
U.S. Financial Regulator and Banks Urge Action on Climate - PaulHoule
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/09/climate-change-may-wreck-economy-unless-we-act-soon-federal-report-warns/
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hardwaresofton
If only there was some part of the government or agency whose job it was to
consistently keep tabs on how the environment is doing for the purpose of
protecting it.

Snark aside (and putting on my cynic cap), I wonder if most of the
institutions and independently wealthy have already planned for the worst case
at this point. Owning property in in New Zealand looks better and better by
the month/year.

~~~
everdrive
Why New Zealand rather than anywhere else?

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ForHackernews
Bugging out to New Zealand is a meme among rich techies:
[https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2018-rich-new-zealand-
doo...](https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2018-rich-new-zealand-doomsday-
preppers/)

~~~
lotsofpulp
It also has to do with mild weather, access to resources like water and arable
land, and a stable society. Although their biggest weakness would be inability
to defend itself due to low population versus, for example, China.

~~~
krageon
China takes over countries using financial pressure (either through aid or
financing loans) and broad pro-China deals (universities not being able to
speak of Taiwan as a country, etc). Their MO is not generally invasions, so
worrying about them is not sensible.

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phkahler
>> But in order to mitigate climate change, the US—through Congress—needs to
adopt a carbon pricing scheme that is "fair, economy-wide, and effective in
reducing emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement."

That sounds like another plea for cabon credits and some kind of market for
them - you know, so wallstreet can play middleman.

The only fair way is IMHO to tax any carbon based fuel coming into the country
or out of the ground. Whomever uses it will ultimately pay the higher price
for it. Anything else is just playing favorites. I'm not a fan of it BTW, just
pointing out what a fair way to penalize cabon use would be.

~~~
gruez
>The only fair way is IMHO to tax any carbon based fuel coming into the
country or out of the ground.

what about cow farts?

~~~
ultramundane8
Are they not also carbon based fuels coming out of the ground? The farts are a
byproduct of digested organic matter like corn and grass, and contain some
unusable or "un-harvest-able" fuel(s)?

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davidhbolton
Makes you wonder if any of the players mentioned here are involved.
[https://thegrayzone.com/2020/09/07/green-billionaires-
planet...](https://thegrayzone.com/2020/09/07/green-billionaires-planet-of-
the-humans/)

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unstatusthequo
Yep, as expected, they begin to care once it hits their bottom line.

~~~
PaulHoule
1\. They have mortgages in places like California that are burning up.

2\. Note the CFTC and "banks" would be involved in trading of carbon credits
so that's another interest they have in a solution.

I have to admit that I'm skeptical of carbon credits because they will be
gamed by Enron-style traders and diverted towards things that look like they
work, and away from things that really work.

For instance, some people claim you can absorb CO2 by grinding up Olvine rock
and spreading it at the beach. Maybe it works. It's hard to measure because it
happens over a wide area.

If you capture carbon from a fossil fuel power plant or biofuel facility or
direct carbon capture you pump CO2 into a well and can measure it going in the
same way people measured methane going out. That's for real, rock crushing
less so, but if rock crushing appears to be cheaper Wall Street will crush
rocks while the Earth burns.

~~~
darth_avocado
Carbon credits are bullshit, just like additional 10 cents for a plastic
shopping bag at grocery stores. Consumers will easily swallow the costs and
things will continue as usual, unless of course, carbon credits are actually
used towards initiatives that move the entire planet towards sustainability.

A decade ago, you could buy these credits to offset your own carbon footprint
with the promise that they would be used to support reforestation efforts
across the globe. Years later I found out through a friend who would help
charities that received those credits, that they would definitely plant trees,
but the number advertised on the credits and the actual trees planted were
different. Also, no one would take care of the trees for long and only few
would survive.

~~~
lovich
Has the 10 cent surcharge on plastic bags not had an affect? When it was
implemented in my area I saw most people switch to reusable bags over the
course of a month, and many restaurants stopped giving out bags unless they
were specifically requested.

~~~
snowwrestler
The point of charging for plastic bags is not the money, it is to force store
employees to ask people how many bags they need (since they are required by
law to charge for it).

Many customers, with the most basic of reminders, will choose to skip the bag,
or bring their own.

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m0zg
Love the gaslighting here: the current predicament in CA and OR has nothing to
do with climate and everything to do with incompetent forest management and
logging bans. Yet if you read mainstream press (or listen to e.g. Obama) you'd
never know.

~~~
0xffff2
It's both. The forest management issues mean there are more fires. Climate
change means those fires tend to burn hotter and faster.

~~~
bioinformatics
Strangely Canada didn't have any significant fire, while the last two three
years there were, and the climate now it's even worse (we are closing in 10
years until we are wiped out).

This year there were less people camping and out in the woods, and not gender
reveal party around here either.

