12.3M views · Apr 5, 2022 · 14:11 · 6 HN recommenders · 10 mentions · discussed 2022–2024
Kurzgesagt's animated take on climate change argues that, despite alarming headlines, there are real reasons for hope as technology, policy and public attitudes shift. It surveys trends and solutions while acknowledging the scale of the problem.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN commenters recommend it as an articulate, uplifting counterweight to climate doomerism, though one critic calls it a form of denialism and another notes it omits nuclear.
“I highly recommend this video from the wonderful Kurzgesagt science video series”HN comment, 2022
“Here's some uplifting news in a well articulated video worth watching”
Uplifting, well articulated case that positive climate change is happening.
Climate change is a scale, from bad to really really bad, and positive change is already happening. Here's some uplifting news in a well articulated video worth watching: this video Apathy is their weapon, and it's very effective.
“I highly recommend this video from the wonderful Kurzgesagt science video series”
Reasons for hope as trends point in the right direction.
I agree that we should be giving a lot more attention to climate change. I don't think it's the only thing we should be talking about, but we should be regularly asking ourselves if there is more that we can do (and there certainly is). I highly recommend this video from the wonderful Kurzgesagt science video series: this video Climate change is bad and we need to take it seriously, but there is a lot of reason for hope. A lot of trends are pointing in the right direction and we need to support those trends. Climate policy is still in a bad state, in large part because of the gerontocracy, but younger people are entering politics with a different view.
“Kurzgesagt has a great video that touches on this”
Touches on climate fears and whether to have children.
I posted about this before and one commenter said something that stayed with me. Something along the lines of if all the people that feared having children due to climate change didn't have children, the only people having children would be those who had no fear of climate change. Kurzgesagt has a great video that touches on this - this video
“The future is not full of only despair[] .”
There's this idea that we should be sad about this. I say, if you're sad about it, I understand. I feel a little sad, too. But I'm also curious about what comes next. What will only get a chance to live thanks to the things that have died? What will humans be able to do in the aftermath? It sounds morbid, but if you just let yourself play with these thoughts they can lead somewhere different and interesting. The future is not full of only despair[] . [] this video
“Make sure that you watch the second one if you watch the first one.”
From Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell: Can YOU Fix Climate Change? link and We WILL Fix Climate Change! this video Make sure that you watch the second one if you watch the first one.
“here is a decent video and a follow up more positive one I found”
More positive, less doomerist climate update
If you don’t mind YouTube, here is a decent video and a follow up more positive one I found. It does mention concrete and many other forms of co2 production we haven’t figured out yet. 2022 Kurzgesagt in a nutshell. link 2023 less doomerism climate change update: this video
“Kurzgesagt just did a great video[1] on what we should be hopeful for addressing climate change”
Hopeful look at climate solutions, though omitting nuclear power.
It baffles me how it's completely normal to avoid any mention of nuclear power when discussing climate change. Kurzgesagt just did a great video[1] on what we should be hopeful for addressing climate change, but again, absolutely zero mention of nuclear power. [1] this video
I think in this case it's more than that... Russia (or at least Putin) is trying to impose a certain worldview that's very regressive: pro-oil, heavy censorship, against several human rights (including LGBT), autocratic regime. I think there's a lot of merit to resisting this regime, resisting being taken by force and turned into the opposite of what they want (which was to join more progressive European countries, from what I gather). It's all connected... if you let oil-hungry autocrats rule the world, climate change is completely out of the window. Also human rights and ideals we should all stand for. I do want peace as soon as possible. I believe a compromise might be necessary. I think Putin's worldview has been shown critically dated, so hopefully Russians can rise against this sort of government eventually. It's very difficult to rise up when your life is threatened by the regime though, but reason and truth tend to find their way through the cracks. --- I am specially moved because of the parallels to Nazi invasions. Doing nothing proved a grave mistake, not standing up for human rights, giving fascists the benefit of the doubt cost so many lives. I've said "never again" too. It's easy to fact-check the fascist lies in this case. I suggest any new generations read Anne Frank's diary if you can. --- Also: don't believe narratives of doom. There's no doom incoming immediately, not from nuclear war (it's been shown it would doom civilization at least), not from climate c
“At least, according to Kurzgesagt.”
Argues worst outcomes already avoided and 2C may be limited.
>Climate change is not being addressed seriously currently, at all. And the trend is towards it not being addressed. While we could be doing better, we've made immense strides over the past ten years, to the point where we've already avoided the worst outcomes and could possibly even limit the rise to 2°C and avoid most harm altogether. At least, according to Kurzgesagt. this video
“The YouTube channel Kurzgesagt ( ) is guilty if this form of denialism.”
I call these sort of arguments Climate Optimism and I consider it a form of climate denial. The central thesis is that the climate crisis has already been solved with technology and capitalism. The worst offenders (like Max Roser of Our World in Data link ) overemphasize success in western countries and hint the problem lies in China and India not doing enough. A more run of the mill climate optimist claims that the efforts we’ve done so far are enough to avert disaster, and we just need to do more of the same. The YouTube channel Kurzgesagt ( this video ) is guilty if this form of denialism.
