Climate Apocalypse Part 3: What we can Actually do About it Ourselves
- Kevin Lankes
- Sep 28, 2024
- 6 min read
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/M3n5ezhh28Y
In parts one and two we laid out the details and covered the arguments and myths, went over the data, and threw down some hard-hitting truths. Now it’s time to do some good about it.
We have to solve the issues facing humanity due to anthropogenic climate change, and we have to do it soon, or we’re on pace to lose out in this cooperative game that is maintaining the habitability of life on Earth. And even though no single effort by individual people will ever solve this problem, and the danger will only be mitigated if we can force institutional culprits to change direction, there are some things we can decide to do on our own, if only just to make ourselves feel better. We can do this for moral fulfillment, in the sense of creating a private homestead with like-minded people on the planet Earth, or we can believe that enough people might join the effort and make a real difference over time. So, from minor things to major things, here are some solutions that everyday people can engage with.
One thing you can do is turn down the AC by a couple of degrees. 10% of energy use globally is taken up by cooling indoor spaces. Everyone turning down the AC output just a few notches can reduce our carbon footprint by a shit ton. There’s a sweet spot though, if the temperature is set too high the compressor has to work harder. In Freedom Units, 72-76 degrees is perfect for most adults. Also make sure you’re using the right sized unit for your space, otherwise you might be using more energy than you need. Clean out your filters, so the system isn’t overworking. And don’t just keep the AC running all day if you’re not home. If you’re an average worker toiling away in the cubicle mines, and your AC is off during the standard eight-hour day, your energy use could see an 11% cut per day compared to those greedy assholes who leave their AC on 24/7. You can also program your thermostat to rest at a higher temperature when you’re away, especially if you have pets that need to be cool during a really hot day. Some of this does depend on the type of air conditioning installed in your home.
An incredibly effective way to reduce energy and limit fossil fuel use is to drive an electric car. I know a lot of people will groan about this for whatever reason, but those people are truly stupid, and we shouldn’t listen to anything they have to say. I could do a whole episode on the benefits of electric cars. It’s a phenomenal way to make a real dent in the damage we’re doing to the planet right now.
Think about this -- transportation in the U.S. accounts for 30% of the country’s energy use and 70% of its petroleum needs. Electric cars are way more efficient than internal combustion engines, which just aren’t able to fully turn all that dinosaur juice into actual acceleration. EVs don’t have that problem. Electric engines also have zero emissions. Zero. A gigantic study from the International Council on Clean Transportation looked at the entire lifecycle and production of electric cars and found that they have just one third of the footprint of gas cars. And this is only going to improve over time.
Everywhere in the U.S., an EV is cleaner than a gas-powered vehicle. Some areas it’s 30% cleaner, others it’s 60% cleaner. If you’re curious about your own local energy situation and the money you’ll save by dodging the pump, you can find out how much driving an EV would cost in your area right here. All electric cars can exceed 130 miles per gallon in equivalent measurements. Get all that savings and actually build one of those fancy retirement accounts all the Boomers are always screeching about.
Mining the elements for the batteries requires less energy and produces less emissions than mining for standard ICE engine fuels and the pollution that whole deal puts out. And EV batteries are actually recyclable. So the more batteries we make, the less we’ll have to do that upfront mining. Batteries are not going to straight up sit in a landfill either. As of now, they’re too valuable to companies that can extract components and turn around and sell them back to EV producers to make new batteries.
The one major point that your big hillbilly neighbor with his 4mpg in the winter time lifted truck might finally grasp onto is the fact that electric cars are simply way better performers than gas-powered vehicles. Elon doesn’t need any more money, or respect for that matter, but just as an example, the Tesla model S plaid can accelerate from 0-60 in under two seconds. You want a real man’s vroom vroom, then you really want to go electric.
Okay, so what about the cost. It’s true that EVs are more expensive than ICE cars, often starting in the thirty thousand dollar range and going up from there. But the used market is truly booming, and you can actually grab an EV for pretty much any budget right now. Tax credits for electric cars can be up to $7,500, and these tax credits also apply to leases. Leasing an EV is a great option. Right now there are a ton of great lease deals across the EV landscape, with the best deals I’ve seen coming from Hyundai’s Ionic line.
Okay, a lot of the humansphere is really going to hate this one, but a great way to have an impact on climate change is to eat less meat. I said less meat. You don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan, just be aware that the agriculture and industrial farming sector accounts for 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions and has an overall enormous impact on driving anthropogenic climate change. This is why lab-grown meat has been put forward as a pretty fantastic solution, in my honest opinion, and it’s something I’d hop on immediately if that became viable. It’s super messed up that some states are preemptively passing bans on the sale of it before it’s even a thing, for what I can only assume are completely insane reasons. And this brings me to my final point.
The absolute best way to make a difference with climate change, or just life in general, is to vote. We aren’t going to solve this by ourselves, we certainly can make a slight warm feeling coalesce inside our radiant hearts by doing a few things that deceive us into thinking that we’re living a noble life. So yes, absolutely do what you can. Turn the lights off when you leave the room. But massive, systemic change is only possible through mobilizing inside our current political and capitalist system. So vote with your vote, and yes, vote with your money, too. Buy less single-use plastics either in product wrapping or bags and containers in favor of reusable solutions. Vote in local elections and for downballot candidates. Regulations are often decided at a local level, and voting people in you actually like in local elections instead of on a national level will also improve the quality of national candidates over time. Lobby, volunteer, if you have time. Or donate to those who do if have the disposable income. Talk to the people in your life about these issues and share the facts with them, because they genuinely might not know them, and encourage them to vote for the people who want to solve them. The more we come together on solutions, the more likely they are to be fixed.
Let’s get together on the issue of solving climate change. Let’s do some f*cking good.
Sources:
Comments