Why Americans don't care about climate change. An interesting theory.

This is why we have zoos, and cell phones

In 10 years the polar ice caps will be GONE!

The most impactful thing we can do as individuals is to have fewer kids. each person added to an industrialized nation has 10x impact vs a car on the road

Partly, they are not concerned about cc because thet are constantly exposed to rhetoric from deniers and fake science purveyors that its a hoax or not man made or just the ranting of paranoid idiots.

the many who get off on persuading people not to take an abundance of caution with the planet we all share by casting blame, attempting to dissuade through creative rhetoric, or accusing concerned citizens of being paranoid idiots.

So true.

Growing up in Belgium I iceskated on a local pond as a kid every 2-3 years. The last the ice was thick enough is 17 years ago.

Let's put this in terms maybe even you can understand:

Americans are the fat kids who have been peeing in the pool longer and harder than anyone else. The pee stays in the pool for centuries. Now the pool is getting uncomfortably warm (and yellow).

So who do you think bears the greatest moral responsibility for cleaning up that stinky mess?

The mess can be cleaned faster if I hire the unemployed to bottle it as a sports drink

If Americans didn’t care about climate change it wouldn’t be an issue. Enough people care about it to make it divisive.

This is why Americans "don't care". Because a bunch of soft-headed money-loving so-called "Christians" hold the convenient belief that we don't have to. And deep down they think it will kill poor people in Asia and Africa and they'll be fine. Which might be true. So much for the meek.

I'm glad that no one (especially children) in Africa is harmed by mining Lithium for my electric vehicle!

There are plenty of poor laborers who are ripped, and it doesn't make much difference in their lives. They still have low status and low wages.

Perhaps knowing that and feeling the weight of hopelessness, they just drink the damn soda that is marketed to them, that is the only thing available and affordable, and maybe feel better for a little bit. And maybe the ensuing malaise keeps them from burning down rich people's houses. You own stock in any food companies?

Also this whole thread is a false premise. Americans DO care about climate change. It is the electoral college, gerrymandering, and lobbying that keeps America from acting more. The oil companies have been putting out propaganda since the 70s, and you're trying to tell me the problem is "Americans don't care". BS. They do.

Yes those money grubbing scientists, famously richy rich money-grubbing scientists. They all meet up in Monaco along with the teachers and baristas to count their billions.

Or maybe the scientists who want money work for the damn oil companies.

Counter argument: I think certain segments do care about cc and that number is growing. Traditionally, CC has been an abstract issue that would affect us in the distant future. This is emphasized by politicians claiming lofty goals to eradicate CC with one caveat: it's always a distant dream...2045, 2050,etc... just long enough away for it to not be our immediate problem but short enough that "we're doing something about it."

CC lends itself to be forgotten...like how we care about helping feed the homeless only on Thanksgiving or Christmas...but forget the rest of the time.

The canary in the coal mine has always been insurance companies. They track actual data. Forecast potential losses, track trends, and mitigate as much as possible. And they're very good at it. They cover their losses by jacking up premiums or dropping you from coverage.

Because of this, I can tell you people who live near forested areas west of the Mississippi now care about CC. People in low lying areas in the South and esp bodies of water care about CC. Farmers who have insurance on losses ('crop insurance') care about CC. These segments are growing. You'll start seeing publicly traded companies blaming CC for their losses....in turn that hurts your stock gains...ergo finance world will start caring about CC.

It's not something we all collectively decide on an action because...good luck getting 7 billion people to all act in good faith to reduce CC impacts. Instead, it'll be about segments of thr population that adjust...mostly by way of climate migration. And if you're in the middle east sauna, you're F'd.

Is it even possible to convince a land of consumerism to consume much less?

Alone forcingthe population to drive electric or small engine cars would cause riots.

Many people do still care about things besides consumption. The financial system doesn't want them to, but they do. The drive to have connections beyond money is as innate as the drive to accumulate resources. Perhaps moreso.

I think if we can ever restore the non-consumption value, we could do a lot. A major issue is that we live so far apart and move so much. Singing and dancing, arts, games, within your community is low carbon. But it doesn't promote the mechanics of resource accumulation through large corporations.

A few reasons off the top of my head.

1) Im in my mid 40s and I’ve been hearing about this since I was in elementary school. Back then the focus was the depletion of the Ozone layer. Roughly 35 years later, it’s a little warmer, but life is still pretty good (and I live in FL).

2) There is currently no good solution to reverse it, if we could. EVs relying partly on fossil fuels and creating more waste and resource problems with mining lithium and cobalt are not a good long term solution.

3) The largest private investments are still geared towards information. First the internet, then mobile devices, now AI. All require huge amounts of power.

4) Much of the world is still undeveloped, are we going to tell them they can’t enjoy the Western way of life?

5) Climate change, at least in the midterm future (100-200 years) will not be bad for the entire planet. It will probably be great for Canada, Siberia, and Alaska, even parts of the northern continental US.

Even if I’m wrong on #5, we simply will not be able to reverse the consumerism trend and use of technology requiring massive amounts of energy. Lastly, we have more immediate issues to deal with than to worry about what might happen in 50, 100, 200 years from now.

I’m not saying climate change isn’t a problem or that overdevelopment of land is a good thing, but it’s not going to stop and it’s not our biggest issue in 2024.

Too many don't. Because they have no idea what it means to sacrifice anything for the greater good. The moronic reaction of many Americans to the pandemic -- with their whining about masks and their anti-vax lies -- made that perfectly clear.