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Comment by ClassyJacket | Hacker News Reader

Yes it is, which is why we need a global, world war 2 sized effort, beginning IMMEDIATELY to stop climate change.

You’ll never make them understand. They’ve made being a contrary fool who distrusts experts a core, emotional, part of their personality

It's just the bunny slopes or foothills of extremist signalling, having to demonstrate that you're the sort of person who doesn't get upset at the things that cause other people grief and despair (which of course you take every opportunity to exaggerate) with the presumable but unspoken conclusion that you're the AntiSnowflake gifted with exceptional reserves of mental fortitude or maturity. Like bullshiting, these positions don't care whether the arguments they are contradicting are right or wrong, they only care that it in opposing them they can project an image of cool unconcern.

This is what being an internet tough guy has sunk to in the age of twitter.

Not living in terror and despair of things that are largely outside my control = extremist? Maybe it is you who is the extremist.

Living in fear, anger, a strange frothing hatred for people who are different. If anybody would appreciate why someone would not want to live their life that way, I'd think it would be you.

Clairvoyance is perhaps also not optimal.

I'll answer this in good faith. I can't help but be skeptical yet practice a version of "pascals wager" but apply it to climate change. I drive an electric vehicle, power my house with solar, reduce air travel, etc. I have 2 major issues: The first is that the environmental damage we are currently doing-- destruction of our oceans, polluting our air and water, etc. will destroy our planet in a few generations any ways, climate change not required. Second is that I am skeptical of our governments response. I don't believe they genuinely care about solving it other than making money off it. Does it really matter if I am skeptical? I am doing what little a normal citizen is expected to do to fight it.

*edit: fixed spelling

What you describe there isn’t skepticism (you concede everything but then claim, somehow, that all that isn’t climate change… bizarrely).

It’s apathy.

> you concede everything

Air/ocean pollution and environmental damage !== climate change.

Climate change is specifically about greenhouse emissions trapping the suns heat causing long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.

> It’s apathy

I am following the prescribed "action plan" for the average citizen. What would you have me do? Not everyone can be a political activist.

My point was that even in a hypothetical scenario where climate change is false (no rise in global temperatures or change in weather patterns), the damage we are doing to the earth is still enough to destroy it.

That is not why we would need such a thing. It's not necessary or sufficient to prevent terrified people living in perpetual fear of things politicians and experts tell them to be afraid of.

Rational and level headed efforts to tackle problems like climate change would be welcome. A great first step would be to vote out all politicians who use it for political games by riling up panic and then actually doing very little about it.

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