Global warming is ultimately a global problem. It doesn't matter if you reduce your CO2 emissions if others aren't following.

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piva00 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It does matter to follow through with your values though. Humanity isn't supposed to be just minmaxing economical output, a common set of values that we strive for is much more inspiring than burning everything to the ground, and leaving a world of ashes for future generations to capture maximum economical output right now.

I don't think it's a hard mindset to understand, giving up because others aren't taking it as seriously is the cowardly way to go about it. It's much more meaningful to show it can be done, help to scale technologies to become cheaper and more accessible for poorer countries, and inspire others with examples that it can be done so action can spread.

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embedding-shape 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Indeed, but if everyone starts thinking "No one else is lowering their emissions so why would I?", how are we supposed to ever make any sort of progress?

Someone doing something is always better than no one doing anything, can we at least agree on that?

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mono442 6 hours ago | parent [-]

But it is by no means obvious that carbon taxes are the right path. Targeted investments in low-emission energy sources might work better.

	▲	embedding-shape 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Fair point, I agree, that isn't obvious. What is obvious to both of us (I assume?) is that pollution has to be lower, not just in the EU, but across the world. But we (Europeans) can mostly just influence what happens inside of Europe, EU and our countries. Hence, we do what we can to reduce it, where taxing it is one approach. With that said, more investments into other energy sources are totally welcome, and I don't think that should mean we also need to tax pollution less, we can have both :)