Record-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere | Experts issue warning after finding global average concentration in March was 4.7ppm higher than same period last year

Optional@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 231 points – Record-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere
theguardian.com

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/9388627

Record-breaking increase in CO2 levels in world’s atmosphere | Experts issue warning after finding global average concentration in March was 4.7ppm higher than same period last year

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Maybe it wasn’t clear that the goal was to produce less CO2. How about if we make a big banner or something, y’know, to really spell it out.

The increase has been spurred, scientists say, by the periodic El Niño climate event, which has now waned

One can maybe alter emissions, but not much that one can do about El Niño.

El Niño is a certainty. Obviously the emissions are the controllable. Blaming this on El Niño is like shoving someone in front of a moving train and saying nothing can be done about the 5:05 express.

Obviously the emissions are the controllable. Blaming this on El Niño [...]

Nobody is actually blaming anything on El Niño. El Niño simply covered up how bad it was already for some time.
Which also means those emissions are indeed not controllable. Because they have happened years ago and we still can't do time travel. That's the whole actual point of talking about El Niño here.

We’ve been in La Niña since 2019. I think you mean to say the lack of El Niño has covered it up. That’s not true for climate scientists that track CO2 and methane emissions. The most recent large contributors were wildfires. That is also a controllable and preventable contributor. The primary problem remains, no VC is eager to fund the projects that will mitigate climate change without a return. It’s simply never going to be a priority in capitalism, and requires governmental financing.

Nope, it needs governmental regulations.

Financing-wise renewable energy has long surpassed fossil fuels. It's not capitalists in general blocking the change as they would make a lot of money. This is very specifically about a small amount of individuals making their money in fossil fuels and spending a lot on lobbying to slow the transition down as they try to squeeze as much out of their business model as possible before it runs against a wall they can already see (but try to hide from the consumer).

The same is true in other sectors, for example in traffic where totally insane bullshit gets pushed (hyper-loops, air taxis etc.) as magical alternatives to actually working public transport. That's also not some business that will ever make money. It's a diversion by people who want to keep making money in a very specific field (CE cars) before that whole sector also dies off. Also the scaling effect in EV production as well as improvements and development still have a massive potential with much money to be made by the people investing into a still developing and growing market. Unlike the dying market of combustion engines that competes on miniscule optimisations of the status quo still possible. Yet the very same companies knowing that combustion engines are dead and not even working on developing a next line but instead focusing on electric drives, still do marketing like the opposite would be true so they can sell that trash with no future perspective as long as possible.

There is quiet a lot to say against capitalism, but at the moment we don't have a capitalism problem (at least not where climate action is involved) but one of corruption that helps a few people to keep failing businesses alive a bit longer at the expense of everyone including capitalists in the future businesses that will replace them.

I agree, but I think we’re both right. Relocating subsidies from carbon positive industries to carbon neutral would absolutely help, and would also address my point about the lack of VC investment on climate change technology due to little or no return on investment.

Well I mean, America’s comedy president thought it might be a feasible option to drop nuclear weapons onto hurricanes (allegedly) so I’m sure someone would give stopping El Niño the ol’ college try.

Vast majority of people just don’t give a shit. Honestly, my life and mental health improved so much once I just resigned to the idea that we’re fucked.

You got downvoted, and I don't like the idea of giving up. But this shit is exhausting and depressing, so absolutely make sure you look after yourself.

It was like drinking poison and expecting everyone else to die. I’m so much happier now that I just said fuck it. Highly recommend

Actually, not only are the vast majority of people aware of man made climate change, they also consider it personally important and a government priorty: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/international-public-opinion-climate-change-2023-appendix.pdf

That’s all good. People, at least where I live, still prioritize their personal comfort over making any changes. Buying that new car, taking that next vacation, etc

It’s great that people are aware. People are simply not taking any action to do anything about it.

That must be frustrating, but try not to let personal experience cloud the bigger picture. More people are willing to take action than you might think: https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/09/14/in-response-to-climate-change-citizens-in-advanced-economies-are-willing-to-alter-how-they-live-and-work/pg_2021-09-14_climate_0-01-png/

And people are taking action, here's some recent examples: https://curious.earth/blog/climate-success-stories/

Things look bleak, and it's hard to remain optimistic, so it's more important than ever to take the time to remind yourself of what is going right in the world:

Good man. I agree 100% - the more warming we get, the bigger of a difference each .1 degree makes. So we should only get more aggressive about climate change the worse it gets instead of giving up.

Until it’s taken seriously, by governments and corporations, I see no benefit in risking my personal mental health thinking about it. Just live life like a hedonist

I absolutely agree that prioritising your own mental health is something everyone should do, but don't you think that governments and corporations are even less likely to do anything if people like yourself just throw up their hands in frustration and give up?

There are ways of maintaining good mental health, but I'm not sure doing a full 180 is one of them.

It’s certainly helped me! I focus on earning as much money as possible and spending it on things I enjoy. That makes me happy. Wringing my hands and worrying about the impending collapse of the environment makes me very unhappy and angry. Especially when I have zero control over it.

I’m very glad there are stronger people like you however, it gives me hope that maybe we dig ourselves out of this hole. Thank you

I still try to limit my impact but a few years back I realized that going out of my way to do "green" things was mostly pointless. Its like trying to bail water out a boat that people are actively kicking holes in.

Recycling - It almost all ends up in the trash anyway. Fuel Efficiency and green transportation - Why? 90% of people seem to want to drive a giant SUV.

People care about stupid, ineffective, virtue signaling bullshit like plastic straws and not wasting a piece of paper.

If people really cared, they'd ride their bikes or at the very least, reduce their meat consumption. However, a wide majority simply do not care.

It's easy to lose track of the difference an individual can make to climate change, but you must view it from an appropriate perspective:

https://crowdsourcingsustainability.org/climate-change-can-one-person-really-make-a-difference/

https://theconversation.com/climate-change-yes-your-individual-action-does-make-a-difference-115169

It's hard to remain positive these days, so please take some time to remind yourself about all the things that are going well in the world:

https://fixthenews.com/planet/

Congratulations. You are part of the problem.

Actual statistics and basically every poll show that the vast majority of people agrees and wants to do much more to address climate change on a personal and government level. And just like you most of them are suffering from propaganda-induced brain rot and believe that they are totally alone with that opinion so it unfortunately has no sense to even try. So they don't.

You can talk about what people say they want to do or you can look at what they actually do. They glorify overconsumption as a way of showing personal success, value, luxury, self worth, etc. They reproduce far too often.

Congratulations! You, by virtue of being another member of our overly abundant, highly resource consuming species, are also part of the problem.

I noticed my mental health was having serious issues due to climate issues and had to step away. I keep tabs somewhat, try to do what little I can, and hope somehow things will turn around. Years ago, I didn't see any way we would see our way safely through the Cold War, and then out of nowhere it was over. I see no way out of climate disaster, but hope somehow out of nowhere a solution will present itself for this one, too. That's the hope I hang on to, and it helps me.

Has anyone investigated if Russia has maybe a few too many open gas pipes? Wouldn't this county massively profit from reduced permafrost and increased climate refugees causing chaos in Europe and other non dictator countries? Is this too much conspiracy? I don't state this as absolute fact, just some out of the box thinking that could be wrong.

I recall reading years ago that Siberia has enough methane under its ice to cause a feedback loop that would kill everyone if it escaped. So there's that I guess.

Mmm time to re-read "The Ministry For the Future" I guess...

We need a space blanket to deflect a percentage of UV rays from the sun, and we need it asap

And then what? Carry on until we need an even bigger/thicker blanket?

It would just buy us some time to actually address climate change. Currently, we have done nothing except make it exponentially worse. If we don't have a blanket, we will definitely all die. If we have one, we might get a few years and make it. It's better than nothing. Literally. It's the only option.

And our governments agree:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/02/climate/global-warming-clouds-solar-geoengineering.html

“Every year that we have new records of climate change, and record temperatures, heat waves, it’s driving the field to look at more alternatives,” said Robert Wood, the lead scientist for the team from the University of Washington that is running the marine cloud brightening project. “Even ones that may have once been relatively extreme.”

Brightening clouds is one of several ideas to push solar energy back into space — sometimes called solar radiation modification, solar geoengineering, or climate intervention. Compared with other options, such as injecting aerosols into the stratosphere, marine cloud brightening would be localized and use relatively benign sea salt aerosols as opposed to other chemicals.

They also have floated the idea of releasing sulfur into the atmosphere, getting the idea from increased warming after shipping emissions (which include sulfur) were reduced.