Tweets

@flaviocopes Thanks!

@neilkeena @csallen Thanks so much. 🙏

@kennethn “Let’s leave the Internet and work outside”

<dramatically unplugs Ethernet cable>

@typeoneerror @csallen @IndieHackers Thanks 🥰

I’ve already received a few DMs about this:

I had a pretty personal conversation with @csallen on the @IndieHackers podcast.

It got real.

You can listen here:

https://overcast.fm/+JmiPa_yek

RT @learncodewithme: How do you build something people actually want? @mijustin shares some practical advice: https://justinjackson.ca/build https…

@breakfastbybill @niko_tinius @guardian That's roughly true (although the exact variables of each trip matter).

"There's a huge amount of emissions given off during take-off and landing."

Traveling by train is probably best (or by electric car with other passengers).

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200218-climate-change-how-to-cut-your-carbon-emissions-when-flying

"Frequent-flying 'super emitters' are just 1% of the world but caused half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018."

"Air travel is a uniquely damaging behaviour, resulting in more emissions per hour than any other activity, bar starting forest fires."

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/31/elite-minority-frequent-flyers-aviation-climate-damage-flights-environmental

@rjonesy @tylertringas It’s good to have our eyes wide open to the reality.

Finlay Asher: “As an engineer working on future aircraft technology, I quickly realised that technology development is moving too slowly compared with growth in air traffic.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/31/elite-minority-frequent-flyers-aviation-climate-damage-flights-environmental

@rjonesy @tylertringas That's *a* point of data, but it's not the whole picture.

Again, climate change is a "wicked problem," and will require multifaceted solutions (and a mix of gov & personal action)

For the 12% of people who are frequent flyers, air travel is ~3/4 of their carbon footprint.

@TheOmarZenhom @niko_tinius @guardian The biggest impact frequent flyers can have is to reduce the number of flights they take.

@tylertringas @rjonesy It would likely be a gradual reduction in demand (similar to what we saw in the tobacco industry).

However, we’ve seen what happens when there’s a dramatic decrease in demand for air travel:

“COVID saw CO2 emissions from aviation reduce by up to 60%”

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-54018542

@rjonesy @tylertringas More good data and discussion of this “wicked problem” here: https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1220391295652229120

@rjonesy @tylertringas There’s a direct correlation:

- people who fly 6+ times a year produce about 3.1 tones of CO2
- more people would like to fly more often (we need the opposite)
- having super flyers reduce the number of trips they take will reduce a majority of the airline industry’s emissions https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458145798131048451

@queuebit @Tbwoods2 @MaybeFinance @TransistorFM This is a pretty niche request, but I'm looking into it!

@rjonesy @tylertringas Why do you think that's the "wrong stat?"

The problem is that more of the world's population wants to fly.

We can't have more people flying like the 12% who currently take 66% of flights.

https://twitter.com/rutherdan/status/1180108067746107394

In normal times, 12% of adults in the USA are responsible for 66% of flights.

We don't need to convince/affect the "majority" of people; just the minority of "super flyers" who are responsible for most flights.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d30896202a18c0001b49180/t/605a0951f9b7543b55bb003b/1616513362894/Elite+Status+Global+inequalities+in+flying.pdf

@rjonesy @tylertringas In normal times, 12% of adults in the USA are responsible for 66% of flights.

We don't need to convince/affect the "majority" of people; just the minority of "super flyers" who are responsible for most flights.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d30896202a18c0001b49180/t/605a0951f9b7543b55bb003b/1616513362894/Elite+Status+Global+inequalities+in+flying.pdf

@staydecent I agree: it'd be better if we didn't have to do this this way.

But, we have to work within the current constraints.

I'm fine with activists making an exception, and flying to COP26 to pressure those people. 👍

@tylertringas You've mentioned this a few times.

Because a lot of your argument seems to hinge on "trust me, I've got experience," could you elaborate?

Who are these people you've worked with? What was your relevant experience? Is this a closed book now? (No new inputs needed?)

- "the *entire* narrative is engineered by..."
- "pretty much the *only* option to actually move the needle..."

☝️ single cause fallacy

It's more nuanced than that.

Maybe, some personal responsibility is needed (along with corp + gov accountability).

https://twitter.com/tylertringas/status/1458158520541585418

@leenyburger A bunch of good options here:

https://transistor.fm/podcast-audio-video-clip/

@staydecent For many of those traveling to COP26, that's not the case.

For a more nuanced view on why some environmentalists decided to travel to COP26 (and why others did not) this @CBCnews story is good:

@cgimmer @tylertringas @niko_tinius @guardian Chris, I'm pretty sure you're committing a number of logical fallacies with that argument. 😉

For a more nuanced view on why some environmentalists decided to travel to COP26 (and why others did not) this @CBCnews story is good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxc-EYvz6XY&t=1577s

@ClaudioDekker @UBC Yes. I've tweeted about trains tons! Love trains.

https://twitter.com/search?q=from%3Amijustin%20trains&src=typed_query

@nicolascava @aarondfrancis Yes. It's not uncommon for a "normal" person in tech (in North America) to travel 3-5x per year for work (conferences, team meetups, work retreats) on top of the number of times they travel for pleasure.

@nicolascava @aarondfrancis Again (I've mentioned this several times in my thread).

The problem is frequent flyers. For example: "15% of the UK’s population took 70% of flights."

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458145798131048451

@ianlandsman @tylertringas @niko_tinius @guardian Ian, if you watch/listen to any of Saul's talks, you'll see he agrees we need more clean energy.

But your take that "more clean energy is the *only* way" is overly simplistic/narrow.

It's a big part of the solution; but so many other factors have to be there as well.

@tylertringas @niko_tinius @guardian Saul Griffith (who was responsible for mapping the USA's energy flows) says it's both.

Reducing the world's carbon footprint is going to require action from:

- governments,
- corporations,
- AND individuals

https://longnow.org/seminars/02009/jan/16/climate-change-recalculated/

@aarondfrancis @nicolascava Yup. I'm definitely in favor of both (taxes and regulation).

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458146547275759629

@nikolaj_astrup I agree!

Again, in the face of climate emergency, it should all be on the table.

But let's look at the real per capita numbers, and evaluate them properly.

Again: if you're currently flying 6x a year, throwing away your car is not your biggest impact decision.

@tylertringas @niko_tinius @guardian I'm with you on this one.

I think it's fine to take a vacation!

Flying 1-2 times a year is probably a good start for most folks.

It's similar to reducing your alcohol consumption. An occasional drink is OK, but drinking every day is probably a problem.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458145798131048451

@tylertringas @niko_tinius @guardian Eyes wide open = better.

When more people have the knowledge (and acknowledge the knowledge) it can create positive social change.

We saw this this past year when talking about racial injustice.

We've seen it in other areas well: digital privacy (tracking, adtech).

@WylesOne @mjwhansen @sfioritto @niko_tinius @guardian Yup.

It's interesting though: in a corporate context, we might be blissfully unaware of the consequences of our actions.

But if someone brings it up: "Your untested code has memory leaks that brings the system down" we have to take responsibility.

Discomfort isn't always "bad"

@tylertringas @niko_tinius @guardian Please read the whole thread. I address this multiple times.

I agree! I'm not trying to pin this completely on "personal responsibility."

But that doesn't mean it's not worth considering; especially since the actions of people in tech carry significant cultural influence.

@nikolaj_astrup Yes! Everything needs to be on the table.

If you're looking for the overall accounting on EV vs alternatives, this episode is good:

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet/n8h249g/encore-are-electric-cars-really-better

@mjwhansen @domchristie @sfioritto @niko_tinius @guardian Yes. But let's not stop there!

We can't just call it a "multi-layered issue" and call it a day.

We have to dig deep into the numbers, and act accordingly.

I'll reiterate: for frequent flyers, reducing the number of flights they take is (by far) the biggest action they can take

@nicolascava @aarondfrancis Your sentiment doesn't match up with the facts:

"The aviation sector is one of the fastest-growing polluters. According to projections emissions could more than double by 2050 even if planes become substantially more fuel-efficient."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/jul/19/carbon-calculator-how-taking-one-flight-emits-as-much-as-many-people-do-in-a-year

@mjwhansen @sfioritto @niko_tinius @guardian "2% of CO2 emissions" is a tiny piece of a broader picture.

We don't evaluate marketing analytics that simplistically! 😉

We dig into the context, nuance, and significance of the numbers.

Per capita emissions matter, especially as more people fly.

https://twitter.com/rutherdan/status/1180108067746107394

@JFaid Yes! We need to be talking about that.

It all needs to be on the table.

Not with shame and judgment, but sharing the data, and influencing the culture accordingly.

As individuals in tech, and in the wake of a climate emergency, I think it's healthy for us to consider reducing the number of flights we take.

Erica Frank, Professor at @UBC:

"I went from taking a plane trip every month, to flying once a year."

☝️ makes a big difference.

@mattwensing @aarondfrancis The influence of tech is an example of how a small % of humanity can effect (for good and bad) society, politics, industry, culture, science, and world priorities.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458153155330334731

@dohertyjf @rutherdan Yup. 💯

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1214264450645032961

It's surprising to see so many tech folks dismissive of the idea that we might be able to positively influence the culture.

For the last 3-4 decades, the tech industry has facilitated massive social change.

We're *good* at this.

@aarondfrancis @mattwensing I agree that a tiny % of people changing their minds won't make a difference.

But the tech industry is *literally* in the business of facilitating massive social change. We're *good* at this.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458141537489940485

@mattwensing @aarondfrancis "Any time we've displayed said 'ability'..."

☝️ are you sure that's always been the case, 100% of the time, always and forever?

@GeoffTRoberts @niko_tinius @guardian Beauty! Sounds like you want to be part of the solution.

@aarondfrancis Again, this response feels overly apathetic to me. (And linking to a single article, overly simplistic)

What happened to our ability, in tech, to face hard problems and come up with creative solutions?

What happened to our ability to influence society, make a dent?

@mjwhansen @sfioritto @niko_tinius @guardian I'm still confused why "presenting real facts" and "discussing data contextually" is equated with "judgment and blaming?"

How is your and Sean's response to this research not an example of "value judgment?"

@GeoffTRoberts @niko_tinius @guardian Isn't your response, in a sense, apathetic?

To immediately dismiss knowledge and facts is a little fatalistic, no?

What happened to our ability, in tech, to face hard problems and come up with creative solutions?

What happened to our ability to influence society, make a dent?

For those of you calling for regulation: great!

Please support tax increases on frequent flyers as its potentially society's best way to address the problem.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1212975640317591554

I'm not suggesting that we all need to cut out flying completely.

As @rutherdan says:

"Frequent flyers probably need to modify their behavior. But if you fly 1-2 times per year, you probably shouldn’t worry too much about boarding a plane."

https://theicct.org/blog/staff/should-you-be-ashamed-flying-probably-not

@alpipego @niko_tinius @guardian https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458141537489940485

@antimoFM @niko_tinius @guardian https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458141537489940485

@mjwhansen @sfioritto @niko_tinius @guardian What is it about this thread that is "shaming?"

I agree: a tiny % of tech folks flying less won't change much.

My motivation is to create awareness.

We need social, political, and corporate alignment on these issues.

The only way (I know of) to get there is to spread knowledge about the problem.

https://twitter.com/swaycopy/status/1458135657033912320

Side note: I know this is uncomfortable, but what about this thread is "shaming?"

I'm not trying to shame people; I'm sharing knowledge.

Confronting uncomfortable truths is part of life. Growth comes through discomfort.

https://twitter.com/sfioritto/status/1458139185978642435

@sfioritto @niko_tinius @guardian Read the whole thread.

The problem is that currently, only 3% of the world take regular flights.

(That's many of us, in North America)

For (rich) Americans, it can be our biggest source of CO2.

As more people take more flights, it's a problem.

https://twitter.com/rutherdan/status/1180108067746107394

Experts think that aviation currently accounts for 5% of global warming.

That seems small, but the problem is that it's a relatively small % of people who are responsible for those flights.

As more people wants to travel, this is going to get worse.

https://twitter.com/rutherdan/status/1180108067746107394

@swaycopy @niko_tinius @guardian I agree 💯.

Our addiction to air travel is a massive problem.

Part of my motivation for tweeting about it is to create awareness.

We need social, political, and corporate alignment on these issues. The only way (I know of) to get there is to spread knowledge about the problem.

@mattwensing @niko_tinius @guardian For personal carbon output, flying is larger by a significant denominator.

https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1458135401806266369

"There's no question that aviation is pretty much anyone's biggest personal carbon footprint. If you take one flight, to offset it you would have to become vegetarian for four years."

– @Tzeporah, on @CBCNews

Again, I hate that this is true.

I want to fly; and at this point, I'd love to fly *more*.

I'd love to travel more so I can see friends in the USA more often, go to more conferences, take my family on more tropical vacations.

If you believe that we're in a climate crisis, the biggest impact you can have (personally) is to stop flying.

"Taking one return flight generates more CO2 than citizens of some countries produce in a year."
– @niko_tinius reporting for @guardian https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1212930860225163266

RT @nathanbarry: RULE #3: Drive higher customer value through recurring or repeat purchases

@mijustin made the switch from selling books &…

🎯 https://twitter.com/tylertringas/status/1458085965709422604

@ianlandsman @earthlingworks @stauffermatt Also: preemptively calculating (and avoiding certain outcomes) is the basis for most structural engineering.

You avoid possible bad outcomes by doing your calculations *before* you start building.

@ianlandsman @earthlingworks @stauffermatt "That's not actually how *anything* works *ever* in human history."

Every year thousands of chemicals, drugs, products are denied widespread use because regulatory approvals, science, etc...

Governments also preemptively enact legislation in finance, manufacturing, etc

@_kylestarr @ApplePodcasts Nice work! 🙌

@JSBlair9 @ianlandsman @earthlingworks @stauffermatt I don't know if it's the right metric. It's the one Ian brought up.

@earthlingworks @ianlandsman @stauffermatt We're at the point in civilization where we need to question/explore the downsides *before* it becomes too entrenched.

Single-use plastics, moving to DSL/Cable, sure... all of it!

Any proposed major societal shift needs to be vetted.

Tech enthusiasts have a bad habit here...

@earthlingworks @ianlandsman @stauffermatt I conceded that Solana is a bigger blockchain that uses PoS.

It does matter if a majority of the market cap + transaction volume is still PoW.

@ianlandsman @stauffermatt 👍

@stauffermatt @ianlandsman The challenge is, many of those articles/reports come from within the crypto echo chamber. (Not peer-reviewed)

However, there are peer-reviewed academic sources available: https://ccaf.io/cbeci/index/comparisons

@earthlingworks @ianlandsman @stauffermatt Solana is still at tiny % of the total market cap of the big 5.

Solana is still emergent, and has lots to prove. (17 hours of downtime in Sept)

PoS coins are still a small % of crypto's total market cap. https://coinmarketcap.com/view/pos/

I still have deep concerns about the whole thing.

@earthlingworks @ianlandsman @stauffermatt I said "no major blockchain running completely on PoS."

I'll grant that Solana is running on PoS, but it's still tiny compared to Bitcoin and ETH.

ETH is still not on PoS, and is way behind when they said that would happen.

@earthlingworks @ianlandsman @stauffermatt “Many?”

C’mon fellas. Even at #4 Solana is a tiny % of the crypto world.

The major coins (Bitcoin and ETH) are PoW and have already used a tremendous amount of energy.

https://xrpl.org/carbon-calculator.html

@ianlandsman @stauffermatt Point taken (about Solana).

However, original tweet is about ETH. I don’t think the ecological there are being overblown.

https://xrpl.org/carbon-calculator.html

@ianlandsman https://twitter.com/mijustin/status/1457793111837474825

@stauffermatt Sources for "overplayed?"

My understanding is that there is no major blockchain running completely on PoS yet?

The quote-tweet was just deleted. Here's the screenshot.

I wish more folks would do this kind of cost/benefit analysis with crypto projects.

(Nicholas has a PhD in CompSci from Berkeley)

What are end-users getting for this increase in complexity? Is it worth it?

Also, Nicholas didn't even mention the ecological costs... https://twitter.com/ncweaver/status/1457680926096314375

@AngeZanetti @arvidkahl @shl @robfitz @JamesClear @bhorowitz Definitely add @mjwhansen’s book: @DeployEmpathy.

https://deployempathy.com/

@m1guelpf @laravelphp 👀

@adamwathan Nice! This whole project seems really cool.

RT @evan_greer: What’s infuriating about threads like this is that there actually are ways that more democratically structured technologies…

@arvidkahl @rolfvanroot @TransistorFM Tracking repeat listeners is difficult (especially if we want to stay privacy-first).

We average out the first 24 hours of downloads of your last 3 episodes to calculate an estimated subscriber count.

@BGroat @arvidkahl @TransistorFM We’d love to have you! 👋

@bossnayamoss @digitaltrouble 👍

@yongfook @rowandrhodes Thanks! 🙏

@johnplumstead Looks like you started on Twitter in 2009.

I wonder what your podcast audience would look like in 12 years if you keep at it?

RT @tomcreighton: NFTs but it's just a row added to a Google sheet. Seems like all the same benefits accrue:

Thinking more about this...

There's one type of email newsletter I *do* tend to open on workday mornings: digest emails like Axios, @Podnews, @IndieHackers, @mailbrew.

For email, I generally start in the morning, and process it throughout the day (reply / archive / delete) until I get down to very little in my inbox.

So, for me, the time I'm most receptive to reading an email newsletter is late afternoon or evening.

Just me?

@chadkoh I think the business world is waking up to the idea that filling the team with specialists/hyper-focused individuals isn't always best.

More teams need to hire folks with "range" (as @DavidEpstein outlined in his book).

This is super smart:

When you finish recording a podcast in @RiversidedotFM, they prompt you to share these thumbnails on social media.

Perfectly lines up with a desire people have:

"Hey, just had this great conversation with @csallen, I want to share it with the world."

@dwiskus @YouTubeLiaison @algorithm Any platform that is significantly large to exert considerable control over what people see, watch, experience (FB, IG, Goog, YouTube, Twitter) should be questioned.

Again, algorithms aren't benign, or neutral. They're informed by their incentives, the people writing them, etc.

@valsopi Smart kid! 💯

@dwiskus @YouTubeLiaison @algorithm Yes.

"According to Bloomberg, the world’s biggest video stream platform secretly modified its algorithm to prioritize family-friendly content over many other channels."

https://mobilesyrup.com/2019/08/01/youtube-new-algorithm-creator-punishment/

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/17/arts/youtube-broadcasters-algorithm-ads.html

@ivanbrezakbrkan Nope.