Climate Catastrophe

I went to a Japanese Supermarket last weekend. I bought some cooked seafood rolls. The staff ask me whether I need a carry bag which is plastic and needed extra to be paid for. I told her its ok, I have my own bag. Then she went on to put the seafood rolls into a plastic tray and the plastic tray into a generic plastic bag. Its counter productive when simple things like these are implemented simply to meet a KPI. They can drum on how many plastic bags they reduce but continue using plastic bags in so many other areas. Maybe there is a shortage of cost effective alternatives but until where everyone can make it a habit to so simple things consistently, we will just be talking KPIs over and over again decades down the road.

2 Likes

There is a suggsted trend that storms are becoming more intense more frequently. The number of storms doesnt appear to be increasing although those in the UK may feel different.

It makes sense, sea temps play a big role in the formation of these hurricanes

3 Likes

It is not just about the number of storms and their intencity.

You also need to consider times of the year that storms are forming, for example, Australia has seen a dramatic increase in the number of tropical storms forming in the Coral Sea earlier than previously seen over the last 15-20 years, and also later in the storm season as well

1 Like

Itā€™s an interesting one. As the SS graph you posted states, storm frequencies and intensities are less certain further back in time.
I agree that the Atlantic Oceans sea temperatures have been rising, and at an alarming rate recently. However, as to this being a Global warming problem or infact an improvement in technology - allowing us to be more able at detecting/measuring these occurrences, especially as they occur off land - Iā€™m unsure.
As I mentioned in my previous post, the most intense hurricaneā€™s were recorded predominantly pre 2007, one of the top 3 being as far back as 1935. Pardon the pun but maybe these were anomalies, where conditions created the ā€˜perfect stormā€™. Maybe you are right and the average hurricane has become more intense, more frequently over the past few decades. I would just expect a bigger variation, more correlation with Sea temperatures over the duration of records.

Higher sea temps are an immediate red flag with regard to climate change. It takes a lot of ā€œsomethingā€ to get them to change and yet they are.

Otherwise the rest of your post raises a typical argument from those that question climate change. Firstly it is right to question it and I mean no disrespect or intend to be insulting (so apologies in advance) but I find those that question this need a hurricane with a huge placard saying ā€œIā€™m more intense because of climate changeā€, they need London under water, they need all the ice gone and even then so long as the effects are pretty minimal in their immediate sphere they ignore it and deny it. Tik tok said so while the vast majority of scientists argue otherwise. Those are ignored because they are ā€œpolitical slavesā€.

We are still near the beginning of this yet the impacts are becoming more aparent and worsening. That will accelerate unless we do something and even then, the period to stabilise and possibly a return to normal will take centuries. This is a major crux of the problem. Small issues today take ages to eradicate for want of a better word.

Again, no disrespect intended, Iā€™m frustrated by the arguments often made by conspiracy theorists that have percolated into a far wider sphere of normality.

3 Likes

No offence taken.

We are both in agreement that Climate change/Global warming is real and a potential threat to the world as we know it. It will take a lot of work to reverse the current trend and although Governments/Nations are ā€œworkingā€ at reducing emissions, etc, it is still not quick enough.
Like I said in a previous post, itā€™s about educating people and this starts with children. Maybe, (if it is not already) it should be part of schools curriculum? :+1:t2:

You are sort of looking for a linear relationship in something we know has marked non-linear properties.

4 Likes

Agree.
However, the most important word in your post is ā€œpeopleā€.

People are selfish by nature, even the ones who lecture others about their particular gripe/concern have their own different set of selfish tendencies.

2 Likes

As attractive as the idea of personal responsibility is in these discussions, what we do as individuals just barely moves the needle on what is important. This is a message pushed by the emitters and fossil fuel industry to divert attention away from where change really needs to come from.

4 Likes

Yes and no.

Of course, industries pollute more than individuals. But if there were no demand for those industriesā€™ products, they wouldnā€™t be in business.

That just isnt how it works.

Demand is an issue of collective action, which by definition is not about individual choice.

1 Like

Not sure how much you can blame individuals for thisā€¦

2 Likes

A much smaller percentage of plastic is recyclable than most people understand, a misconception driven by industry wanting cover for switching from more expensive glass to plastic packaging.

Of the rest, what actually gets recycled is driven far more by fluctuating market forces than it is by personal action.

So the reality is, the majority of the plastic you ā€œrecycleā€ is not even recyclable. Of what is left, market forces in China will determine how much they buy from us to actually recycle. I;ve seen stats estimating that the typical domestic recycler will only get around 5% of their plastic recycled during typical markets.

3 Likes

We have 4 bins.
Brown - Food waste & garden rubbish.
Green - Plastics & cans.
Blue - Landfill rubbish.
Grey - Paper & cardboard.

Brown, green & blue all go in landfill.

Makes you wonder if my little plastic bottle top which stays attached is just a corporate/government virtue signal.

1 Like

And such lazy thinking is precisely why weā€™re fucked.

Oh fuck off

There are few things lazier than having a single explanation for every issue to be discussed

[https://images.app.goo.gl/B5GssgrXn6ACmLRC7]

I think the argument for individuals is certainly valid for the top 5% of individuals that emit the most. How far below that you go is debatable as the other issues, such as the non recycling of food packaging have bigger impacts. Governments and large corporations that influence market behaviour are also guilty, for example the US adiction to 7l v8 trucks to go to and buy a cup of coffee.

And if course theres documented evidence on which corporate entities emit the most.

Maybe I am, but isnā€™t that exactly what other people are doing to justify their stance?

Oh in that case letā€™s not bother. Surely, by educating children it will increase awareness and see people who care being in positions where they can influence decisions more.
To me your post could be a message that what I do has little, to no effect so it doesnā€™t matter what I doā€¦ā€¦