[martythemaniak]

People blaming governments and corporations are merely using faceless scapegoats because the truth is too terrible to behold.

Normal every day people don't really believe in climate change, don't really want to do anything and in fact don't have the dimmest clue as to what needs to be done, nor how to do that.

I think dealing with the above fact is too much for people, so instead we simplify using familiar models and tropes.

[Sharlin]

Eh. This is a coordination problem, probably the most difficult one humanity has encountered. Governments were basically invented to help solve coordination problems. 7.5 billion people don’t just start caring about the problem by themselves.

[usaar333]

Yup. Sadly, we have very weak world government, so it is hard to coordinate the entire planet.

[abeppu]

> Normal every day people don't really believe in climate change

Polling data for the US shows that 64% believe that climate change is caused by humans and 60% believe we're already experiencing its effects. https://news.gallup.com/poll/231530/global-warming-concern-s...

That's not the number many would like to see, but it's a clear majority, and we ought to be able to get stuff done with it.

I think the problem is the "faceless" part. Voters need to hold their specific elected officials responsible, and avoid the products of the worst offending companies. We should create trustworthy independent organisations that can name and shame, until we get a comprehensive emissions tax.

[blentrop]

"We should create trustworthy independent organisations that can name and shame..."

I thought that is what news and reporters are suppose to do

[_juu5]

Education would be a good start. Guess who can decide about what we are taught? Governments.

[_Codemonkeyism]

People know their personal largest impact is cars and meat. But personal convenience has always beaten doing the right thing.

[jacobsheehy]

This is absolutely not true. People don't know that. Ask 2000 people on the street in a southern red state what their contribution to climate change is. I bet you get 0s back. "Taht fake thing isn't real" - "My car doesn't pollute you schmuck" - "the Earth is here for us to pollute it, that's what god said", etc.

People do not know that their largest personal impact is cars and meat. They just don't know that at all because 1) they don't know that climate change is real thanks to Fox and Exxon, and 2) they don't think that their habits matter. Your assumption that they do is dangerous and wrong.

Remember that Exxon Mobil has spent 40 years knowing about the dangers of climate change, but "educating" Americans through TV that it isn't a real threat. The primary education Americans get about this topic is from the megacorporations and mega rich people who are selling us polluting products with no alternatives, and is not a real education at all.

[usaar333]

Go to a highly educated Silicon Valley tech company. Survey around. How many of these people eat beef? How many take frequent vacations via plane?

Per capita, especially due to the plane travel, their emissions are probably as high as someone in a southern red state. Personal convenience beats doing the right ting.

[tremon]

Personal convenience beats doing the right ting.

Yes, I am moving more and more towards that camp too. I don't own a car, never fly, eat mainly chicken instead of beef, and consistently vote green. But I refuse to take more responsibility when the rest of the world is so obviously not picking up its share.

Like another parent said, this is a coordination problem. The collective action that people have been clamouring for for decades hasn't happened, and my personal contribution is small enough to not make a hint of a dent. Frankly, I have resigned myself to the reality that peak civilization is behind us.

[glhaynes]

The vast majority of people I know (Texas) couldn't live a productive life without a car. Some people certainly could but not most. Meat, though, they could definitely do without—and for most of them it'd be healthier.

[_Codemonkeyism]

This always sounds phoney to my ears. Move to a suburb to have a large house (3 bedrooms!), vote for parties that build roads instead of public transport, despise public transport, don't walk 100m but go by car, don't own a bicycle and then "I couldn't live without a car".

Yes they can't live without a car, agreed. But this is by their own choosing.

[SmellyGeekBoy]

Strange, I'd heard it was refined carbs and sugar giving America diabetes and heart disease. Are you saying it's meat now?

[jmcqk6]

I believe the topic is "Climate Change" so I don't know why you're talking about diabetes and heart disease.

The argument is probably that meat production emits higher levels of carbon than other types of food production.

Unrelated, meat does have an impact on diabetes and heart disease, so if you're concerned about those things, then you should definitely learn more about it.

[ajmurmann]

Red meat is known to increase risk of heart diseases.

[derpdsafghasd]

The anti-meat crusade is really strong these days on here, but that is not a concern that even registers in most peoples' heads.

Very few people have the luxury of considering anything outside their immediate circle of concern.

[usaar333]

It's also exaggerated from a climate issue.

The vast majority of the benefit comes from cutting beef (and lamb), which I don't think is that hard of an ask. Other meat reduction has much less benefit.. and it is harder for most people to do.

Source: https://www.skepticalscience.com/how-much-meat-contribute-to...

[_Codemonkeyism]

[edit] I've meant beef when I've said meat. I very rarely eat any meat and if then only beef, so sorry for the confusion.

[usaar333]

That is probably not even true for the crowd here. Flying and cars likely dominate.

[loosetypes]

(Where) do smartphones fit in the impact spectrum?

[malvosenior]

The most educated people I know take regular intercontinental flights and have huge carbon footprints. They also "hate" global warming but seem totally ignorant of their out sized role in producing it.