What Are You Doing To Prepare For Climate Change?

[spork]

From The New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/29/climate/coastal-cities-underwater.html.

Having visited several of the cities shown it makes me sad that they could disappear within my lifetime.

Finished getting the whole house outfitted with energy efficient replacement windows a year ago; they help keep down the interior temperature during the day. We still do not have central A/C, but last summer was the first time we put in a window unit because my elderly mother-in-law was staying with us. While winters are not nearly as cold and snowy as what I experienced as a child, summers seem to be getting hotter and more uncomfortable.

I have been getting a lot more interested in learning how to be a better gardener.

[downer]

Given the global political chaos that will result from the ever increasing tides of refugees and migrants, I think international war gets ever more likely, with a possibility of nuclear war.

So it isn't just food shortages and temperature changes that we will likely face.

My current plan is to enjoy myelf now and check out when it gets bad.

[pedanticromantic]

Heavy-duty home insulation will save you money and help with emissions.
I think a major financial meltdown is coming sooner than the climate getting us, though. I'm buying tangible assets and learning how to grow food.
I've already gone vegan, reduced my flights down to one/year and taken car mileage down to about 5000 miles/year. There are a lot of online calculators you can use to see how much you're contributing.
I also vote for parties that will effect meaningful change, try to convince friends of the same (I'm sure they just love that), and volunteer time with organizations that I feel are helping. I give lots of money to charities doing real, actionable good out there.

[Hibush]

Living low impact comes easy.

Also doing research that helps reduce the carbon footprint of important societal/industry functions, and mitigating the effects of climate change so those functions may continue as the region warms.

[Parasaurolophus]

I don't own my home (and as long as I live here, I don't see how I ever could). So nothing much on that front, although I do have emergency supplies and a bug-out bag ready for local emergencies (fire, earthquakes, and tsunamis would all be a serious problem where I live, since transportation off-island is... not super high-capacity).

I do what I can to combat it. I try to live with a relatively small carbon footprint of my own (although my biggest contribution probably comes from having become vegetarian), try to educate my students about it where appropriate (it's directly relevant to one class, and easily associated with two others in module form), go to marches and rallies, write to politicians, get into arguments about it online (although much less now than ten years ago), etc.

Sometime this winter, however, I'm going to invest in some heavy-duty gas masks and a small pile of filters. This summer was pretty good to us, but we're gonna have more forest fire summers, and it's pretty much impossible to leave the house when the air is like that. Hell, it's not good inside the house, either. I suppose I should invest in a second portable air filter for the apartment, too.

[polly_mer]

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/10/california-fires-and-pge-toxic-debt/600979/

[nebo113]

At my age, I'll be dead before the worst hits.  Then I'm giving my body to the medical school...if they will take it. 

[polly_mer]

At my age, I'll be dead before the worst hits.  Then I'm giving my body to the medical school...if they will take it.

Someone will want your body: https://www.cracked.com/article_26769_the-horrifying-truths-about-donating-dead-bodies-to-science.html

[AJ_Katz]

I try to live with a relatively small carbon footprint of my own (although my biggest contribution probably comes from having become vegetarian),

Your biggest carbon contribution or your biggest carbon reduction contribution comes form being vegetarian?

My understanding is that vegetarianism is a lower carbon impact than being a traditional meat eater.  I am a vegetarian for that reason.

[downer]

It seems pretty clear that individual efforts to change eating patterns, recycle, take the bus, and the rest of it, (all of which I do), will make little difference. Even the international agreements on taking action on climate change are unlikely to make much difference. Nothing will stop the coming major changes in climate at this stage. It is too late. The only question is how bad it will be and how well different countries are able to adjust to the changes.

[spork]

https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me

[pigou]

It seems pretty clear that individual efforts to change eating patterns, recycle, take the bus, and the rest of it, (all of which I do), will make little difference. Even the international agreements on taking action on climate change are unlikely to make much difference. Nothing will stop the coming major changes in climate at this stage. It is too late. The only question is how bad it will be and how well different countries are able to adjust to the changes.

This. And the best estimates are... not so bad (at least in the US). Expected costs by 2090 are about $500bn/year when US GDP even at modest growth will be around $80tn. Not trivial (and we should do more to mitigate it), but that doesn't make it a top three issue. The trade war, health care, and the changing demand for labor are all already imposing a higher burden than this.

Even projections about flooding just assume no response on part of cities. NYC is investing $10bn in flood barriers that'll protect the city in the medium-term, which is pocket change compared to the 1.7tn of Manhattan's real estate value alone.

[pepsi_alum]

Other than making sure my finances are in order and voting for politically progressive candidates, I will admit that I'm not doing much. I would happily give up my car if I lived in a city that had excellent public transit, but my current city is terrible in that regard. I live in an apartment with very little direct sunlight, so I don't garden, I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't want to give up traveling. It's not that I don't care about climate change—I do—it's more that I don't feel empowered to do much without there being political willpower to implement structural solutions.

I live at a relatively high altitude far away from any oceans, so I figure my city will be relatively safe compared to coastal areas. But at the risk of sounding nihilistic, I've also decided that I'm okay with having a shorter lifespan than my parents and grandparents if the world descends into chaos. I've lived a good life and I've been able to do most of the things that I wanted to do. I don't want to die tomorrow, but I also don't think I have to live to 80 just for the sake of proving to the world that I can. (At the rate finances in the U.S. are going, I'll be lucky if I have any retirement at all, so what's the point?).

Anyway, I'd love to hear other viewpoints that are less cynical. What should we be doing?

[science.expat]

I'm more into self protection than doing bits to reduce my own carbon impact. I accept that this might be a very selfish strategy.

So, on self protection - noting that I live in Australia.

- I am currently looking to buy a house. Top of my concerns are sea level rise, flooding from increased frequency of extreme storm events, and bushfire.

- Given the latter, I am putting together a bug out bag that assumes an evacuation into the sea or the lake. I've ordered a life jacket for my dog and will soon get one for myself. I'm thinking about buying a small inflatable boat. Water, torches, waterproof bags, and battery charges are also on the list.

FWIW, it's almost 10 pm here and 95 F. No fires close to me, fortunately, but the country is burning down.

SE

[nebo113]

At my age, I figure the worst will hit about the time I die.