Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

We all contribute to climate change, but our contributions aren't equal.

💰 The richest 1% produce more than twice the carbon emissions of the poorest 50%.

🌍 People living in countries like Australia, Canada and the US emit over 20x the carbon of those in many low-income countries.

🇺🇸 In the US, 12% consume half the meat and fly two thirds of the miles.

That's why we need system change: so the easiest and most affordable options for everyone are also the best options for people and the planet.

Sep 15, 2023 at 3:23pmWeb
Show threadPusher Of Pixels (old account)Sep 15, 2023

@kathhayhoe

💯 it's also something almost antithetical to the American 'rugged individualist' mythos.

Individuals simply can't fix this problem. It requires the power of systemic level change.

Show threadSchafstelze 🎗🖤Sep 15, 2023

@kathhayhoe that's why the general notion "we need to make XY more expensive" isn't helpful. It might prevent some co2 output from low-income people, but the rich, who produce the lion's share, just carry on. They won't change their lifestyle just because a flight costs twice as much.

We need restrictions/quotas which apply to everyone, no matter if rich or poor. For example, no one is allowed to fly more than 10 times a year, even if it's Musk or Zuck.

Show threadNed WilcoxSep 15, 2023
@kathhayhoe Unfortunately, humans are selfish, and the developing countries, as they develop, will pollute more per capita. The answer, by my lights, is reducing world population. But that seems unlikely, at least for several decades. And we are already overpopulated now…
Show threadMichael BuschSep 15, 2023

@[email protected] In the very post you are replying to; Dr. @kathhayhoe explained how 80 million people are responsible for more climate impacts than 4 billion.

Direct your attention at the people most responsible.

Instead of perpetuating racist, classist, and otherwise bigoted "overpopulation" narratives.

Show threadNicolas DelsauxSep 17, 2023
@kathhayhoe I have the feeling that all discussion about climate change continue to focus on individuals, while most of the pollution is done by companies/organizations. Am I totally wrong ?
Show threadJenniferSep 19, 2023
@Riduidel @kathhayhoe this is what I've thought too. The focus seems to be not using plastic bags and switching to EVs, etc but it also seems industry needs to be a bigger focus. I haven't heard anything about switching manufacturing plants to renewables.
Show threadWhiskers 🇦🇺Sep 17, 2023
@kathhayhoe As a prosaic analogy, I was cleaning up my laptop drive today and I started by concentrating on the biggest files.
In 10 minutes I had released about 20 gigabytes of storage. It would have taken all day to delete all the small files and release that amount 😀
Show threadPersonWomanSep 17, 2023
@kathhayhoe The richest 1% are sure they’ll survive. They have considered all of this and have plans. Of course they would with all that money. The rest of us are screwed.
Show threadDr. Farhana SultanaSep 18, 2023
@kathhayhoe I’ve published and taught about this for so many years, yet it’s hard to get US folks to always see the value in systems change. So I’m now having to write opeds and be more vocal on social media just to get wider attention.
Show threadTransitBikerSep 19, 2023
@kathhayhoe I feel that carbon footprint for an individual person is not a concept that we should really hold onto. Instead, we should do carbon emissions and methane emissions and leaks by industry and transportation mode etc. This way we can craft policy without shaming people who are just trying to get by.  :)
Show threadKevin RussellSep 19, 2023

@kathhayhoe

Carbon fuels emit co2 in billions of tons, the rezt of the footprint nonsense is EXXON confusing about the need to replace carbon fuels with renewables as fast the US + UK built tanks to defeat fascists. It is a carbon fuel burning problem. End carbon fuels.

Build oil's replacement, now, right now, right. Now. Build coal's replacement, like an aircraft carrier. 55 aircraft carriers.

Specific do-it-now demands, build it.
Build it now.

#climate

Show threadPusher Of Pixels (old account)Sep 19, 2023

@kevinrns @kathhayhoe https://universeodon.com/@pixelpusher220/109954323734542862

Mind boggling that 40% of global shipping is literally just moving fossil fuels around

Pusher Of Pixels (@[email protected])

Every once in a while a stat jumps up in your face. Almost FORTY PERCENT of the global shipping volume is simply moving fossil fuels around. Source from the main international shipping org. H/t @ASlavitt #climate #renewable #parisaccord https://www.ics-shipping.org/publication/shippings-role-in-the-global-energy-transition/

Universeodon Social Media