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  1. Dec 2021
    1. But as Bill notes in his book, even the steep declines in overall economic activity, daily commuting, and air travel that came with widespread pandemic lockdowns did not move the needle as much as is needed. "What's remarkable to me is not how much emissions went down because of the pandemic, but how little," he writes. "This small decline in emissions is proof that we cannot get to zero emissions simply -- or even mostly -- by flying and driving less."

      This argument fails because the pandemic brought about cessation WITHIN the current paradigm, where we are dependent on most aspects of our lives on a high carbon intensity lifestyle. If there is only grocery available because grocery stores can only be reached by driving, that is a built-8n, structural limitation. If we could transition to another economically sustainable, dematerialized lifestyle, the emissions could plummet quickly.