How to Tell the Average Person About Global Warming

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Where do I say that? I oppose those that propose deindustrialization and the reeling in of American quality of life to the norm of the miserable planet. I cannot support things like cap and trade or taxing carbon as a means of controlling climate. People will use alternate energies once the technology is there and they become more affordable for them to do so, I think promoting solar for home use could be a start but there is not a lot of home ownership outright unfortunately it seems. People pay so much out of pocket for just a place to live, it shouldn't be that way in my opinion.

I don't care about the data on global warming, it's what people are proposing to do with that information and 'we just gotta do something' is not an answer I will accept.

How many jobs have the Green Party provided for these retrained workers? What would they be retrained to do even? Frivolous recounts?

They always give lip service to that before killing an industry, it's all been heard before. The biggest problem in America is the lack good paying jobs, not everybody can become super educated and specialized in their abilities so what are these people to do? This is why America is rotting before our eyes, these people turn to self abuse just to cope which is why so many people are dying from opiates. People that haven't lived places that were in economic depression and completely devastated cannot understand just because a bunch of celebrities champion some cause doesn't mean it is good or will make your life better. The Democrats plan is the raise energy prices to the point that Americans cannot afford their current levels of emission, this will completely destroy the middle and working class. We should produce as much energy as possible, alternate and fossil, I think it is right to make use of our natural resources to better the lives of Americans and maybe if we can become energy independent then we can start exporting.

I was talking to my dad the other day about ANWR and how it's off limits to oil exploration, everybody hates the oil companies because of their obscene profits and hate the power wielded by these oil exporting countries but if we own the land then why can't we as a country take ownership of these oil fields ourselves? The government owning and investing in a few profitable ventures might not be such a bad idea rather than simply throwing it down some money hole.

Hang on a minute... you're turning an international issue into an American political situation. I don't really know what the hell is going on in America or what your politicians may or may not be trying to twist climate change into over there. What I do know is that denying the issue and refusing to put any effort into resolving it doesn't help anybody.

If you want to talk about America "rotting" the culprits are the parasites at the top of the wealth chain, using a system in which the majority works to make a minority rich. But that's kind of off-topic.

Last edited by Sabreclaw on 27 Dec 2016, 2:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.

when discussing the pollution caused by unclean energy, the main argument takes the form of "emissions", which are then commonly referred to as "greenhouse gases" and global warming inevitably comes into the picture, sooner or later.

it's hard to avoid going down that path...not that merely because something was "hard" means it shouldn't be done.

china is one of the biggest polluters, and US companies don't want to risk their business interests there.

that's what i see.

Well you seem to only be concerned about corruption on the left...also the technology doesn't develop and no improvements are made if no money goes into it and no one is working on it, and there's no limits/regulations on things that do damage the environment. You want to cling to 'industrialization' when we could move past that, also with oil companies and such fighting tooth and nail against any climate policy and influencing the government to give them preference over the environment, how is renewable energy going to become affordable?

What do you propose we do, because it seems like your idea is that it would be best to just do nothing.

I'd say if places in the rest of the world begin to see the U.S as a detriment to the environment which could happen with our leader of the EPA(environmental protection agency) who doesn't believe climate change even exists. I would welcome energy sanctions or something being imposed. The environment and problems with it effect the entire world and if the U.S is such a 'great' nation shouldn't we strive to be leaders in environmental technology and progress with renewable energy?

Are you suggesting the rest of the world forces the U.S. to tackle climate change?

I have other priorities than mitigating the theory that climate change is going to kill everybody and be this devastating thing, I do not believe the data actually says that and people are purposely being alarmist. Many of these policies will have effects on people's livelihoods and will destroy communities but what the damage that warrants that? I really am not worried about the apocalyptic implications these people throw around, I think everything they say could happen can be survived and the issues mitigated. Do you care about your own quality of life?

When people speak of global warming, it should be noted that they speak of "potential" (aka the "worst case scenario"), rather than what they believe will actually occur.

In essence, we have to anticipate what COULD happen when making decisions pertaining to easing pollution in our world.

And, as stated before, even if it so happens that "global warming" is a myth, it is still incumbent upon us to make the attempt to clean up our world.

No I am saying if the rest of the world moves towards tackling it and the U.S refuses to take part and in fact becomes more part of the problem, then I would understand if the rest of the world pressured us to clean up our act.

i'm not too sure whether other individual countries besides probably china have economies strong enough where sanctions would have a meaningful effect. there'd probably have to be some coalition.

I am not even talking about any theory it is going to kill everyone, but what is so wrong about striving for a healthy planet and ways of life that don't damage the environment we depend on. Not to mention people aren't the only creatures living on this planet, some of the damage is being felt more by various wildlife populations. Of course I care about the quality of my own life, which is why I care about environmental issues since part of my quality of life involves having a healthy environment. How will making positive changes and advancing towards renewable energy going to destroy communities? also everything has an effect on livelihood, automation is becoming more popular that will affect peoples livelihoods since more and more jobs can be done by machines. Fighting any progress or changes is what will destroy communities and livelihoods in the name of big oil and corporate elitists that care nothing for our livelihoods or the environment.

But that is just my opinion on it, by all means disagree....but I am not talking about anything apocalyptic, just moving forward to reduce human impact on the environment, I don't advocate we ban all non-renewable energy immediately or anything just moving away from our dependence on it. I don't see why people are so attached to fossil fuels and keeping the oil industry intact and powerful.

I was thinking more a coalition of various nations who organize to address environmental concerns...it is hypothetical though I don't think there is anything like that currently. Though I imagine china has some catching up to do before they would be in a position to criticize the U.S on our environmental policies but from what I understand they are making efforts to improve.

Where do you stand on nuclear power?

I've gotten the farthest by not telling them about global warming/climate change at all. I come from coal miners. You DO NOT talk to coal miners about anthropogenic climate change. For reasons that should be obvious.

The closest I get to mentioning climate change is stating that "Neanderthals knew better than to piss where they drank."

I talk about how much money you can save by spreading the meat farther and cooking more meatless meals. I talk about how, if you pay a little more for pastured meat from a local farmer (which you might be able to afford if there's less meat in the grocery budget to begin with), that money stays in your community and, if enough people do it, your kid might actually be able to find a job close to the family when the time comes (something a lot of rural people can relate to).

How much money you can save by turning the thermostat down two degrees (and next winter, two more-- unless you have respiratory issues, 62F is pretty comfy once you get used to it and put on some wooly socks) and winterizing your doors and windows.

How growing a little garden honors our ancestors and cuts the grocery bill, and it's like sticking it to those wicked corporations just a little bit every day (and again if you can/dry/ferment it). How it's not about "environmentalism," it's about FREEDOM and RESPONSIBILITY. Those terms play a lot better with conservative/libertarian types who don't want anyone telling them how much they're allowed to emit.

How much cheaper it is to get your kids' clothes (and your own, too, for that matter) from resale shops and yard sales. And the money stays in the community. And they're almost never crowded, and you don't have to stand in line very long most of the time, and there's no candy at the checkout register to make your kids have a meltdown, and people are generally more polite, and it's less chaotic and doesn't set off sensory issues as quickly. And it just sucks less than K/Wal/Tar/Mart/Get.

It's about them getting something they want. Preferably now. If it has to be deferred, then it needs to be something dear to their hearts (like not having to find a way to visit the grandkids-- in Guangzhou, China).

It seriously doesn't help that certain groups have, in fact, used dire predictions about anthropogenic climate change to consolidate power, micromanage people, and do long-term necessary things (like getting us off fossil fuels) without dealing with near-term consequences (like unemployed, scared, pissed-off coal miners who then do things like vote for Trump).

It's about "pesticide is expensive. You can mix some Dawn and water in a spray bottle, and that's cheap." "MiracleGro is expensive. I know a guy who's selling cow poop/rabbit litter/spent mushroom media cheap." THEN you have to teach them about persistent herbicides-- be careful, it will either piss them off enough to get them on the bandwagon, or scare them so bad they quit.

It's not about "StopusingthedryerbecauseGLOBALWARMING!!" It's about how much you enjoy your clothes line, and how you've noticed your clothes don't fade and wear out as fast, and this stain that you caught before it got set by the dryer because you just happened to hang your clothes up instead that day, and your light bill went down TWENTY DOLLARS last month!!

It's not about "StopdrivingthatSUVbecauseGLOBALWARMING!!" It's about how much more time you have to pursue your hobbies now that you've set aside a "town day" once every week or two and don't have to run to the stores all the time/waste an hour and a half running errands after work every other day. It's about how much you've cut down your gasoline expenses (not to mention oil change expenses and repair expenses, and all the time you now have to nap/read/post inane things on Facebook via your smart phone when it's not your turn to drive the car pool) by actually talking to that guy who lives 12 miles away from you and deciding to carpool the 42 miles one-way to work when practicable. It's about how much cheaper a compact car is to buy and drive and maintain (and how much easier it is to park), at least until you are discussing a job or lifestyle that is no longer compact-car compatible (yes, I did cram an 8-year-old and two full-sized car seats into the back seat of an elderly Chevy Cavalier until I got pregnant for the fourth time and had to replace Hubby's totaled compact with a minivan if we wanted to be able to go anywhere all together-- there was a lot of complaining, but nobody died-- and yes, you can cram three children, two weeks' worth of groceries, and 300 pounds of cow poop into a compact car or take a family of five and the dog on a 1000 mile road trip to Grandma's-- it's like playing Tetris!!).

It's CERTAINLY not about "Don'thavekidsbecauseGLOBALWARMING!!" and "Don'thavepetsbecauseGLOBALWARMING!!" People will shut down and discredit everything you say when you start spouting that stuff. That stuff is why I quit giving a damn about environmentalism and starting giving a damn about self-reliance and economic sustainability and honoring the Old People instead. Look--we need companionship, and reproduction is a hardwired biological imperative for a lot of people (also, I get kind of pissy when people start telling me that half my kids have no right to exist). It's about doing it responsibly, and with a minimal amount of expense (less toys, less clothes, secondhand stuff, hand-me-downs, less buying and more swapping, less meat, cloth diapers at least most of the time) and pain in the ass (less toys, less clothes, less running to get them/get them into absolutely everything, go-outside-and-PLAY-dammit if you live where they can). It's about low-cost spay/neuter clinics, and feel-good-and-frugal about adopting from the pound versus paying some absurd amount of money (and how much healthier and better tempered mixed breeds are anyway) and how quick and easy it really is to just clean up the goddamn dog poop.

It's about how NICE it feels to walk half a mile to the bus stop and half a mile back (and what it's done for your blood pressure and your glutes)...