Why Governments Won't Act On Climate Change

Why Governments Won't Act On Climate Change – Second Thought

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Second Thought is a channel devoted to education and analysis of current events from a socialist perspective. Welcome!

[TheCarouselCowboy]

“Yes, the planet got destroyed, but for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders”

[ReesCatOphuls]

9:30 “We’ll go down in history as the first society that wouldn't save itself because it wasn't cost effective.” – Kurt Vonnegut

[final_catalyst]

That united health CEO is an example of what happens when a citizen shows what a "discounted" person is actually worth when taking it into their own hands

[mooncalf]

When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, and the last stream poisoned, only then will we realize we cannot eat money.

[Yura]

The irony is that preventing climate change IS investigating into the future, while producing fossil fuels and handing out profits is borrowing from the future.

[DarkNia]

Because money spent on tomorrow is money not spent on themselves.

[eyyy]

Deny. Defend. Depose.

We must continue fighting back

[tyrekeharrison]

When the government puts a price tag on your life you put a timer on theirs

[j.martinez]

And this, my fellow Americans, is what happens when you "run government like a business".

[justkittensbeingkittens]

The irony that I get “far left” on political tests bc I believe in climate change.

[CharlesTysonYerkesOfficial]

Bringing down the discount rate from 3% to 2% is the classic Centrist/Center-Right stance of "We did something to make a bad thing ever so slightly less worse."

[philcollins]

I’ve always heard the phrase “banality of evil, ” but seeing the entire reason for why our climate policy is the way it is condensed to a math problem and a bureaucrat going “eh, number too big” is…I don’t have words for it.

[loganlaliberte]

As a college student currently studying environmental science, god this is depressing but goddamn it I have to try because someone needs to

[Hablamannen]

So they've arbitrarily decided that the humanity "stock option" is declining by 3% each year. While putting all their eggs in the normal stock market. Literally betting on that humanity will bust.

[Aima]

I'm a modeller and analyst by trade, but that application of the discount model still sickens me! Not just on a moral scale but on a mathematical one, they seem to be intentionally forgetting that the benefits of not acting are finite to their term in office but the damages caused will effect humanity for as long as we continue to inhabit earth... which is hopefully where some portion of our population will be until the sun burns enough fuel to change types.

[raghuvarv]

Ah. Second Thought brightens a shitty day with . . . existential dread. Thanks, comrade.

[keenanarthur]

It's kind of ironic how burning dinosaur juice is our primary method of ensuring we go the way of the dinosaurs.

[bruhyou]

anyone can make up math formulas

1 CEO + 1 small lead ball = a better world

[nitaandersen]

I find it scary that asbestos wasn't banned in US until 2024... It was banned here in Denmark in 1986, so almost 40 years ago...

Which makes me think of another issue where the two countries have very different views. The idea that fluoride is harmful is considered a conspiracy theory in US, but here in Denmark it is the official government stance that it is harmful and has a negative impact on IQ based on studies. All of this can be found on our government webpage with links to the studies.

I am aware that my country has a "better safe than sorry" stance on many health issues. They might be too careful on this one. But we actually test our water to ensure that the natural flouride levels aren't too high.

But USA government also has a story of downplaying health risks from government decisions - like nuclear testing, lead pipes, food additives and so on. Admitting that the government added dangerous chemicals to the water supply would be a horrible political move as long as the evidence is not 100% clear.

[christiansawyer]

If I remember correctly Jimmy Carter did try to start the preventative actions of climate change and then Reagan came in and stopped it all which is what lead to where we are today.