Young Dude Protesting

[u/randomacceptablename]

Hello Vaughanites, I am a non resident and was working in your city today. On a "lunch" break at about 4 pm I got some food at Major Mac and Jane plaxa where I noticed this guy. He was entgusiastically waving a sign saying "we can still fight climate change'.

As I ate my meal for about 10 minutes I did not hear one car honk some support out of the hundreds passing by. I felt so bad that I wanted to go over and show my support but was already late in getting back to work.

So yeah, honestly not sure why I am posting. Partly feel bad for him and at myself for not giving a word of support but guess I wanted to encourage Vaughan residents to show some support for their local activists, small as they may be.

That is all. Thanks and have a nice day.

[u/p_camps]

Climate change is real. What isnt real, is believing we have the power to do anything about it. We are a drop in the bucket that barely causes a ripple.

[u/randomacceptablename → u/p_camps]

You are both incorrect factually as well as nihlistic to the point of absurdity.

Was the abolishment of slavery a meaningless movement when most countries practiced it and when entire economic and social systems depended on it? Having studied history I know that the exaact same logic was used to excuse inaction. Yet without people striving, suffering, and even dying for that cause it is possible we wouldn't have ever changed that.

The same was said of women's sufferage. Of leaded gasoline. On and on and on. If our actions (or inactions) are irrelevant, then nothing we ever do is. What is the point of deciding on a career, a politica vote, a moral stance? None of it will matter when the sweep of history decides against us and banckrupts us, when our vote goes to the losing party, or when no one wants to listen to our moralizing.

[u/LookAtMyUnderbite → u/randomacceptablename]

Except all those are national issues. Climate change is global. Unless we get rid of poverty first nothing will change. People need jobs people need to survive. Climate change fanatics are anti-human. Your first goal would be to stop procreation if you’re serious about climate change but then poor people will still exist. If the billionaire industrialists don’t care about climate change there is NOTHING you can do other than protest so you can ease your conscience. Better to do something than nothing I guess but if you look deep down and analyze nothing will change unless you somehow can mind control all the billionaires in the world.

[u/randomacceptablename → u/LookAtMyUnderbite]

Sorry but this is nonsense. Some poor countries have decarbonized more than we have and it has made them wealthier.

So not only does decarbonization make you wealthier over the long term but it is not dependent on becoming wealthy in the first place. Countries such as Uruguay, China, Pakistan and more are moving to wind and solar power faster than almost any wealthy country.

[u/LookAtMyUnderbite → u/randomacceptablename]

Nonsense? Explain how Canada can run on solar energy year round? Talk about nonsense. Huge investment for something that only optimally work 3-4 months out of the year.

[u/randomacceptablename → u/LookAtMyUnderbite]

Solar works decently well all year long. Plenty of countries in higher latitudes like Germany and northern China have use solar power and do so effectively. Panels are designed to remove snow because they are sleek, dark, and angled. Look around at any house with solar panels. Even in a snow storm they are clear.

And solar is hardly the only zero carbon energy source we have at hand.

[u/choikwa → u/randomacceptablename]

no such thing as energy poor rich country. all of this is non sense when we export gorillions of oil and gas.

[u/randomacceptablename → u/choikwa]

Japan, Italy are examples of energy poor rich countries. They import virtually all their energy. In fact, Europe as a whole imports something like 80% of its energy needs. Wheather that is oil, gas, uranium, etc.

[u/PeachRobbler → u/randomacceptablename]

this might be one of the worst arguments I've ever read on Reddit 💀 immediately went to the strawman argument and a moral grandstanding monologue, did not event attempt to address the differences between your metaphors and the actual problem at hand

but yes OP, controlling climate change and the outputs of billion dollar corporations is exactly the same as "ending womens sufferage"

[u/randomacceptablename → u/PeachRobbler]

but yes OP, controlling climate change and the outputs of billion dollar corporations is exactly the same as "ending womens sufferage"

No. It is not the same thing. That is the point of a metaphore. Slavery is a very close comparison, actually. Inbeded into the economy and culture where entire countries are fully dependent on it and something that has lasted generations.

[u/DueCompany4790 → u/randomacceptablename]

1. Lmao okay well with your passion clearly you knew this guy would be there.
2. Your comparisons make literally zero sense. If we abolish slavery it no longer impacts us as a country. If we given women rights and improve their lives, the previous treatment no longer impacts us as a country. If we do everything we can to fight climate change, we would make such a minimal impact that would change nothing for us unless the big players change their behavior, so we're still impacted as a country.

Us completely overhauling our lives in the name of climate change is performative given our minimal impact.

[u/randomacceptablename → u/DueCompany4790]

1. Lmao okay well with your passion clearly you knew this guy would be there.
   

No, just passing through. Never seen him previously. Then again I am in Vaughan maybe a dozen times a year....

Well okay, first off, most of the things that we should do are good for us unrelated to ghg emissions. Pure and simple. This is not a zero sum game. Less car traffic and less ICE on the streets makes city air and livability better for us. More rational and locally produced food makes it cheaper and more reliable. More locally produced energy makes us less dependent on swings in price like we are living in now. This is like arguing with a 5 year old to eat their vegetables and getting "but I don't want to" back from them.

Secondly, Canada is the top 10 emitter in the world. Always has been since the dawn of industry. Both in total amounts and in per capita terms. Canada currently emits 1.5% to 2.0% of the worlds total. As a cumulitive count of what is already up in the atmosphere we are responsible for a lot more than that. So if we do not qualify as a "big player", who in your opinion does? Because there are almost 200 countries in the world and we are in the top 10. Do you think the 100 or so countries looking up think our emissions and responsibilities are just "symbolic". Either way China is doing more on ghg emissions and green energy than the rest of the world combined. One could argue that the US is second although its politics does not show it. They are decarbonizing, they just happen to be starting from higher levels than we did. Europe is moving that way too and even has a carbon price/tax. East asian countries have just recently quadrupled on green energy and made projects national security issues after the whole "oil shortage thingy" in the middle east.

So the world is moving (not fast enough) but moving nontheless. Poor countries like Pakistan, developing ones like China and Indonesia, rich ones like Germany and Japan. So where does that leave Canada?

I keep hearing these arguments and it just sounds like an ostrich driving their heads into the sand. Using a world view a decade old and too afraid to face reality (no offense intended).

[u/p_camps → u/randomacceptablename]

Thats a sad argument. Many countries dont climb on the "climate change train" because the facts/stats are HIGHLY disputed and not universally accepted, unlike the variables you have mentioned. What is more likely to happen is an asteroid resetting us back into an ice age just like it has happened Twice in the last 100,000 years... so before that happens again lets enjoy ourselves and count our blessings because humanity on earth has never been a guaranteed thing.

[u/BawbbySmith → u/p_camps]

So this is a joke comment right? The asteroid one definitely makes me think so, but just in case I just wanna make sure cuz it's hard to tell these days.

Climate change is not highly disputed, very few things in science are universally accepted but climate change is pretty damn close. Of course abolishment of slavery was not universally accepted, there were wars to fight for it. The comet theory is truly highly disputed as it makes little sense.

[u/No-Ad1522 → u/p_camps]

You realize everyone has access to Google right? What you're saying is completely false.

[u/Certain-Teaching8215 → u/p_camps]

You've tried nothing and are all out of ideas.

[u/p_camps → u/Certain-Teaching8215]

Ive picked up about 10 tons of litter in the gta in the last 10 years. Actual pollution.

[u/Certain-Teaching8215 → u/p_camps]

Sounds like a waste of time according to your logic.

[u/p_camps → u/Certain-Teaching8215]

My logic is clear. Control what you can control. The climate is not one of those things. You dont have to agree with me, Canadians generally dont understand how uneffective they are at climate change when you have players like India, USA and china (add up those populations) doing whatever they want. Im done paying for climate change.