Hacker News Reader

Comment by nprateem | Hacker News Reader

Maybe they'll finally start to do something about it then.

Unfortunately, it seems like individuals will start spending more money on cooling solutions (air con, insulation). Local government will spend more on wildfire prevention (fewer trees, more housing restrictions) and national governments will continue to promise they'll ban X, Y and Z in 10-15 years (when they'll not be in power or will have quietly dropped the promise in the next election).

I hope I'm wrong but living in the UK, I really don't see how we get from where we are now to somewhere sustainable fast enough to make any sort of difference.

Immediate action on many fronts is needed, and when that happens there is pushback like in NZ now. Getting past that means some actual change.

> Unfortunately, it seems like individuals will start spending more money on cooling solutions (air con, insulation).

It may be unfortunate, but it's also necessary. Investing in improved insulation is a good thing regardless, but I expect air-con to also be necessary. Given where we are right now and the huge inertia in the system, even in the best possible case of 100% of world governments and people getting on-board with reducing emissions as fast as possible right now, we're still looking at severe impact from climate change, and we will have to adapt to cope with the weather events (like heatwaves) that that creates. Hence, air-con. And flood barriers. And making plans for how to use public buildings as heat shelters or disaster evacuation shelters.

(All IMHO, I am not an expert, etc)

Who is"them"? Its a matter of system change but also the neglected part of individual responsibility. At least in the form that we need to be more active by pressuring and electing decision makers. To act on our behalf and bot the corporate/offshore world.

https://econormalisation.kapsi.fi/ this was an incomplete but interesting take on a possible solution.

Setting a cap and communicating the target for personal emissions would be unkind to all billionaires and politicians. Thus aint gonna happen. Also this way of thinking will hilight a culprit. One that definitely doesn't want to be hilighted.

Besides the normal peoples guilt will be a huge blocker for anyone to even start thinking about personal cap.

With decarbonization already slated to absorb a huge chunk of money it'll need a policy change towards mitigation to get societies ready for changing climates.

Addressing current/emerging problems over future problems will be the next policy battleground on climate.

They'll decarbonize the poor

Just like we saw with the lockdown policies.

Heavily tax mass transit but allow private jets, etc.

Mass transit isn't taxed, it's heavily subsidized by taxes.

Often but not always; Hong Kong is one of the exceptions I think (at least the MTR)

Also, the parent is probably talking about EU intent to apply carbon tax to mass market airlines but exempt the private jets

The tax should be simply applied to the carbon content of the fuel.

Use the revenue to subsidize green projects.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com