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Ask HN: How to contribute to saving the climate as an old school hacker?

by Bhurn00985 on 7/7/22, 9:08 AM with 3 comments

For the past 25 years, I have been involved in what today is called cyber security, mostly as a consultant based in Europe. While cyber security remains interesting and important to me, I believe society today has bigger challenges to tackle than securing corporations.

In the future, I would like to make a positive contribution to saving the climate, one that goes beyond just managing my own day to day behavior. Unfortunately I don't see where I could best apply my experience and skills to make an impact. I don't believe there is a huge need for cyber security in climate challenges and think I have a mismatched skillset, or maybe I am missing something ?

So I am turning to the HN hivemind for your insights, any ideas on where my skills could make the most impact towards this goal would be greatly appreciated !

  • by hansword on 7/7/22, 9:33 AM

    I think there is a need for cybersecurity, especially as climate protest actions are becoming more militant over time.

    I don't know where you are located, (and how much militancy you are ready for), so I can't point you to specific groups. But I can guarantee you, at the intersection of climate protest and social justice (i.e. any climate protest that isn't essentially just rich white people super-NIMBY-ing around) there is a lot of need for security.

    If this contributes to 'saving the climate'? My personal opinion is we are past that point, we are at the 'minimising the damage' point now. Still.... there is need.

  • by trinovantes on 7/7/22, 10:37 AM

    Unfortunately it's not a technical problem. You will make a much larger contribution than any normal person by simply taking on the highest salary you can and make political donations to whoever will support climate goals.

  • by ElSinchi on 7/7/22, 12:13 PM

    There's an app for that?