Anyone else surprised that there isn’t more uproar about global warming right now?

Well we (me and my family) have been wondering this for years! Not just during this heatwave. The signs have been there for all of us to see for many, many years. My 14yr old daughter has been saying since she was about 10, when she hears the news, that "All the issues on the news reports (house prices, war etc etc) are all so insignificant as problems compared to the climate crisis, and this should be the ONLY news". And I agree. Her and I were just discussing (again) yesterday that we can think and say this all we want, but unfortunately we are just little people who (although we try to do our bit) don't have the influence/power to orchestrate the change needed. What can we do!!??

Do ppl think we should all stop flying anywhere? I'm curious. I'm tempted to stop completely but there's still a couple places I'd like to go....

It isn't about turning off air conditioning but green technologies and we're certainly not leading the way there

We are leading the way and many other parts of the world couldn’t give a crap about you really think Hong Kong is going to turn off or limit it air conditioning system because we say so ?

I haven’t read the thread I’ll be honest because most of these threads go the same way.

You’ll get someone arguing that no one does anything to help climate change. Ranting about all those OTHER people going on holiday. THEY however never go on holiday. And the ONLY reason they drive a massive SUV is because it’s SAFER for their CHILDREN so anyone who thinks they should get rid of their car wants their children dead.

Then someone else will start saying it’s all due to overpopulation. Everyone should stop having so many children. They are so so worried about overpopulation because of the quality of life their FOUR children will have in the future. Oh but the only reason they had four children (ages 1,3,5 and 7) is because they didn’t realise climate change was a thing when they were planning them! This is all brand new information but everyone should NOW absolutely stop having children.

Then you’ll get a vegan saying everyone should stop eating meat. Followed by someone saying their child will only eat processed meat due to a disability and do vegans want their child to starve??? But it’s ok because their family walks everywhere.

Then someone will say they never eat meat, never drive, only has one child but yes they do fly multiple times a year to visit family. I mean do you expect the child to NEVER see their family???? How selfish!

And so on it goes. Everyone has their reason for doing supposed “bad thing” but apparently make up for it elsewhere.

Are the celebs still travelling to climate change “conferences” in private jets?

Are wealthy politicians going on holidays abroad? When their children should be at school?

You completely misunderstood the point of my post - the “giving back” side is the profit which companies expect to make - that’s why prices are tied to be competitive against gas. Why would Green Energy Co spend billions buying infrastructure from China, producing “green” electricity, and not making a profit on it because it’s so cheap? The very reason the government tied the price of “green” energy to gas is so that the producer wants to produce in order to make a reasonable profit for their risk. Have you seen the proposed prices for Milliband’s next auction round? So much doe lowering our energy bills 🤬

They are giving something back by investing in more renewable infrastructure! In 5 years or so the UK will be self sufficient for electricity through renewables and nuclear.

what about the billions given to fossil fuel suppliers who make huge profits - do they not give anything back? 🤷‍♀️

I agree it won’t save the world just the UK doing it, but many other countries are doing it too. And energy security will be a huge benefit

We ARE leading the way. What do you think Net 0 by 2050 is?

Because it all feels a bit pointless. Nothing ever really changes - the water systems continue to leak and be polluted, the private planes continue to fly, the fertilisers poison the land, the landfills pile up. In the meantime, the people continue to struggle to pay their bills, the economy is crap, bills and prices climb…

We’ve been lowering our carbon emissions for the last 50 years, and aggressively for nearly 30. We are poorer because of it. When are the other countries going to look at us and decide they want to be this poor and miserable too?

Weather and climate are different things.

What we have now is weather. We’ve always had hot summers going into the 30s for as long as I can remember.

Not sure you get the point.

We have to start somewhere. It takes just one country to lead the way.

It affects the people - us - and we should have the right and means to express ourselves.

Public opinion matters to politicians. Look how all the main parties are trying to make their policies acceptable to disgruntled voters that might go to Reform.

I think the problem is that the tactics of XR and Just Stop Oil lost them public support.

Meanwhile the polluters have funding and access to the decision-makers and don’t need to worry about public opinion.

Because the vast majority of emissions are produced out of Asia and South America. We produce a very small
amount. It’s a global issue not going to be solved by idiots stopping traffic, chucking paint or me converting to a ground source heat pump.

I just cannot understand how people can not have climate change as a priority. It’s a real disservice to future generations that we do not care more for our planet I think. Shocking.

It’s not a priority for a lot of people (me included at present).

We're all focused on rising bills, childcare costs for the summer holidays, mortgage rate rises, aging parents, job security etc.

Plus although it’s been hot and uncomfortable for many, in about 10 weeks we’ll be back to the 6 months of grey, cloud and rain.

Part of the reason “renewable” prices are tied to gas (which is cheaper than electricity anyway) is because producers would not invest in “renewables” if there was no way to make a profit. Here, have billions £££ and don’t give me anything back 🙄

Making China richer and increasing their emissions so we can have nice solar panels and turbines isn't going to save the world.

Very much agree. I am astounded at the 'Can anyone recommend a fake grass supplier/fitter?' posts on local social media. I am astounded by the DPD/Amazon etc vans on my street every day. Action is needed - yesterday.

In I always thought that Greta was never
for real and always had her eyes and ambitions on the main chance.

If you want to get people to reduce car use, then it requires government funding to fund additional and new public rapport services and routes, and subsidise it to make it more affordable.
The government could force retailers and manufacturers to print on all labelling and packaging the CO2 / methane / water used to produce a product or food. It would help people make more informed decisions.
The government could tax producers more for having comparatively higher environmental impacts to encourage them to use more sustainable production.

Companies literally do the bare minimum required, but taxing and charging for unsustainable products does work! Look at how the plastic bag tax changed consumer habits and now you see lots less of them littering everywhere.

The government could introduce higher sustainable building standards, retrofit schools and public buildings with bio solar roofs, or micro generator wind turbines could be installed on public land.

The government could build more reservoirs, and invest in wetland habitat creation. Invest more money in flood defences, prioritising nature based solutions.

The government could tax private jets much more, and phase out petrol diesel cars much sooner than proposed and invest in upgrading electric car charging stations.

The government could stop the development of new homes in areas that are water stressed and build new cities in areas that have enough water and space for environmental infrastructure.

The problem is the that governments are elected every 4-5 years, so it’s always in their interest to kick long term solutions into the long grass… which is why we are where we are now!

20 years ago councils across the country signed the Nottingham declaration on climate change which mandated all homes to have high water efficiency and all developments of 10 or more homes would have solar panels.. councils signed it, had a nice story and photo but never delivered it!

If the government had made it mandatory in the planning system, it would have happened!

Thats why government action is essential, because the above list of interventions would have far more impact than anything that individuals can do, and drive positive change in all individuals.

We’ve given up tbh. I’m in London at the minute boiling and rereading Ballard’s The Drowned World. It’s not like we didn’t and don’t know about this. What’s the point in worrying about your straw when governments and billionaires are the ones doing 90% of the damage - we’ve no chance. I do admire the optimism of anyone having babies these days though.

The earth's population is not growing exponentially at all.

Because the people who fund protests have found its more disruptive to fund the pro Palestine protests.