We Must Imagine a Future Without Cars

This reminds me of the Futurama episode where they are stuck without a hovercar for some reason, so Fry tries to build a car with wheels and ends up making two huge oblong tires out of stone that he ends up pulling.

I haven't imagined a future without cars

And that is why I, personally, no longer care about global warming. Because people refuse to even imagine the necessary changes, let alone make any changes. THERE IS NOT SAFE CAR from an environmental pov. Every step from production to end user sucks up huge amounts of resources.

but I have imagined no future for life on Earth.

I'm sorry, this is not going to happen. At best we might face an Earth that isn't filled to the brim with greedy, resources sucking humans. Climate change is not going to destroy the Earth, which has weathered many, many much more catastrophe events from being nearly frozen solid to having no polar caps at all. A record of temperatures for billions of years shows we are still relatively cool. very nicely . . . it probably won't even destroy the world.

npat, I mostly stay out of these conversations with you, because I know how connected to your state of mind it is, but I really, REALLY wish I could get you to REALLY look at the issues and realize what is going on. There are plenty of reasons to be making extreme changes in our interaction with the planet, but "global warming" as it's being hyped is NOT one of them.

let alone make any changes.

Would you like me to describe the changes I made?

I really, REALLY wish I could get you to REALLY look at the issues and realize what is going on.

I believe I do understand what's going on. I have advised my daughter to consider what the state of the world could be like in a few decades - before deciding to start a family.

Would you like me to describe the changes I made?

Sure.

I believe I do understand what's going on. I have advised my daughter to consider what the state of the world could be like in a few decades - before deciding to start a family.

I think we need to revisit this in 20 years. That is the only thing that will convince you. In the mean while, I'm just not going to discuss with you. And the advice to your daughter is good. One of MAJOR things we have to change is the rate of population growth. Especially if we want to REALLY cut CO2 emissions.

Since 2000 - one car (mini-van), 5,000 - 10,000 miles per year, flown once to visit family. No use of public transportation. Some volunteer work.

Gwenny wrote ...

I mostly stay out of these conversations with you, because I know how connected to your state of mind it is, ... There are plenty of reasons to be making extreme changes in our interaction with the planet, but "global warming" as it's being hyped is NOT one of them.

I try to stay in my area of expertise which includes hydrology, climate and family concerns.

You would probably do better by buying cars and supporting companies that are doing that already.

FDBryant3: Nah, the hybrids and those cars ain't good either. The car industry needs to change dramatically. And it doesn't help if the car is on electricity when almost all electricity we generate is from fossil fuels...

You have to start somewhere. Supporting companies that produce cars that reduce emissions and reduce gas consumption encourages them to do more as well as provides the capital so they can do so. At the same time it gets companies that are not paying attention to such designs to start doing so as they lose marketshare and profit.

While a large percentage of our electricity currently comes from fossil fuels........it isn't going to always be that way. Technology is being developed that is going provide us with electricity from a diversity of clean renewable resources that will minimize if not eliminate fossil fuels as an energy resource..

I know there are people who believe we should go back to being horse and buggy agrarians. That isn't going to happen though and it shouldn't. There have been a lot of advancements which have genuinely improved the human condition (and yes I'm aware not evenly across the globe). While I favor ideas that continue that by minimizing or eliminate the negatives that have come with that progress........it is foolish to think we are going to give up the benefits of that progress. Better to seek solution that solve the problems of that progress.

Nah that would be sensible. That is why we need to halt all development in geothermal, wind, hydro, and solar energy. Not to mention hydrogen and getting oil from garbage. I won't even mention nuclear energy.

Wouldn't the better solution be to develop new sources for energy?

No. We need to change our lifestyle to consume less. Giving up cars is a nice start.

I better start for many would be to give up air travel now.

I better start for many would be to give up air travel now.

I've been in an airplane 5 times in my life and not in the last decade. But even that is not going to stop climate change. EVEN if we stopped polluting THIS VERY SECOND, reduced to 0 human emissions, the climate would still change.

Gwenny: Yes. The climate would only increase with 2 degrees if we do something about it now. If we reach more than that there is no turning back (we will probably reach an increase of 6 degrees in 100 years). :/

The climate is going to change. Long as the sun keeps changing the climate is going to change. The planet has been warmer and the planet has been colder. Y'all let me know when we can control that. Until then I suggest we do what life has done through billions of years of history - adapt.

FDBryant3:

The climate is going to change. Long as the sun keeps changing the climate is going to change. The planet has been warmer and the planet has been colder. Y'all let me know when we can control that.

'No Sun link' to climate change: Sun's output has declined but Earth temperatures have risen

Until then I suggest we do what life has done through billions of years of history - adapt.

Yes, adapt means that we should build renewable energy, take care of our planet, use less, waste less and change the car industry.

Giving up cars is a nice start.

So, Gwenny, are YOU going to give up your car (or Bus, whatever is using the combustion engine)? Or, do you just expect others to do so? Just asking...

I agree with you that we do need and should have better mass transit. I don't know that it needs to be government run though. I think with the proper incentives and government support where appropiate privately run systems could do better.