How Big Oil is manipulating the way you think about climate change
I think most people would agree that when I eat beef, I’m responsible for (part of) the slaughter of a cow.<p>If I fuel my stove, boiler, or car from fossil fuels, the same argument applies.<p>I recently tried to convert my old boiler to an electric air-to-water heat pump. While technically feasible, it would have cost over $20K more than a 96% gas combi (after incentives) and would have been more difficult to have serviced over the next 20 years of projected life (fewer experienced providers and worse parts lead-time). The economic payback period was literally never and with my grid being 64% fossil fuel now and majority fossil fuel when that equipment would be replaced, the fossil fuel reduction would be minimal.<p>I was a relatively early adopter of EVs in 2014. That’s been overall a positive experience but, as above, I’m just outsourcing the buying of fossil fuel at the moment and for the useful life of that car.<p>If you want people to change their behavior, make it at least one of more convenient or cheaper. Maybe that means taxing fossil fuels more and increasing that over time. Maybe that means more incentives for green alternatives.<p>Saying the fossil fuel industry is causing X damage while changing nothing on the demand side may smugly feel good, but isn’t going to effect lasting change the way that demand reduction [edit to add: for fossil fuels] will.