2021-06-23 The Climate

In other news, the summer is hot after all and the climate news is as devastating as ever, but life seems to continue as always.

“Over 60% of Swiss voters have thrown out a pair of initiatives aiming to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in the country.” – Voters reject pesticide-free farming proposals

Voters reject pesticide-free farming proposals

So many people thought it was outrageous that the water was no longer perfect when the results started coming in a while ago. But to do something about it? Never.

“Drinking water in at least a third of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, mostly in the central part of the country, contains above-recommended levels of the banned pesticide chlorothalonil.” (2020) – Banned pesticide found in Swiss drinking water

Banned pesticide found in Swiss drinking water

And of course they rejected the proposed CO₂ bill, the big weak compromise between the greens and the liberals:

“Swiss voters have rejected legislation at the heart of the country’s strategy to abide by the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.” – Swiss CO2 law defeated at the ballot box

Swiss CO2 law defeated at the ballot box

Perhaps it’s time to rethink our strategy. Perhaps it’s time to end all this talk about self-responsibility and incentive taxes and talk about bans. Some days I feel like writing slogans.

• “Make SUVs expensive so that only the rich can own one? Of course not. Ban them all, with the revised CO₂ bill!”
• “Make plane flights expensive so that only the rich can go to the beach? Of course not. Ban most of them, with the revised CO₂ bill!”
• “Do we need cars and parking lots in our inner cities? Of course not. Ban them all, with the revised CO₂ bill!”
• “Should people in cars take precedence over people on bikes? Of course not. Ban them all, with the revised CO₂ bill!”
• “Should people in cars take precedence over people on foot? Of course not. Ban them all, with the revised CO₂ bill!”
• “Should we continue to turn good pasture land into suburbia? Of course not. Ban that shit, with the revised CO₂ bill!”
• “Do we want the cement industry to kill the planet? Of course not. Use timber for your homes, with the revised CO₂ bill!”

Stuff like that. And add graphic design reminding us of the Second World War.

​#Climate ​#Switzerland

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Via @neauoire:

@neauoire

At its simplest, the prospective survivor, with a mind so sensitively attuned to the threat of complete annihilation, may hold the power to shake things up and bring about new ways of being human at this time that we need. What the prospective survivor does not do, is make peace with death or collapse. She sometimes even finds joy in pushing against them and would rather die trying, arm in arm with others just like her, than in a state of surrender. This is the kind of resilience we need now. When enough of us generate existential meaning by stepping out of isolation and into this role, we muster the life force that might actually prevent the worst outcomes from happening. It’s a way of living with radical hope. – It is time to step into the role of the “prospective survivor”

It is time to step into the role of the “prospective survivor”

– Alex 2021-07-17 08:42 UTC

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One percent of the world’s population accounts for more than half of the carbon dioxide emissions from passenger air travel. Thus, there is good reason to view air travel in a new light. It is actually an elitist activity, rather than what the aviation industry would like us to believe – that everyone flies. This is claimed by Stefan Gössling at Lund University and Linnaeus University in a new article, published in Global Environment Change. – One percent of the world’s population accounts for more than half of flying emissions, Ulrika Bergström, Linneaus University

One percent of the world’s population accounts for more than half of flying emissions, Ulrika Bergström, Linneaus University

– Alex 2021-10-20 19:14 UTC