More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

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stand@desk
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More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by stand@desk »

For some reason I have a desire to debate the politcal side of climate change on this forum.

The latest quote from UN Secretary General:

"We're running out of time," he told the meeting Wednesday. "To waste this opportunity would compromise our last best chance to stop runaway climate change. It would not only be immoral, it would be suicidal."

So not acting to set "the rules" whatever they are..

If we don't do it, it is "suicidal."

But really..suicide?

I just take that as a reckless comment.

So if we don't set rules according to the UN at the COP24 UN Climate Change Conference (US, Russia and Saudi Arabia are refusing to endorse the report), we will have runaway climate change, and we are suicidal. It's our "last best chance." So I guess this is it then for the world as we know it?

We should ask this UN Secretary General, if we don't get this agreement, would you yourself commit that act you stated on yourself? What would he say? Of course he wouldn't commit that act. But he says it recklessly. And with his position of power that is wrong to say and should take it back.

BRUTE
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by BRUTE »

UN == playing house for hacks that couldn't make it in real politics

chenda
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by chenda »

He is using it as a figure of speech, which I don't think is an unreasonable one given the worse case scenarios outlined on the IPCC thread. If rhetoric bothers you I would just ignore it and focus on your own actions and carbon footprint.

vexed87
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by vexed87 »

UN secretary general salary is $227,253. I wonder what side gigs he has? How much he consumes?

I imagine he is very much part of the problem, not the solution.

chenda
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by chenda »

@vexed87 well yes, though I don't think we can single him out personally for hypocrisy, as we are all to varying degrees part of the problem. He is at least attempting to address the issue.

vexed87
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by vexed87 »

@chenda, totally agree, we all have to start somewhere, however rhetoric from the 1% is particularly infuriating when they limit their focus to tweaking the system around the edges, rather than recognise that it's the system itself that is the problem, and by the way it's already too late to 'save us'. Rarely does rhetoric extend to persuading the privileged (greatest consumers of energy) to make fair sacrifices in the name of making the future less shitty for others. It seems that those who have the greatest responsibility to understand the system put in the least effort to learn about the system. Most people who have thought deeply about AGW know that real change can only come with a radical systems change and degrowth. The 1% will never push for meaningful change because it would erode their privilege. "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

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Seppia
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by Seppia »

stand@desk wrote:
Wed Dec 12, 2018 11:51 pm
(US, Russia and Saudi Arabia are refusing to endorse the report)
Must be reassuring to be in great company on this.
Sounds like the guy who hears on the radio "be careful, there's a car driving the wrong way on US1 highway" and thinks "A car? There's hundreds of those"

The 1% may be part of the problem, but that doesn't make negating the problem less wrong.

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C40
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by C40 »

Who cares about the exact words he uses? Why are you getting hung up on that?

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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by jacob »

@C40 - 2nd stage Kuebler-Ross?

stand@desk
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by stand@desk »

This reminds me a bit of celebrities who said they would leave the United States if Trump got elected.
Basically taking a position if xyz does or doesn't happen, then something major/unprecedented/outlandish etc will happen. I can understand celebrities shooting from the hip etc. But with the climate change thing, I take it more personal. I think it's beyond a figure of speech and it is what contributes to poor debate and distrust of these organizations, technocracies etc.

I'm done until the next article comes out and I can't resist the urge to bring it to light again. 8-)

tonyedgecombe
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by tonyedgecombe »

I remember Margaret Thatcher saying she quite liked it when people started attacking her personally because it meant they had lost the argument. A lot of these discussions sound exactly like that.

ZAFCorrection
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Re: More climate change politcal rhetoric that bothers me..

Post by ZAFCorrection »

Somehow I'm pretty sure I would find a ton of other publicized comments calling this or that suicidal when it is not expected that anyone is literally killing themselves. OP has proven that people definitely use figures of speech and they also possibly use over-wrought language when commenting publicly. Case closed.

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