[lxmorj]

Any plan that relies on self-imposed austerity measures of billions of people from disparate groups is doomed to failure. We need to quietly change the math behind the scenes by internalizing externalities legally - long enough for green tech to get enough investment dollars to be cheaper than dirty tech even if those rules change later.

This is mostly already happened with solar / wind power, though we need some improvements on battery tech to get grid-scale adoption. The levelized cost of wind is lower than any alternative, and solar is getting close. I’m sure the situation has improved in the last two years, but here is a report from 2018:

https://www.lazard.com/media/450784/lazards-levelized-cost-o...

[AnIdiotOnTheNet]

> Any plan that relies on self-imposed austerity measures of billions of people from disparate groups is doomed to failure

True, but if people who otherwise realize the necessity of the change are unwilling to subject themselves to any inconvenience, what hope do we have of ever making the kinds of organized societal changes that are necessary? If you are unwilling to make a tiny change like reducing your meat consumption, you're probably the kind of person who would never vote for a government that forces you to.

The argument is simply way to excuse your own behavior.

[lxmorj]

I completely disagree. Individual restraint will not do the trick. Your limited time and energy is better spent working on creating mandatory, systemic behavior change. It is not hypocritical to, for example, vote for closing tax loopholes while using the very same.

[MiroF]

> self-imposed austerity measures of billions of people from disparate groups

We don't need self-imposed austerity measures. Just end the meat & dairy subsidies.

[lxmorj]

Absolutely. There are some many direct and indirect subsidies (fossil fuels, defense, farm) that actively encourage and reward actions with huge negative externalities.