this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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Why does climate change seem to have so little political presence as an issue right now? (self.politicaldiscussion)
submitted 3 months ago by laverabe to c/politicaldiscussion
12 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

...seems like a big issue

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago (2 children)

In addition to the usual corruption, it’s also worth noting that while there is broad support for climate action, voters typically don’t place this issue very highly among their list of concerns. So, people support action if you ask them but it isn’t top of mind and doesn’t seem to be a deciding factor in how people vote.

The political system isn’t completely corrupt. Our leaders are ultimately accountable to voters, but only if we wield our power intentionally and in large numbers. Right now, that’s not happening on this topic.

[–] then_three_more 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It's moving up the ranking in places. In the recent UK general election it was ranked 5th. Above usually big issues like housing, defence, tax, education and crime.

Considering the top two are really massive problems for the UK at the moment (cost of living like most places with the post pandemic inflation and health care has seen a decade and a half of systematic underfunding) I think that's pretty good.

[–] Telodzrum 1 points 3 months ago

Self-reported rankings are always unreliable. Revealed preferences of voters demonstrate that climate isn’t a salient issue.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

Our leaders are ultimately accountable to voters

Not so much at all really

[–] owenfromcanada 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

In the US at least, both major parties are funded by companies that are profiting from destroying the planet. The politicians don't want to ~~anger their masters~~ drive away their donors, but they also don't want to drive away voters, so they take a wishy-washy "stance" and avoid the subject.

[–] Telodzrum 3 points 3 months ago

Biden Administration: Drafts, fights for, passes and signs the largest investment in climate change policy in the history of the planet.

You: bOtH sIdEs ArE tHe SaMe!

[–] laverabe 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

kinda a big issue... I guess it's hard for people to really relate to the effects of climate change on a day to day basis.

[–] VelvetStorm 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

People care but there is really nothing we can do outside of trying to vote for someone who will do anything. The problem is the majority of the people voted in are being paid off and they will never do anything to disrupt the cash flow they receive from fossil fuel companies.

[–] laverabe 2 points 3 months ago

fortunately demographics will eventually shift policy on the issue, but hopefully sooner rather than later. Although the progress in renewables currently I think exceeds what anyone thought was possible 20 years ago... solar is actually the most economical power now, so that'll at least curtail a never ending emissions future, which is what it use to look like.

[–] krelvar 2 points 3 months ago
  1. It gets treated as a "we'll work on it when we're not busy with wars, inflation, etc etc etc" issue. It's important, just never the top of the list.

(It's gonna fuck us blue but humans are bad at dealing with tomorrow's problems before tomorrow)

  1. In the US election now, if you lean D, you care. If you lean R you don't. The assumption is that Harris would address it and Trump won't, so your vote for/against climate action is implied.

That said, the amazing growth of solar may yet save us from ourselves, if we're very lucky.

[–] middlemanSI -4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You know, it used to be called global warming, but they shifted the term to climate change to make it sound less threatning.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 months ago

No, they changed it because it's a more appropriate term for the phenomenon. While global average temperatures are rising, the net effect of having more energy in the system is change (broadly speaking for the negative).

Using 'global warming' as a term gives misinformation spreaders an easy tool to undermine the concept on a cold year/winter. 'Climate change' cannot be undermined in the same way, because anyone can plainly see that the climate ain't exactly what it used to be.