Let's talk about how to tell when society is shifting out of attempting to continue "business as usual" and into "climate emergency mode."
The most important litmus test: When politicians start standing up to the fossil fuel industry. As a baseline, we haven't even ended fossil fuel subsidies yet! Politicians are still allowing your taxpayer dollars to subsidize and expand the most deadly industry on the planet.
When/if politicians start ending fossil fuel subsidies you'll know we are finally starting to head in the right direction as a society.
Same goes with a moratorium on new fossil fuel buildout. We are in a climate emergency that is caused by burning fossil fuels. Anyone who accepts that we are in an emergency knows how insane it is to expand drilling and build new fossil-fueled power plants etc.
This is why China's announcement that it will not be building new coal plants abroad was so huge. Yes, it's a small step, but it is a step aimed at actually reducing the fossil fuel industry globally, and that's the key thing.
Meanwhile, in the US, Biden is still doing what he can to expand the fossil fuel industry. That is not remotely "climate emergency mode."
Another litmus test will be when frequent flyer programs are banned. We need policies and programs that discourage overconsumption of fossil fuels, not programs that encourage overconsumption of fossil fuels. That's not climate emergency mode.
This next one will be hard for a lot of people to hear, but frankly, so long as commercial aviation continues to grow exponentially, we are NOT in climate emergency mode as as society.
The aviation industry is a litmus test for climate emergency mode. While we do need to travel (I'd count that as a need, yes) we don't need to fly in planes to do so (I'd count that as a convenience or privilege). Yes society would need to shift norms for this... that's the point
Switching from gassers to EVs isn't even really an "ask" because EVs are so great. On the other hand there's no replacement for commercial aviation let alone a better one. Seeing policies to reign it in getting passed would indicate a clear shift toward emergency mode.
Another litmus test: When the politicians stop talking about big distant goals like "net zero by 2050" and instead start giving year-by-year plans on how the fossil fuel industry will be diminished and ultimately ended, that will sound a shift into emergency mode.
Also, when everyone realizes what a deadly scam "net zero" is, and climate plans center instead on ramping down emissions, that will sound a shift into emergency mode.
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…
Similarly when carbon offsets are no longer a thing. Offsets are a way for people to deal with guilt and for organizations to deal with social pressure, without actually reducing emissions (when of course reducing emissions is exactly what has to happen).
A few more:
✅When every university is divested from fossil fuels (and acts like they were always divestment's best friend)
✅When fossil fuel executives and their lobbyist and PR cronies stand trial at The Hague for ecocide
✅When ecocide is a thing
✅When courts start routinely deciding in favor of lawsuits for climate lies and climate inaction
✅When media outlets start refusing to run fossil fuel ads
✅When it becomes cool to take reasonable steps to burn less bc fossil fuels are widely viewed as deadly
...
There are more, but you get the idea. When the social license of fossil fuel has been revoked, and when policies are aimed not just at building out renewables but also at reducing fossil fuels, you will know society is shifting to climate emergency mode. It will feel awesome.

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More from @ClimateHuman

26 Sep
It's stunning that we've created a society that can't imagine how to cross oceans without airplanes, but thinks it will somehow move to Mars
the myth of "progress" warps brains
Maybe this is a good place to give a shout-out to @EcoClipper. Yes, I do think we should bring back sailing using wind. No, I do not hate technology.
Read 4 tweets
24 Sep
Climate experts who suggest that we'll be able to get out of this by basically just building out renewables - that no one will be be forced to use less energy or be inconvenienced in any way - are doing a grave disservice to humanity. And this seems to be most climate experts.
While I too wish this were true, it simply is not. There is a tradeoff between irreversible climate disasters and energy consumption, because the real "carbon budget" that remains is zero. We are obviously *already* at dangerous levels of global heating.
Sooner or later, we'll collectively accept this. Until then I'll take heat for saying it, but the reason I do is to save as much future death and suffering as possible. The sooner we collectively accept this the better off we'll all be. This is what "emergency" means!
Read 7 tweets
23 Sep
Folks, we all need to become climate activists now. I know that's a strong statement because there are so many critical causes, but I stand by it. This will increasingly become life-or-death for an increasing number of people.
In fact, there are so many critical causes that the elites are utterly failing to address, that I am not sure what to do.
I do know that only the left holds the vision now. The right has entirely parted from reality, and the center thinks little tweaks are enough. They are not. But the left is uniquely bad at building coalitions and building power.
Read 6 tweets
21 Sep
I just want to say fuck the coal industry. Fuck it all the way to hell. Fuck the coal barons. FUCK JOE MANCHIN. Let's retrain all the blue collar workers and give them job guarantees but I never again want to hear "but the jobs" as an excuse to keep this fossil industry around.
Here is some context. It is IMPOSSIBLE to state how wrong this is. It is a planet-sized conflict of interest. It is a travesty of government that this is even legal. It shows clearly how the state and the legal system exist to serve only the rich
nytimes.com/2021/09/19/cli…
Read 6 tweets
17 Sep
Nope, the most underrated climate tech is just ending the goddamn fossil fuel industry, I am being serious
I keep hearing "let's do this or that crazy tech, anything but come to terms with just ending fossil fuels." Not having that deadly industry around anymore will be a step function improvement for civilization
Oh yeah, and the end of the fossil fuel industry is closer than you think. I get more sure of this every day.
Read 4 tweets
11 Sep
Eventually we need to get to the point where world governments (the current ones or replacements) say "Sorry fossil fuel corporations, you lied for decades and we are all in mortal peril now, those who lied go to prison & we're seizing your assets and rationing supplies."
For this to happen the movement needs to get strong enough that there is no more social license for the fossil fuel industry. Remember that the legal system is just a codification of social contracts and these change... for example if the Earth's very habitability is threatened.
Obviously the sooner we get to this point, the better for all of us.
Read 4 tweets

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