Big oil quietly walks back on climate pledges as global heat records tumble : worldnews

[-] Mateoto@lemmy.world 163 points 10 months ago

We are over the edge of no return.

We should stop begging for change and act now. Politics must hurt them with reforms, taxes, and the rule of law.

We cannot stop climate change now, but we can try to de-accelerate by fighting against big oil, corrupt politics, and billionaire newspapers supporting them.

[-] hh93@lemm.ee 43 points 10 months ago

Too many people believe they can just continue living like they were 30 years ago - if big oil would stop producing stuff and plastics, gas and airplane fuels would not be available anymore then people would riot

Even threatening to increase prices to a level that would make sense to limit the use to absolutely necessary levels would piss off too many people to be a viable option because everyone just wants to believe that it's just for "the others" to change but not for themselves.

Everyone has to act and change their Livestyle...

[-] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 32 points 10 months ago

Lol that's the world's largest prisoner dilemma, never going to happen. People are big children, and you need to treat them as such. You don't let the child decide whether it's going to eat candy or real food, you take away the option of candy because they cannot be trusted to make decisions that are good for them in the long run. This is no different, it's why we have things like regulations and the FDA.

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[-] DreamerOfImprobableDreams@kbin.social 13 points 10 months ago

This is the truth right there. Gas prices went up two measly dollars compared to normal in 2022, and everyone flipped the fuck out. People were prepared to elect Republicans-- fucking Republicans- to office, they were so furious about it.

And don't @ me about "100 corporations are responsible for like 90% of emissions". Who's buying those corporations' goods? Who's refusing to vote for politicians that'll meaningfully regulate these corporations? Who's spending all day fantasizing about Da Revolushun^TM that'll never fucking come (and would kill tens of millions of civilians and likely result in fascists winning and seizing control of your country, if not the whole thing splintering into a bunch of warring fiefdoms controlled by ruthless oligarchs) instead of getting to actual work trying to effect real change in the real world? And I don't mean "direct action" (read: looking edgy and getting photos for the 'gram), I mean actually fucking getting policy passed that'll have a real impact on people's real lives.

[-] Ooops@feddit.de 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Gas prices went up two measly dollars compared to normal in 2022, and everyone flipped the fuck out.

Yeah, sure. They flipped out because the love their cars so much and don't want to change anything. Oh, wait. No, they flipped out because companies and corrupt politicians made them completely dependent on cars so they will starve without them and kept them so poor that even increasing the cost of using the cars they dependent on just a bit again ends with starving.

And here you are babbling none-sense again about how it's the stupid people buying products -as if they had a choice- and not the companies and politicians that are to blame.

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[-] bloodfart@lemmy.ml 7 points 10 months ago

Emissions can’t be stopped at the point of consumption.

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[-] Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social 7 points 10 months ago

Policy like regulating those 100 corporations?

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[-] masquenox@lemmy.ml 23 points 10 months ago

Politics must hurt them with reforms, taxes, and the rule of law.

Yeah... that's how we ended up in this situation. How do you think these giant corporations became so powerful? They "reformed" laws until they could do whatever the hell they please - that's what "reform" gets you.

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[-] Licherally@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 months ago

Politicians love their bribes more than they love the planet, so that's probably not going to happen. Dems and cons both

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[-] foreverandaday@lemmy.ml 121 points 10 months ago

capitalism can't solve climate change :(

[-] quantum_mechanic@lemmy.world 36 points 10 months ago

Nope, especially since it's the biggest contributor to it.

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[-] u_tamtam@programming.dev 13 points 10 months ago

You can have industrialized production and consumerism without capitalism. Not that I'm defending capitalism, I just think our problem is deeper than what you make it, and human nature combined with unchecked technological ability to remodel out planet would yield the same outcome, no matter the dominant flavor of our economical structure.

[-] AlbigensianGhoul@lemmygrad.ml 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I'd recommend looking into how indigenous people have historically dealt and wish to deal with climate change before claiming much about "human nature". A lot of so-called "human nature" is just the universalisation of European capitalist values. I suggest starting by reading about the Red Deal, specially if you're from the USA.

[-] u_tamtam@programming.dev 8 points 10 months ago

Although interesting, I don't think your link is the gotcha counterexample you think it is. Previous civilizations caused environmental collapses without having capitalism to blame for it. We could switch overnight to soviet style communism and that would not solve anything if our expectation is to provide everyone on earth with their today's living standards. We could blame greed, selfishness and that would take us closer to the truth, but even that would be very shortsighted. We would need all humans on earth to be united around a same goal and same path forward, and share the same willingness to sacrifice. No sect or religion has ever achieved that and never will (we are just so many, and spread that wide).

Looking at the world from the lens of an economic ideology alone only gets you so far. Wrong tool for the job.

[-] AlbigensianGhoul@lemmygrad.ml 9 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Not sure what you're talking about on "sect or religion" when referring to different cultures doing things differently. The link is not some "gotcha" Reddit moment, it is a good source for you and others to start questioning this notion of "human nature" given that lots of humans have been questioning this very same "human nature" dogma since it was imposed on them by Europeans starting 500 years ago and continuing to this day. Notably you shifted the discussion to talk about the Soviet Union, which has nothing to do with my point and doesn't even exist anymore. Just because nameless "previous civilisations" caused uncited "environmental collapses", doesn't mean that every civilization works by the same rule. Specially considering this current environmental catastrophe is on a whole different level and we have current day civilizations that would love to prevent it, if only they got their Land Back.

Mind telling me what this One Goal of yours might be and how it could be possible within capitalism? The ones who have the most to sacrifice are those at the top, ghettoised minorities will go mostly unharmed in most actually practical solutions.

Looking at the world while compartmentalising the overarching mode of production will only get you solutions from that overarching mode of production. You were quick to dismiss it as the wrong tool, but what is the right tool then?

[-] treefrog@lemm.ee 6 points 10 months ago

The power of parternship is another good resource for breaking the notion that humans are just greedy and domineering by nature. A Western myth used to justify Western harms, not the truth of human nature.

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[-] andy_wijaya_med@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

Capitalism can not solve shit.

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[-] masquenox@lemmy.ml 99 points 10 months ago

Oh, the capitalists didn't do what their public relations exercises pretended they were going to do? Golly gee... no one could have seen that coming at all.

[-] darkknight@discuss.online 60 points 10 months ago

Fuck oil companies

[-] stopthatgirl7@kbin.social 50 points 10 months ago

The only thing big corporations care about is next quarter’s profits. The world can quite literally burn next year if they get their big profits this quarter.

[-] alcasa@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 10 months ago

And if the world burns, they sure won't be the ones suffering the worst

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[-] DragonAce@lemmy.world 38 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

These companies will not change unless they are forced to do so and our government isn't going to do shit since most of congress is in the pocket of big oil. So what are our other options?

Everyone likes to blame individuals for not using renewables or buying an electric car, when it reality their options were limited in the first place by big oil. Most people can barely afford to put food on the table and green or renewable products are usually significantly more expensive and not really an option. Besides that, IIRC ordinary citizens only account for roughly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions. So the onus lies on big oil to make changes and offer affordable renewable options instead of the same gas guzzling/polluting bullshit we've been offered up to this point. But like I said, they won't do something like that unless they are forced to do so, they will always pursue profit over people, unless those people get in their faces and force them to pursue other options.

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[-] xuxebiko@kbin.social 30 points 10 months ago

No govt will hold them accountable, so energy firms can walk forwards/ backwards/ play hopscotch on their pledges and it'll be ignored.

[-] queermunist@lemmy.ml 27 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Relying on businesses to self regulate doesn't work?

I am shocked! Shocked!

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[-] yogthos@lemmy.ml 21 points 10 months ago

The best part is that governments are still massively subsidizing fossil fuels.

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[-] RagingNerdoholic@lemmy.ca 21 points 10 months ago

Well golly gee, they're breaking promises they never intended to keep?

[-] pepperonisalami@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago

I have low expectation but damn...didn't think that they'd be that low.

We all are trying to do our parts you know, I used to like cars when I was in HS, now I don't even consider having one. I'll stick to public transport and will get an electric last mile transport.

These people sucks ass. They have the monetary power to make real change but decided to double down. Nowadays investments in renewables have good returns and will be viable for the next couple decades, but they care too much for their previously invested monies and want to milk the people to the last drop.

[-] sinkingship@sh.itjust.works 7 points 10 months ago

Man, you are so right. The weirdest part is, that your behavior isn't even socially very accepted.

I, too, love engines. I admire the technology and how genius they are put together. My dream is to own a cruiser motorbike and go drive through the countryside. I don't think this will happen, as I would hate myself to burn fuel for pleasure.

I own a very old, tiny scooter, that I only use to carry heavy stuff. I used to carry on my shoulders, but mom in law felt sorry for me and gave me her oldest, broken, rusty scooter, that nobody used for months, because she bought a new one again. I repaired it. My wife gets upset, when I don't drive her around. For example to the market 500 meters down the road to buy a can of soda or so. I only use it for hard work.

People surrounding me think I don't like progress. No, man, I would love to have a more convenient life! Driving to me is fun, I enjoy it! I just can't stand myself to do something bad to environment for my pleasure, so I try not to. And people think I'm weird.

I know people like you and me don't even make a difference. Whatever amount we save and not emit in our whole lifetime - some ignorant wealthy will blow out within 5 minutes.

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[-] krzschlss@lemmy.fmhy.ml 12 points 10 months ago

Wait! Some of you really believed in and trusted your politician’s and your corporation’s PR ad campaigns? LOL I remember few years ago, when everybody on Reddit posted pictures of themselves cleaning beaches and streets and stuff, all proud of how they made some kind of difference. KEKW

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[-] hellomiakoda@lemmy.ml 7 points 10 months ago

Fuck paywalls! https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2023%2Fjul%2F16%2Fbig-oil-climate-pledges-extreme-heat-fossil-fuel

[-] ItsMeSpez@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

There is no paywall here though? I had no issue reading the article at least...

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