Stop climate change: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 14:42, 26 February 2026

Fossil fuels are still the world's main energy source, and still the main cause of climate change.

We need to switch to other energy sources, but:
They each have their own limitations and environmental impacts as well. So we also need to not use so much energy in the first place. Not the old "save energy by turning off the lights" rhetoric which misses the big picture. Most of the world's energy usage is actually for:
- Producing & transporting goods (i.e. stuff people buy)
- Driving cars
- Heating & cooling homes / buildings

Things we must do

Reduce the need for driving

Make neighborhoods walkable

Produce less stuff

(without sacrificing quality of life)

Electronics

Food-related

Even though agriculture isn't the biggest source of carbon emissions, it is the biggest destroyer of wildlife. We need to feed the world using less resources:

Other

Stop home waste
Make clothes last longer? discussion Need to distinguish between "they should manufacture stuff better quality" (which might actually have a higher environmental footprint in some cases), vs "how make your clothes last longer even when they're cheap. Repair, take care, etc." (which is probably what we really need. Some of it is lifestyle choices, but I bet some systemic changes could help too, like better access to tools for repairs, and more education on how to use them).

Note: These systemic changes are a good start, but they might not be enough. A lot of middle-class people also have to choose to consume less. Note that half of emissions come from the richest 10% of the world. This includes most people who live in "first world" countries.
discussion TO DO: Add specific examples of wasteful consumption habits. Talk about how to do better. We can still have nice things, just not replace them so often.

Heating & cooling

We're still discussing what solutions are really suitable for the average home or building. Join the discussion.

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-[[Category:Problems]] __NOTOC__
+[[File:Emissions-by-sector-–-pie-charts.png|thumb]]
-[[File:Emissions-by-sector-–-pie-charts.png|thumb|GHGs (greenhouse gases, such as '''CO<sub>2</sub>''') are the gases that cause climate change. '''This is a pie chart of where they come from.'''<br /><br /><br />Note that a large chunk of emissions are a function of how much new '''"stuff" people buy''': ''See sub-sections of the pie, related to: industry (producing materials, manufacturing), agriculture, and transporting goods.'' {{talk|Also, "fugitive emissions from energy production" are directly a function of how much natural gas is used in all the other pieces of the pie.{{pbr}}In any case, maybe this pie chart isn't divided up in a relevant enough way to illustrate which emissions are driven by what. I'm thinking of making a [[:File:ghg-pie2.png|new one]] (using mostly the same data sources that the people who made this one used).{{pbr}}[[User:Elie|Elie]] ([[User talk:Elie|talk]]) 10:59, 7 February 2025 (EST)}}<br /><br />Other major factors include heating buildings and driving cars.<br /><br /><small>See also: [[:File:energy-demand-pie1.png|This other pie chart]] that shows energy usage in more detail (but doesn't include non-energy emissions).</small>]]
+Fossil fuels are still the world's main energy source, and still the main cause of climate change.
-[[File:carbon-inequality1.png|thumb|Note that half of emissions come from the richest 10% of the world. This ''includes'' '''most people''' who live in "first world" countries.]]
-Climate change is ''mostly'' caused by <span style="background:#FF02">'''burning fossil fuels for energy'''</span> - and to a lesser extent, by today's agriculture.
+# We need to '''[[decarbonize the energy supply|switch to other energy sources]]''', but:
-* <small>{{light|But note:}} Agriculture has [[deforestation|other major environmental impacts]] too, besides just climate change.</small>
+# They each [[decarbonize the energy supply|have their own limitations and environmental impacts]] as well. So we also need to '''not use so much energy in the first place.''' Not the old "save energy by turning off the lights" rhetoric which misses the big picture. Most of the world's energy usage is actually for:
+#* Producing & transporting goods (i.e. stuff people buy)
+#* Driving cars
+#* Heating & cooling homes / buildings
-==Solutions we ultimately need {{fists}}==
+==Things we must do==
+===Reduce the need for driving===
-* '''[[Decarbonize the energy supply|Replace ALL fossil fuel energy, with renewables and/or nuclear power]]'''
+* [[Make neighborhoods walkable]]
-** Not technologically feasible, [[Decarbonize the energy supply|currently]].
+===Produce less stuff===
-*** Would become more feasible if the ''demand'' for energy (and vehicles) was [[reduce energy demand|'''lower''']]. This is quite viable, as long as people in {{t2|first-world|"first-world", for lack of a better terminology<br /><br />Talk: <small>I didn't want to say "developed countries" here, because a less experienced person reading quickly might mistake it for "developing countries" (which is the ''opposite'' of what I'm trying to convey). I also didn't want to say "rich countries" because some people might mistakenly think their country isn't rich enough for it to apply to them. So I'm stuck using an old, somewhat improper term: "first-world countries".</small>}} countries are willing to make some lifestyle changes:
+{{preamble|(without sacrificing quality of life)}}
-**** '''[[We can still have nice things, just not replace them so often]]'''
+====Electronics====
-**** '''[[Reduce the need for driving]]'''
+* [[Right to repair]]
-* {{light|''Some'' lifestyle changes are still needed ''even if'' we phase out fossil fuels:}}
+* [[Stop planned obsolescence]]
-** '''[[Stop food waste]]'''
+====Food-related====
-** '''[[Make the food supply more plant-based]]''' {{light|(does not ''require'' 100% veganism)}}
+<!--Because even though agriculture looks like a smaller piece of the pie, it has [[habitat loss|other environmental impacts beyond just climate change]]. We need to feed the world using less resources.-->
-** {{rb|These are needed to prevent [[deforestation]]. ''[[Reduce the amount of land required to feed the world|See why]]''.}}
+<small>Even though agriculture isn't the ''biggest'' source of carbon emissions, it '''is''' the biggest [[habitat loss|destroyer of wildlife]]. We need to feed the world using less resources:</small>
+* [[Stop food waste]]
-----
+* [[Stop biofuels]]
-Got questions? FAQ pages are coming soon.
+* [[Make the food supply more plant-based]]
+* [[Improve crop yields]] in some cases
-<!-- OLD:
+====Other====
-==Base knowledge==
+* [[Stop home waste]]
-<small>
+* [[Make clothes last longer]]? {{talk|Need to distinguish between "they should manufacture stuff better quality" (which might actually have a ''higher'' environmental footprint in some cases), vs "how make your clothes last longer even when they're cheap. Repair, take care, etc." (which is probably what we really need. Some of it is lifestyle choices, but I bet some systemic changes could help too, like better access to tools for repairs, and more education on how to use them).}}
-{{minor|''Note: Some of these pages might not be written yet:''}}
+'''Note:''' These systemic changes are a good start, but they might not be enough. A lot of middle-class people also have to choose to consume less. {{p|Note that half of emissions come from the richest 10% of the world. This ''includes'' '''most people''' who live in "first world" countries.<br />[[Image:carbon-inequality1.png|link=]]}} {{talk|TO DO: Add specific examples of wasteful consumption habits. Talk about how to do better.}} We can still have nice things, just not replace them so often.
-* [[What is climate change]]
+===Heating & cooling===
-* [[Why climate change is a problem]]
+We're still discussing what solutions are really suitable for the average home or building. [[How much less energy could be used in heating & cooling buildings, in most cases?|Join the discussion.]]
-* [[Why climate change is anthropogenic]]
-</small>
-==See also==
-* [[Decarbonize the energy supply]]
-* [[Cultural norms that lead to unsustainable living]] - and how to fix them
-* [[Carbon footprint and wealth inequality|FAQ - "Why should we reduce our carbon footprint when it's rich corporations' fault?"]]
-OLD TALK:
- I only added the "see also" because I wanted the page to end on a link to something solution-related. But it's redundant (already have the same link earlier) and it's not a great next-step for a general audience to read (page gets technical).
- Maybe i should refactor the page:
- - Make "Solutions we ultimately need" the ONLY true section.
- - Make "ongoing discussions" & "base knowledge" become '''side panels'''.
- - Don't have a "see also"
- - Have the FAQ on some other page?
--->