Temperatures rose above 52 degrees Celsius (125.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh, the highest reading of the summer and close to the country’s record high amid an ongoing heatwave, the met office said on Monday.
I start to wonder if corporate executives themselves arent responsible for this myth that the meaningful bulk of emissions comes from them. So consumers can feel guilt free about buying these gas guzzling chunkers, after all their choices dont have any meaningful effect on emissions.
But no, corporate headquarters doesnt have a giant smokestack spewing out those corporate emissions you hear about. Those emissions are coming from…SUV tailpipes! Transportation is the highest emissions sector in the US, and personal vehicles make up the bulk of those emissions, especially trucks and SUVs.
Definite agree with the core of what you’re saying, though for US and EU (and to a lesser degree “High income countries”), the numbers are quite close, as clean grid energy is significantly outpacing electric vehicle adoption (and EVs rely on a clean grid to be clean).
it’s not the SUVs that are causing the problem, it’s the fucking corporations
The corporations are the ones that block mass transit infrastructure and extract subsidies for increasingly oversized vehicles. American car companies basically don’t bother making sedans anymore.
I don’t think there’s a bright line between the two problems. More SUVs = Corporate profit $$$ = More lobbying = No Mass Transit = More SUVs
It’s not just “they make products and services that people buy”, it’s that “they maximize their personal profit at the expense of people and the environment”.
It’s easy but reductive to blame consumers for consuming, when it’s worth noting that biodegradable packaging costs more than plastics that will never break down, so corporations will choose cheap plastic over environmentally friendly packaging 99.9% of the time.
The incentives are wrong. Instead of maximizing profit we need to ensure that profit is not maximized at the expense of sustainability, at the expense of pollution, and at the expense of the entire future of our planet.
E.g. a carbon tax will solve a lot of problems, or a tax on waste like plastic. It is very very unpopular with the public though so the government can’t put it in place for fear of being voted out.
Nothing is stopping corporations from doing The Right Thing right now except their own desire not for profit, but for maximized profit at all costs. Dare I say it, but if a company can’t make a profit without creating harm, it doesn’t deserve to make a profit.
The degree to which businesses prioritize political patronage over economic efficiency can’t be overstated. From Shitcoins to Big Box Retailers, we expend enormous amounts of carbon in pursuit of flights of fancy.
And all those private jets and helicopters out to remote ecologically preserved vacation spots could definitely be defined as “burning fossil fuels for fun”.
Nah, more SUVs
I’m with you, but it’s not the SUVs that are causing the problem, it’s the fucking corporations that contribute over 80% of the harmful emissions.
But fuck SUVs and big ass trucks.
I start to wonder if corporate executives themselves arent responsible for this myth that the meaningful bulk of emissions comes from them. So consumers can feel guilt free about buying these gas guzzling chunkers, after all their choices dont have any meaningful effect on emissions.
But no, corporate headquarters doesnt have a giant smokestack spewing out those corporate emissions you hear about. Those emissions are coming from…SUV tailpipes! Transportation is the highest emissions sector in the US, and personal vehicles make up the bulk of those emissions, especially trucks and SUVs.
Actually, it’s electricity and heating:
https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-sector
Transportation is number two (by quite a bit) but don’t forget that Transportation of goods is also part of transportation.
Not saying we shouldn’t give up the SUVs, just that maybe we should use less power and heat with something cleaner as well.
Definite agree with the core of what you’re saying, though for US and EU (and to a lesser degree “High income countries”), the numbers are quite close, as clean grid energy is significantly outpacing electric vehicle adoption (and EVs rely on a clean grid to be clean).
I did say in the US. https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
The corporations are the ones that block mass transit infrastructure and extract subsidies for increasingly oversized vehicles. American car companies basically don’t bother making sedans anymore.
I don’t think there’s a bright line between the two problems. More SUVs = Corporate profit $$$ = More lobbying = No Mass Transit = More SUVs
What do this corporations do to cause 80% of emissions? Just burn it for fun?
No. They make products and services that people buy. Making out people play no part in this doesn’t help anyone.
It’s not just “they make products and services that people buy”, it’s that “they maximize their personal profit at the expense of people and the environment”.
It’s easy but reductive to blame consumers for consuming, when it’s worth noting that biodegradable packaging costs more than plastics that will never break down, so corporations will choose cheap plastic over environmentally friendly packaging 99.9% of the time.
The incentives are wrong. Instead of maximizing profit we need to ensure that profit is not maximized at the expense of sustainability, at the expense of pollution, and at the expense of the entire future of our planet.
That’s a government issue.
E.g. a carbon tax will solve a lot of problems, or a tax on waste like plastic. It is very very unpopular with the public though so the government can’t put it in place for fear of being voted out.
That’s… Really passing the buck though.
Nothing is stopping corporations from doing The Right Thing right now except their own desire not for profit, but for maximized profit at all costs. Dare I say it, but if a company can’t make a profit without creating harm, it doesn’t deserve to make a profit.
The us government has said corporations are legally required to maximise profit for the shareholders.
Again government issue.
The degree to which businesses prioritize political patronage over economic efficiency can’t be overstated. From Shitcoins to Big Box Retailers, we expend enormous amounts of carbon in pursuit of flights of fancy.
And all those private jets and helicopters out to remote ecologically preserved vacation spots could definitely be defined as “burning fossil fuels for fun”.
I mean like, duh?
I mean yes, but no.
Try corporate factories and industrial farms.
nah, try transportation and personal vehicles https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions
That’s one hell of a grouping. I’d wager that the majority of that is commercial and factory bullshit.
Nope, majority is personal vehicles https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions