Environmental idiocy.

W

Wizard of Whatever

Registered Senior Member
Just heard how the Brazilian government destroyed a part of the rain forest to build a road for a climate change conference. These people are too stupid to exist.
 
On this we agree. Who woulda thunk it? The optics are not good.

Worth noting that Brazil seems to have a not so spectacular track record on environmental policy. At least they booted out that Brazil nut, Bolsonaro. He's in prison for the next 27 years.
 
TheVat said:
On this we agree. Who woulda thunk it? The optics are not good.

Worth noting that Brazil seems to have a not so spectacular track record on environmental policy. At least they booted out that Brazil nut, Bolsonaro. He's in prison for the next 27 years.
Click to expand...
I also heard that 20% of the amazon rain forest has been destroyed by ranchers, miners, and others.
 
Wizard of Whatever said:
I also heard that 20% of the amazon rain forest has been destroyed by ranchers, miners, and others.
Click to expand...
Yes, at least 20%, and Bolsonaro was one of the worst enablers of that destruction as well as screwing over the indigenous peoples in the rainforest.

I don't picture us disagreeing a whole lot on this topic. Boring, right? :p
 
TheVat said:
Yes, at least 20%, and Bolsonaro was one of the worst enablers of that destruction as well as screwing over the indigenous peoples in the rainforest.

I don't picture us disagreeing a whole lot on this topic. Boring, right? :p
Click to expand...
The topic is not boring, just easy to agree.
 
Not a good look but the climate problem is about substance, not about appearances. I can't get too worked up about this; if not criticism for building a road then for something else eg for the electricity used or the travel emissions. Vastly more land clearing goes on and better rules for regulating it in the future will have greater overall impact.

I don't expect or require perfection from hosts or delegates as the start point, - as some kind of demonstration of 'sincerity'. Especially given the fiercest critics aren't seeking perfection they are seeking abandonment of emisions reductions commitments.

Perfection - zero emission, zero environmental impact - is the desired goal, not the starting point. And I don't expect we will achieve perfection and must accept some level of compromise.
 
This won't amount to anything in the long run, but it is bad advertisement for a climate conference and for the country . I tends to make people think they are hypocrites and don't really care. And maybe they don't.
 
Wizard of Whatever said:
This won't amount to anything in the long run, but it is bad advertisement for a climate conference and for the country . I tends to make people think they are hypocrites and don't really care. And maybe they don't.
Click to expand...
Many of those involved don't... or care more for reducing the 'imposition' of strong international agreements than for fixing the problem, whilst still maintaining appearances. Even agreeing to China and India and Indonesia etc being permitted to continue growing fossil fuel use - ostensibly for the sake of economic development and poverty reduction - was done with continuing large scale markets in fossil fuel exports very much in mind. Another kind of hypocrisy. (Looking at my own nation, Australia).

I think many of those who are on the lookout for climate hypocrisy, who are demanding zero emissions of anyone promoting action (to take them seriously) are purveyors of greater ethical failures, such as evading duties of care, not doing due diligence, promoting alarmist economic fears of emissions reductions commitments etc. Hypocritical in their criticisms of climate hypocrisy too - mocking and ignoring those that DO go to the greatest lengths to reduce their personal carbon footprint and framing them as extremist fanatics.

Most of the actual successes of decarbonizing appears motivated by renewable energy saving money; the start renewables got was driven by the climate issue, but I think in a backhanded, don't really mean for it to actually work kind of way - as the alternative to those in the Offices where the dutie of care and requirements for due diligence reside. Handing the issue off to and reinforcing perceptions of climate concerns being driven by fringe environmentalist politics rather than the top level science based advice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top