[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/datablog/2009/sep/02...
It's a fine balance between caring about stuff and wanting to raise awareness while also seeing other human beings for who they are, assuming good intent.
I disagree (although 'I fly lots' would be a strange thing to ever be 'proud' of imo, regardless of the climate issues). While we should all be mindful of our individual impact, asking people to restrict themselves personally (or shaming them) on such an important and positive freedom as being able to travel widely just sits wrongly with me.
There are much lower hanging fruit as regards climate change to tackle first at a much higher level (e.g. government, multi-national business). I feel our focus should be on that. If you want to make personal sacrifices that's noble but shaming others for not making the same sacrifices is petty and makes it seem like your reasons for making the sacrifices are for appearance rather than because you care. NB: I mean this more generally, it's not wholly directed at your specific comment which wasn't super judgemental.
Maybe, besides political leaders and businesses, that should be limited to inner circle family and friends with whom you have a more complex relationship, and where there is a little bit more receptiveness towards critique. Even in that context it's probably better to just live the lifestyle yourself and hope they will follow.
On the other hand, if you put something out there, to be discussed publicly on HN, I don't feel obliged to only give positive feedback necessarily. Also, the author picked this up in a really nice way and has already added carbon stats to the page.
But man, it's so hard if you deeply care about something to keep your mouth shut. I don't know if you have any topics that make you feel like that?
Edit: actually responding to the rest of your comment, I'm a strong believer in the power of individual choices. The whole plant-based movement for example in The Netherlands (and outside) over the last few years was fully driven by individual consumer choices and little bits of money shifting in other directions. European politics actually tried to hinder it for a while, but at some point when something becomes the popular thing to think, politics will have to follow.
I agree. There are certainly climate-related things I try to hold my extended family to account over (e.g. basics like recycling). I guess where we disagree is where the line is and how much criticism we’re willing to accept and impart :)
Thanks for discussing it with me so pleasantly.
In other words: I am not saying that he should be ashamed of being a pollutant. But I am wondering why he isn’t ashamed of it.
Btw, he isn't traveling just for the sake of traveling — he has conferences around the world, and he's a European working in USA which means he probably flies back and forth from his home country a lot more than an average American. (Doesn't help that North America is far away from everywhere else).
For what it's worth, he makes an attempt to schedule all his conferences such that he wouldn't have to keep flying to/from North America in between conferences.
Felix Krause, keep doing whatever it is that you do and enjoy your life.
Then, they actually let you donate/spend a bit of money towards offsetting your individual carbon footprint, towards whatever initiatives you choose (personally donated towards planting trees).
It's not like it would have as much of a profound impact as stopping the mega-corps would, but it's still something and pretty easy to do.
Disclaimer: not affiliated with them in any way, just thought it's a cool idea.
A little = 140€ / month. Wow. What do people do, redecorate every year?
edit:
11 tons of CO₂ per year
That's 64% less than the Germany average for your household size.
I guess the two of us are pretty ecological ;) But I just realized they didn’t ask about heating (afaik oil based and I have only costs, no usage numbers), so that might make some difference.
Buy one new couch and there goes your budget for the year.