To resent the cognitive dissonance that exists around climate change

First, let's have the celebrities and politicians stop using their private jets and helicopters. They are the ones with money, power and influence; if they care about this, they need to lead by example. It's ironic that some of them use private jets to attend their climate change "conferences".

We also need to have a discussion about the media constantly frightening the pants off the public to sell newspapers; and the government doing likewise to make the public compliant. Because of all this, it is now so hard to tell what is truth and what is lies.

Then, we can talk about sacrifices made by ordinary people in the name of "climate change". Some of us remember when the scary buzzword of the day was "global warming", or even further back "the greenhouse effect" and "the hole in the ozone layer".

Sustainability markets - people buying stuff they don’t need but that ok it’s sustainable and as a society we are addicted to shopping. The reduction side of things isn’t too popular is it? Try to stop buying token gifts at Christmas- no one keen on that either, even when they accept they need nothing they just want something to open!

And the kitchen filters? Just seen a load of units and washing machine being carried on a bike Maybe in Vietnam

Says he's doing it for 2 months and he lives in a city. Maybe e not so easy if places 20 miles apart in rural areas.

I agree with you @DdraigGoch and rather than cycling mostly walk or take the local train. I’m lucky that my day to day life is arranged geographically close together so I can do that easily; most of my cycling was a commute I don’t do anymore (retired) and for leisure (walk and run instead). But I d take your point that we have to take cars off the road one way or another.

Well, you ve just agreed with what i ve said BUT as far as i can, there are no moves to address driving standards, nothing on changing sentencing etc.

20mph zones and pedestrianisations are all very well BUT the cyclist still has to get there and what about everywhere else???

Protected cycle lanes just get used by walkers etc who then shout at cyclists for going too fast....... plus the country has no money... though there seems to be always enough to waste.

Another issue is the road surface, driving in Devon yesterday to attend a XC running race... some sections of road would have a cyclist over the bars or smash up your wheels & roads are getting worse, not better.

The car, in the eyes of the justice system, the govt and the public is King, until that changes, nothing will.

Instead we get nonsense about Heat Pumps and EPCs of C... i thought the last lot were useless, this lot are just as useless.

Perhaps AI will save us ?

The whole thing seems to be a giant propaganda outlet to siphon money from taxpayers and give to lobbyists.

In any case, nothing that people in this country do makes an ounce of difference to the climate.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/plumber-cardiff-ditches-van-arrives-22140131
Like this chap?

So it's too dangerous to do without a car, because of all the cars? How do we break this chicken-and-egg situation? Sounds like a good reason to build more protected cycle lanes, roll out more 20 zones, and ban cars from town centres entirely. Otherwise we just have an arms race where people get bigger and bigger SUVs in order to come off least worst in collisions caused by those oversized SUVs. Might cause the odd tantrum but tough.

Licencing isn't rigourous enough either, it should be as tough as the testing and medicals I get on the railways.

And yes, I'd throw the book at those who drive dangerously like the lorry driver you mentioned. A colleague knows someone who was deliberately run down by a car - driver caught on camera yelling "I'm going to fucking kill you" before fleeing the scene. Clear proof of intent to kill, so should have been charged with attempted murder. CPS (Criminal Protection Service or Couldn't Prosecute Satan) knocked it down to driving without due care and attention. Traffic violence should be treated as any other violence with a lethal weapon.

Cargo bikes

And this is assuming they don't need to take lots of tools/equipment with them

I don't need it and neither does my family. Veggie since birth and pretty healthy.
Its up to you what you want to do.

But no, all humans dont need it.

No way I’m giving up meat. Humans need it. We don’t need carbs

Tbh @jasjas3008 i agree with you there. I used to cycle a lot and have had lots of close passes from cars - it takes a lot of confidence to road cycle. I stopped a while ago for various reasons but one was the daughter of a friend, only 16, was seriously injured (broken pelvis) on a road I know well, and it shook me up. I just cycle on holiday now on separated cycle paths. It’s shameful the way drivers are allowed to behave. (I drive, and I always give cyclists a wide berth, because I’ve been one).

So sorry to hear about your DD’s friend.

Cycling is too dangerous in the UK, my DD used to race at a very good level and 3 of the girls she raced with, one is dead, 2 others seriously injured and can no longer ride... these happened whilst riding on the road, well lit up, bright clothing, the one who died was simply run over by a lorry, got a very lenient sentence, despite being banned and having poor eye sight.

He got 3 years for killing a woman in her 20s.... its a licence to kill & most motorists who kill, don't get a custodial sentence.

So glad my DD runs now.

I would never recommend anyone takes up cycling.

There needs to be wholesale changes to car driver training and the justice system

Fiddling with the highway code, which the vast majority of current drivers haven't clue about - see riding 2 abreast & the hate that causes - won't change a thing.

I do think it's corporations that need to change things, but im going to do everything I can to know I'm trying to save the small part of the planet that I have control over. Eg, buying organic, having a wildlife friendly garden, combining trips to use my car less, not buying off shein or temu, etc. If I just said "I won't make a difference so there's no point trying" then that's going against my own morals. Plus, if everyone did their small part, things would change.

The mining for electric vehicle components isn’t great, but have you seen the devastation and pollution caused by endless fossil fuel wells, rigs, pipelines and tankers? Thinking that rare minerals are somehow “worse” is a false equivalence. Also, many of the components in a battery can be recycled, unlike fossil fuels, which are used once and once only.
I agree mass car owenership is not the answer and we need cheap (free) public transport especially in rural areas. But, given the choice at the point of buying a new car, electric is the lesser of two evils.

Not really. It's not that far at all, and electric assistance is an option for those who live in Sheffield.

I agree that hydrogen will be another option to follow, can't recall the details but have listened to few Podcasts on it

But also articles like this ( tried to pick politically neutral one!)

www.rac.co.uk/drive/electric-cars/choosing/are-electric-cars-really-better-for-the-environment/

We need to start somewhere, but it’s not electric vehicle’s. The mining required for the batteries is an environmental disaster. Hydrogen looks like the way forward - JCB have pioneered this, and if they got more serious funding we could have this on road vehicles in the next 5 years.

All they do is put prices up as demand would reduce, same with household energy consumption, look what has happened? unit prices stay high, higher standing charges introduced... all done by the regulator.

Oil etc is used in a lot more than petrol/diesel and its the RoW buying Russian gas & oil, shipped all over the world and we in the West allow these "Ghost" ships to ply their trade, despite the huge environmental risks, they know where they are... so why aren't they stopping this? they sail through narrow european waters for heavens sake!! they are operating illegally after all.

Those in power aren't interested one bit in climate change, its just a means to make money out of us all.

It breaks my heart to see all the closed down rail lines we used to have, linking towns up and down the country.. all gone, many turned into cycle/walking tracks and/or peoples back gardens.

Impossible and hugely costly to bring back into service in the vast majority of cases.

Buses, even with traffic congestion are slow, junctions, traffic lights etc.

What provincial towns have "reasonable" public transport? certainly nothing decent/cheap/reliable in the S/W and now even more expensive.

What can we do?

Stop building houses where there are no jobs for starters, 10s of 1000s of houses built down here, no jobs, so long commutes/traffic congestion, two new towns build - no jobs, so now the plan is to build a new bigger road!!!

People seem to hate cyclists & its getting worse, even in France, cyclists have protested about the lack of protections offered.... in the UK killing a cyclist is almost seen as an occupational hazard for a car driver, with incredibly lenient sentences handed out.

You can't have cycle lanes going in parallel to every road, so how about using a "stick" to change peoples attitudes? the carrot being a fitter population and less cars on the roads.... never happen though, too weak politicians and a stupid population.

Worrying about the UK's attitude towards global warming is understandable but look at the size of our country - what we should really be worrying about is getting countries like USA and China to take it seriously.

But they’d also need to be very fit to cycle 12 miles in total a day , before and after a work day

I know it isn’t ethical to eat meat or drink dairy, but I felt very unwell and had deficiencies when I went vegan, and supplements do say they aren’t intended to replace a balanced diet

But not for ever of course, so we need to start somewhere?