alexandrafasulo advocating to save protected DEC grasslands for endangered species at Fort Edwards NY upstate
Implement mandatory vasectomies . End Pronatalism.less is more economy. More sex. Less breeding. Less polluting industrial bullshit. Nothing more sexy than that.
I think nations and governments like the United States, France, England, etc, that contribute the most to the climate emergency and pollution, owe smaller island nations reparations and efforts to restore their biodiversity and coasts + improved hurricane preparedness, since a lot of those nations also suffered under their imperialism/slavery anyway. And yes, Hawai'i counts!!
Hey, Ayana! Your "Subway Take" invitation called to mind my bumper sticker version of our task from Cows Save the Planet: "Oxidize Less, Photosynthesize More" (Not terribly catchy--except for us science nerds!)
Okay, but I kind of love it!
Perhaps, "Don't Oxidise, Photosynthesise" written in a very groovy font might be more catchy? (If you forgive the British English spelling)
Ayana, my wife Debbie was a volunteer at a passive solar conference in Amherst in 1980. At least once a month, forty-six years later, I hear her say: "We had the technology then."
She's right. And your post names what I've come to think is the harder truth underneath that: we've never lacked the physical technology. What we've lacked are the social technologies — the ways of deciding together, moving together, and holding each other to account — that implementation actually requires.
The first problem is engineering. The second is human. We're much better at the first. I, for one, am willing to work hard on the second.
I am so struck by your comment. I work on helping institutions shift their food purchasing away from corporate supply chains and being partners in building more regional, sustainable ones.
And to your point, we have the technology to do it, it’s simple in many ways - what makes it hard is the social technology to make changes, make decisions, design slightly new ways of doing things and then committing to doing them. Things like writing a food menu that is seasonal instead of assuming tomatoes are coming from far away in January, changing a contract that says a university must buy 90% of its products from Sysco, committing to meeting once a week to ensuring everyone is doing what they need to do to bring on a new farm-friendly distributor/hub and actually buying the new foods. As you say, the hard work is about the accountability - the human part.
Exactly. The obstacle is rarely technical. It's systemic. When cost and convenience are the only metrics that count, everything else—community, resilience, stewardship—becomes invisible.
Thanks for your positive take on things. Earth Day feels like a funeral these days. I guess I should get to some dance parties.
Happy Earth Day 56. Let’s get moving finally!
I think about this all the time. Especially whenever I see news about resources going to research & innovation. Like you said -- okay, yes, let's do more innovation but can we also implement the things we already know about first?!
If we really cared about wildfire management in the Western US and across the country we would give land back to indigenous groups - my hot take
No fuel that works as a reolacement for gasoline or diesel in a car or truck is a climate solution. The climate emissions at the tailpipe are comparable to fossil fuels, and there is no way to get them back. Almost all of these replacement fuels are made of corn, soy or other plants grown on farmland - where we should be growing food!
I love the way you have laid this out - very user friendly. Also—your title. Immediately lit a rage fire for me, bc I have been saying this shit for mf*ing years. The most frustrating piece (for me) about all this—climate change, sustainability: we know what to do, we have the tools, we largely know how to do. Just won’t. Wtaf. Help me, pls. Anyway, thank you for this and the article shares. V helpful. I love wkshopping/getting insight into climate communication. Is anything more important.
When it comes to energy, many people may not realize that they may be able to do just as much, if not more, by conserving.
I do not have a lot of money so I got RV style solar panels to stick in my backyard and some of the cheaper Ecoflow batteries (power stations) to plug my appliances into.
In order to make them work for most of what I had to plug in, I got a watt meter and started testung what appliances used the most power. In the end, most of my savings is not from the panels and batteries, but from the knowledge of what consumes the most energy in my home, like heating water.
So, here we are, 50 years later, and it turns out that Jimmy Carter already had one of the most important plans for reducing home energy use with solar water heating since this one thing is often 20% or more of a homes energy bill. Focusing on the big use items can help get it done as well.
Imagine if we only "implemented" on a larger and longer scale what Carter started so long ago.
More people will get the gist of what I am talking about when more of them get the balcony panels as well. They will discover what I did, I think.
As far as fossil fuel and transportation, simply not going places we do not need to go, or conserving, is also a HUGE and simple way to save now.
I can not afford an EV so that is what I do. If you want to go somewhere and it is not absolutely essential for your need to survive, just say NO and do not go.
So, yes we also have the technology we need, but my experience is that there is also no need to wait to make a huge difference, and one does not always have to spend a lot either. I am at an advantage in that I live in a mild climate, but everyone can forgo unnecessary travel.
That is a no brainer - or it should be.
Say no, just don't go, or find an alternative way to get there.
On the individual level building micro ecosystems one yard at a time. At the international level, we need to hold multi national corporations accountable. Since they are people they should pay for their crimes and not chump change either like now.
Great post! And it's good to see you here..EC50 colleague!
Dang, this is great! And fully agree. If we wanted a solarpunk world, we could do it.
Do we really have the climate ‘solutions’ we need? If you don’t count the option of massive reductions in activity - which no-one is talking about - all the empirical data says our other current solutions, including the energy-transition, are just hopelessly-inadequate.
From my vantage of a lifetime: a rush of green energy infrastructure os polluting our water, air, and destroying ecosystems. we must "use" less and listen to what earth needs: living systems of land air water (Earth LAW). See the book and film Bright Green Lies. Check @alexandrafasulo advocating to save protected DEC grasslands for endangered species at Fort Edwards NY upstate
Implement mandatory vasectomies . End Pronatalism.less is more economy. More sex. Less breeding. Less polluting industrial bullshit. Nothing more sexy than that.