Prof Julia Steinberger 🌍🌹🌱Jan 8, 2023
Just your regular reminder that those who claim we need new technologies to address the climate crisis are *really* saying that the overconsumption of the richest is more important than the rest of life on earth.
We have the tech we need for decent lives for all. 😘😘😘
Show threadNarvuntienJan 8, 2023
@jks The main issue is that if you tell people they have to give something up they will line up against you politically and we won't be able to solve the climate crisis.
Show threadProf Julia Steinberger 🌍🌹🌱Jan 8, 2023
@Narvuntien How about the certainty of giving up a liveable planet?
Show threadNarvuntienJan 8, 2023

@jks Unfortunately, people are not logical.

If they now all have to give up their cars and spend an extra hour every day getting to work by public transport.

You'll start creating more deniers again, just after we finally got rid of most of them.

If you don't have convenient public transport or the social groundwork laid down to go back to sharing appliances.

People will fight you.

Show threadEcosaurian 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Aug 13, 2023

@Narvuntien

That's a fallacious arguement based on people paying for a bad lifestyle because the alternative has been suppressed by those making money out of it.

If you provide free, efficient and robust public transport, most people won't need or want personal cars, so public transport will be fast and people will be wealthier and healthier, while drastically reducing the climate damage too.

@jks

Show threadNarvuntien

@Ecosaurian @jks but there isn't free and available public transport. Some places it will never be convenient to use public transport just based on distance or locations. People need to carry goods or gear with them.

One thing I have noticed when I looked into the reason people don't use public transportation is there is the expectation of being on time and a crushing need to squeeze everything out of every second. A bus being late might lead to you being fired, to take the train might mean you have to wake up an hour earlier. This is a cultural thing that I can't see being changed by government intervention.

Aug 13, 2023 at 4:54pmWeb
Show threadEcosaurian 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Aug 13, 2023

@Narvuntien

That's the point. There COULD be free public transport if it was properly resourced as a societal need instead of allowing certain industries to profiteer.

Here in Scotland we have free healthcare, and under 25's have free bus travel throughout the country. That is because we have a government willing to introduce such measures. I anticipate in the next few years that will be expanded, as a necessity to reduce our climate impact as well as for social good.

Other countries also have similar schemes - it doesn't have to be "everyone needs a car to get to work" because it can be done better and fairer if there is the will to do that - which is only lacking because of the influence of big business.

I live rurally and need a car - if we had a better bus service or local train I'd get rid of the car in a split second, leaving the road less busy for buses and those who absolutely need a car for mobility.

@jks