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Comment by tmaly | Hacker News Reader

I believe we can solve both problems if we would focus more on the scientific method and rational thinking.

Improving the educational system is the only way we get there.

Too slow, it will be decades before the people going through the education system now are in a position to effect change

What do you propose to do that is a complete solution and timely?

Lots of people know what needs doing, but changing things up is tough when we're so used to doing things a certain way. Plus, it doesn't help that laws often slow down the changes we need. And let's be real, these changes might not be everyone's cup of tea, especially when there's so much distrust and confusion often spread by the media.

Our current problems:

- Climate Change (CC)

- Biodiversity Loss (BL)

- Deforestation (D)

- Water Scarcity (WS)

- Ocean Acidification (OA)

- Resource Depletion (RD)

- Pollution (P)

- Land Degradation (LD)

- Food Insecurity (FI)

- Social Inequity (SI)

We have to solve all those to have a chance to repair things. Repair too little and we'll end up as Rome did (they also tried to solve their problems when they realized they're facing the end, but did too little and paid the price). All those problems have their main culprits and plethora of solutions. It's not that we don't know what and how, but we don't have the will.

a] acknowledge that our problem is ecological overshoot, and climate change is just one of its symptoms

b] stop polluting atmosphere ... stop fossil fuels asap, stop adding unnecessary co2 + methane + n20 (CC, P)

c] stop polluting soils & water ... reform agriculture, stop animal agriculture, plant-based diets (BL, WS, OA, P)

d] stop economic drivers of exponential growth of humans ... reform political, economic & financial system, handle inequality, ubi, housing, etc. (SI, FI)

e] stop overconsumption ... degrowth, ubi, walkable cities & reform zone planning, public transport, wfh, remove subsidies for polluting & unsustainable sectors (CC, BL, D, OA, RD, P, LD, FI, SI)

f] stop overexploiting nature ... circular economy, degrowth (BL, D, RD, P)

g] store carbon - reforest, rewild (abolishment of animal ag frees up an area as big as Africa) (CC, BL, D, WS, OA, RD, P, LD, FI, SI)

h] store carbon - enable return of wildlife ... big, continuous primeval rain forests and grasslands (CC, BL, D, WS, LD)

i] store carbon - stop industrial fishing, let marine life rebound to previous levels (70-90% gone already, incl. plankton) (CC, BL, OA, SI)

I'm probably forgetting a lot. But that'd be enough to stop it and begin the path towards sustainability.

Climate moves a lot slower.

Deleted massive rant

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