bbc news - climate change is our fault (90% cert)

[chestnutty]

watched 6o 'clock news 2nite.
100 scientists in Paris (not all French!) have stated that global warming is almost certainly our fault.
Problem America which makes 22% of Co2 emissions and China, which will soon produce 18% , will not commit to reduce - China is opening 1 coal fired power station per week.
can GB make a difference globally?

[majorstress]

it's worth trying. The big baddies might change their thicko minds, and meanwhile we have more to lose than them with our coastline and storms. Must set a good example, chaps! can't complain otherwise, with any credibility.

[charlieq]

this is a really scary topic. It is so close to home now too- I don't know what it's like where you are but something is really wrong here in London, we have had no true winter weather. Today was like what I remember late March being like when I was a child, and I am only 34. All my bulbs are up, my DS got too warm in his coat and jumper, but in the clinic and all the shops the heating was still cranked up and it was boiling.

It is deeply depressing to think what the state of the world will be when our dc's are our age. And it does not appear that anyone is actually going to do anything about it other than blether on about putting big mirrors in the ocean, or whatever loony technological fix Tony Blair thinks is coming to save us all.

[chestnutty]

Agree, Charlieq. It is no longer a distant future event but in our children's life times.

[Kaz33]

Well have to agree - it's not the planet that is in trouble it's us! If we screw up then the planet will just eject us, global warming, flooding etc... Then when our numbers are severely depleted, carbon gases will decrease temperatures will fall and the planet will start to cool.

Well at least it will be something to really worry about and take the heat off the growing tide of fundmentalism that is threatening to engulf the planet.

I'm not particularly green but don't fly anywhere very often or far away as i think travel is over-rated. So that makes me more green than most

[bogwobbit]

Obviously anything GB does will be a drop in the ocean compare to the increasing emissions from China and the US.
However that doesn't mean that we should do nothing.
I agree that it's humans that are in trouble rather than the planet, but that doesn't make it any better an outcome for us.

[Tortington]

when i heard this on the news i though " no shit sherlock - who got rich from that research then"

[worldgonewild]

The effects of climate change are here now ... not coming soon to affect some other generation's future. That's really what the IPCC (BBC only report scientific findings) are wanting to say. But they will be concerned that if they come across too strongly that the problem is already here that people will just give up trying to head off the effects of CC. A window of opportunity has to be created.

We have societies just getting a taste of consumerism (eg.China/India), others largely in denial (US), some that have put it onto the political agenda and some organisations/individuals who believe 'tipping points' have already been reached & therefore policy/actions should be about adjusting to effects of CC. Hard to know how all these different strands of thought can be pulled together.

Yes, it's true the planet will look after itself. Volcanos are a big part of our planet's survival/adjustment system for example and aren't going to be affected by our actions! What concerns me is the devastating affects to other species & ecosystems, as well as what my children are growing up into.

[edam]

We can make a difference by showing that we are committed to reducing our emissions. Developing countries think the rich countries are being unfair, expecting them to limit their growth while continuing to enjoy prosperity ourselves. If we show we are taking this seriously and changing our lifestyles, it might encourage others - and show refuseniks in the developed world that it can be done.

What I want to know is where in the world or the UK will be OK to live when the shit hits the fan. So I can move there now before everyone else does!

[wotzsaname]

The reports are in the papers today.
However on the TV they are being overshadowed by the bird flu. I suppose if it wasnt that it would be something else.

Not many post here i think just shows the general interest. Head in sand comes to mind.

I have lots of concerns and as a family we are very aware of being green and do lots. To little to late comes to mind.

The sadest thing is how climate change will affect our children and how many generations will survive after 2100?

I trun off a light bulbs,(have energy ones) recycle etc. WHat gets me is by 1st November there will be thousands of lights up in Xmas store displays and streets. In winter shops have the heating on and the doors wide open. Those big stores, companies etc need to do much, much more, all year. I am a drop in the ocean, but i still do my part.

Make your home and business green. Make 5 pledges today.

[worldgonewild]

edam
You are probably best off staying in the UK. Apparently tropical & southern temperate zones (eg.Med) will be worst affected.

Places like Australia have been going through a 10 year drought and have now decided to force a recycled water system onto the population. They were going to vote on this but the water situation is so bad they're pressing ahead. California having same water problems.

In the UK stay away from exposed low lying coastal areas and rivers (high winds/flooding).

[wotzsaname]

run to the hills...

[wotzsaname]

Check your area for flood risk in UK are you at risk from flooding and type in your post code top right on home page

[wotzsaname]

im moving

[bogwobbit]

I just wish people cared more about it.
It's so much 'bigger' than any other issue. More important than the war against terror, whether the war in Iraq was wrong, whether Tony Blair should resign, the state of the NHS etc etc. And these are all important issues. And yet a lot of people (quite possibly the majority) seem to think that their 'right' to cheap foreign travel or to drive a gas-guzzling monstrosity down to the local shop is more important than the kind of planet they're leaving for their children.

[worldgonewild]

Yes bogwobbit, which is why many who think about environmental policy 24/7 believe in legislation as the main way to force people to sit up and change. Ask smokers not to smoke in pubs & there will always be some/many who will continue to do so. Legislate & attach penalties and you stop it happening overnight. Evenly politicians will go down this route more & more with environment matters.

[ArcticRoll]

I agree with bogwobbit andworldrldgonewild -it's very depressing.
We have all got to start changing our lifestyles now and put pressure on government.
People do seem to be burying head in the sand about the effects of climate change.
Politicians need to introduce measures to stop us from consuming and polluting.
Very depressing people's negative reactions to the new tax added to flights.

[cazzybabs]

We will be alright - its our children and grandchildren who are buggered! And the people who can make a difference - the govements are not big enough to make tough decisions because its vote losing!

[bogwobbit]

In a way I can understand people's cynicism about the new flight tax. They see it as just another way for government to get money from them without any specific benefit to the environment. After all, at the end of the day, is an extra £5 per flight on top of pretty cheap prices anyway, really going to stop people flying. I don't think so.
I think that it's up to governments to take a lead and actually govern and to actually put in place policies which both encourage people to be 'green' and penalise people for not being 'green'. The carrot and stick approach.
And as for people who don't believe what they're being told about climate change, well personally, I would love to be proved wrong on this one but I just don't think we can afford not to believe it.

[ArcticRoll]

But I don't see anything wrong with governments getting more revenue. It isn't going to affect the poor as some people have said, as people on low incomes don't fly. I think there was a study carried out at Stansted airport that discovered that a large percentage of people using cheap flights were those going to visit their second homes.
People use this same revenue generating arguement to criticise speed cameras.

[bogwobbit]

I don't really think there's anything wrong with them generating revenue either. I just think that there should be more to their policies than just slapping an extra fiver on flights. Although I suppose it's a start.
Also, what kind of mixed message does taxing flights on one hand whilst encouraging a vast growth in airports/air flights on the other send out. It just makes people think (cynically) that the government don't really care about the environment, they just want to use it as an excuse to take money off people.

[ArcticRoll]

I agree bowobbit that the government is sending out mixed messages:introducing new flight taxes whilst still going ahead with their massive expansion of airports.
Tony Blair has no appetite to to tackle the massive environmental problems. His glib comments about refusing to give up his foreign hols were such a wasted opportunity to lead by example.

[worldgonewild]

The institution that drives most environment policy in this country now is the EU. In fact it's in my opinion where the EU has shown itself to be most useful; implementing policy that governments see as vote losing. This way they point the finger at the EU.

All electronic equipment & scrapped cars must now be recycled for example. Takes a while to implement these things on the ground but we get there eventually.

Brown has steadily increased landfill tax to encourage council lead recycling schemes. While this has increased fly-tipping it has also seen all these recycling schemes come on line, that we all use. So, there is alot more going on than just headline grabbing flight taxes. The media are irresponsible here.

[charlieq]

I am so with you all here- I cannot believe that David Miliband can come out with those pious comments about dealing with this dreadful threat to future generations (or whatever he said yesterday) and then coolly back a cabinet which is allowing a 5th runway at f*ing Heathrow (excuse swearing, but it really makes me enraged).

I actually feel moved to write to him and say 'BUT WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ACTUALLY DOING???'

I don't think there's much hope for my grandchildren should I have any. Did you see the Independent's figures yesterday saying that a rise of 6.4 degrees will mean the extinction of all life? and they're predicting at least 3 degrees by the time our grandchildren are adults. They will be facing not only flooding and food shortages but truly dreadful social unrest of the type that we already see going on in Africa where resources are so limited: the guerrilla factions, genocides, mass migrations, etc I cannot believe sometimes that my sons will grow up into this. I am doing the 5 pledges although I am deeply cynical about how much individuals can achieve in this loony political climate- I want to be able to tell the kids that at least I tried to help somehow. Because that generation are going to really resent our gasguzzling foodmunching overheated ways imho.