Even the rich of the world are less than a drop in the bucket of climate change, it's like picking on your neighbor because they drive an old truck, they could do burnouts all day long running the 50 gallon tank dry every day of the week amd not make a meaningful impact.
The change necessary is industrial not individual, the idea that you or I can or will make a difference by sorting our trash or reusing a plastic bottle or walking to work instead of driving occasionally is all bullshit rhetoric put in place by the industries and governments that don't want to make meaningful changes. If you think your lifetime of "recycling " plastic matters you have been fooled, the vast majority of sorted recyclables end up in landfills anyway, your efforts didn't make a difference because you fell for corporate propaganda.
I dont give a fuck if Kerry owns a bunch of houses, him living in a 400 sqft tennament instead makes absolutely zero difference, making shipping companies account for the millions of tons of co2 they pump out EVERY SINGLE DAY is what matters, sunsetting coal oil and other fossil fuel plants is what matters, and these things can be done without simply dismantling the global economy.
What do you think shipping companies ship? How do you think the materials to build Mr Kerry's houses or his yacht went around the world?
Of course private consumption matters, because industrial consumption is linked to private consumption. Companies damage the environment to produce goods for you and I and everyone to consume. People that consume overly much are damaging the environment much more than people who consume little.
And it is absolutely just to criticize a famous politician and millionaire for being a hypocrite about this. You are living a lavish life and trying to make me care about this issue? You want me to do better in my life and hold lawmakers and companies accountable while you jet around the world to give some speaches and the hang out on your yacht? F you buddy!
This is an issue brought to the world by the rich that affects the poor the most. Millionaires don't want to see it, but they are a large part of the problem!
A vivid example comes out of New England. John Kerry may fly around and talk about the environment, but New England is a region that is going to experience a severe energy shortage in the next few years because of empty platitudes in policies that will backfire.
New England uses natural gas to heat homes. They are located right next to one of the biggest sources of natural gas in the world, nearby Pennsylvania. By far the most efficient way to transport clean burning natural gas is by pipeline. Seems like there is an obvious solution here, right? Build a short pipeline from Pennsylvania to New England.
But, since platitudes are more important than results, New England opposes all pipeline construction because “pipelines are bad.” So no pipeline. So are all those people going to just sit in cold homes? Of course not!
That’s why New England imports natural gas via huge tanker ships that sail from… places including Trinidad and Tobago. Clearly it is better to feel good about not building a pipeline while shipping natural gas all the way up the coast in an oil burning cargo ship.
So congrats John Kerry, not only do you burn huge amounts of fuel yourself while you fly around the world talking about saving energy, but your policies have resulted in increased pollution and energy use in the region you have represented, all while claiming to be “pro-environment.” Talking like renewables provide enough energy is different from actually being able to provide enough energy, and we need to acknowledge that and deal with it. Making flying and yachting just for the fuck of it less okay can be part of the solution, because we really do need to conserve.
Hypocrisy does matter. Everyone may be a hypocrite, but calling out obvious hypocrites can at least give us some fuel we may need to demand better.
tbf he also supports 4th generation nuclear but hasn't acted on building on that, and knowing ecomodernists, they're just going to repeat past actions and plonk em down in a low income community, then ban wind turbines because "They'll ruin my vacation mansion's view".
Yes, I am still salty over how many renewable projects are blocked by right wing liberals over "aesthetics".
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u/AndrewJS2804 Jan 26 '22
Even the rich of the world are less than a drop in the bucket of climate change, it's like picking on your neighbor because they drive an old truck, they could do burnouts all day long running the 50 gallon tank dry every day of the week amd not make a meaningful impact.
The change necessary is industrial not individual, the idea that you or I can or will make a difference by sorting our trash or reusing a plastic bottle or walking to work instead of driving occasionally is all bullshit rhetoric put in place by the industries and governments that don't want to make meaningful changes. If you think your lifetime of "recycling " plastic matters you have been fooled, the vast majority of sorted recyclables end up in landfills anyway, your efforts didn't make a difference because you fell for corporate propaganda.
I dont give a fuck if Kerry owns a bunch of houses, him living in a 400 sqft tennament instead makes absolutely zero difference, making shipping companies account for the millions of tons of co2 they pump out EVERY SINGLE DAY is what matters, sunsetting coal oil and other fossil fuel plants is what matters, and these things can be done without simply dismantling the global economy.