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I am terrified of climate change (beehaw.org)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'll keep this short and sweet. Some random guy on the internet compiled together and summarized a bunch of climate research papers analyzing global trends and a bunch of different slow actors that are all going to kick in soon like the permafrost in Russia or the polar ice caps etc.

While I have not yet gone through the sources the author links and quotes extensively, this still has me extremely worried and I think that unless society somehow drastically changes and devotes a significant effort in doing something about it, we're all going to die within half a century.

I'm sorry for bringing doomerism into a safe space like Beehaw, but I'm scared and I can't sleep.

Also I'm not going to link the document in question because the author goes on a rant about billionaires and greed, and while I haven't decided whether or not I agree I'm not sure the tone fits the community.

Sorry again and have a good one !

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 years ago (4 children)

Not sure if this helps at all, but you’re not alone: I feel a sense of dread every time I find myself holding an empty plastic container.

It might feel like you’re sticking your head in the sand, but what I do – and what I suggest for people suffering from climate anxiety – is actively avoid reading reports like that. Sure, they’re informative (and it’s important to stay informed), but at the end of the day it’s not worth your mental health.

If there’s one thing we know about the problem of climate change at this point (despite what massive corporate contributors have tried to tell us) it’s that you as an individual cannot fix it and you did not contribute very much to it. Plus: you already know it’s bad. Those statistics are meant for people whose minds and behavior will be changed by them.

Instead of reading reports that are informative (but unhelpful), spend time researching who to vote for, how to get involved with organizations who are making change, and which companies are truly focused on sustainability so you can vote with your money.

Climate change is an unfortunate reality and you’ll never feel good about it, but you can feel better if you’re focusing on what you can change.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I feel a sense of dread every time I find myself holding an empty plastic container.

Niche thing to break out given the context, but the best purchase I've made in the past decade is a SodaStream, a couple of extra carbonating bottles and an inline water filter for the kitchen sink.

I didn't realize how much of my aggregate shopping mass came from paying usurious prices to have water from somewhere else delivered via fossil fuel to a store so I could pick each bottle up once from the shelf, again from my cart to checkout, again to get it back in the cart, again to put it in the vehicle, again from the vehicle to the pile outside the front door, again to bring it inside for final staging, again to put it in the fridge, and finally, again, to drink it. And 99 cents for the privilege.

(It's now two cents a litre thanks to a 10-pound tank + adapter.)

Being easier on the planet can save time, money and effort, even though it looks somehow less convenient on the surface.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

How long does a 10lb tank last you? Recommend an adapter?

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