AIBU to feel people are far too complacent about climate change?

I agree, but a lot of them will survive. I don't want to be flippant, but I just don't have the energy to worry about this. I don't have any children, and that is why I don't really care. The planet has gone through trauma before and come out the other side. Humans are such frail, expendable creatures. If we die out, so be it.

No, I'm talking about climate change as a whole. Me getting rid of my gas boiler is not going to mean the planet survives for any longer than it is already.

Well there are a fair few climate modlers who think those model that came to those conclusions are deeply flawed.

They have the generational double-counting flaw - it double-counts emissions by allocating the exact same carbon footprint to the parent, the child, and the grandchild simultaneously and assumes that future generations will have no agency of their own.

The "Static Future" Fallacy these models freeze today's high-carbon infrastructure and assume it will remain identical for the next 100 years when it gone down in last decade.

Ignore the Consumption vs. Population issues - the environmental impact of having a child is vastly dictated by where* *they are born and how they live, rather than the mere act of birth.

Often when the generational compounding math and look purely at direct, lifetime individual impacts, the data shifts heavily away from reproductive choices and toward immediate lifestyle and policy changes.

Given that a large section of any country population still has children that a huge swath of people including next generation who you are saying can ignore any envronmental messaging going forward and not bother with any changes - which TBH seems an odd stance when population changes are needed.

I think you're living in fantasy land if you genuinely believe that to be true.

You're talking about something different though. Getting rid of gas boilers will make a huge difference to the UK both now and in the future.

If no one ever stands up and says, "That's it - as of today I'm going to do things differently," then nothing will ever change.

We need to stop letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Here's an interesting article from the UN Environment Programme, an interview with two scientists (both female 💪) in which they talk about the progress we've made in combating the climate crisis, and why there are grounds for hope.

One takeaway:

If there is one message you would want people, especially younger readers, to take away, what would it be?

Hinwood: My message is simple: do one thing.

We are a planet of billions of people. If every person did one thing, the impact would be enormous. Don’t think it’s all too hard. Find one thing you can do and be proud of yourself for doing it.

Climate crisis or climate progress? Two leading scientists separate fear from fact

How is any of that making a difference when you have people like Andy Burnham, Donald Trump and Taylor Swift getting in private planes everyday, and when billions of Americans use paper plates and plastic cups for their dinner every night?

I think people who say "it does have an impact" are kidding themselves, frankly.

They all have separate massive dryers (unless living in a city apartment with basement facilities) and just transfer every single item across from washer to dryer. It's madness. It ruins your clothing and costs a fortune!

Some places in the US ban it! As in, it's actually illegal to hang your washing out to dry, lol. insanity.

Everyone that switches to renewables from a gas boiler makes a difference. It reduces the need for new/replacement gas fired power stations that are supposedly 'low carbon' but will simply transport the CO2 away and hide it under the sea - that's making a difference right here in the UK. Investing in a heat pump and solar can also save you thousands of pounds, speaking from experience - that's an incentive and frees you from the trap of paying high energy prices, with a short payback time.

The animals of the world have done nothing wrong and don't deserve it

Have you seen any of the videos about people living in places like Korea?

Plastic cups in grocery stores filled with ice, and then you add liquid from another plastic container, drink it from a plastic straw - it's insane. And that's just cold drinks!

My friend in the US genuinely thought l shouldn't dry my washing on the line outside , apparently it's not done there . I appreciate this may not be everywhere on the US , she is in Arizona .

Yes every time I've been to the US I come away thinking anything I do is entirely pointless. Plastic cutlery at a hotel breakfast!!

Who said it makes me feel uncomfortable?

I just think it's all performative bollocks.

When your big polluter countries are run by men/groups of men who are only 10-15 years from dying of old age it isn't surprising. The leaders of the US, Russia and China are 80, 73 and 71.

There's a reason that dystopian books and films show societies where certain things are banned - things like one-child rules and a national uniform to avoid waste. People won't do them by choice.

So if someone is a net detriment to the environment (when their entire life is taken into consideration) rather than a net benefit, it means you can safely allow yourself to ignore any of their remarks about behaviour changes that might make you uncomfortable?

That's convenient!

Well, exactly. And it's not just the US.

It's all very well telling people to drive less, or wash their yoghurt pots, or buy organic strawberries, but until other countries do their bit, it's just performative bollocks IMO.

YABU. What's the point in worrying? The planet will survive, even if mankind doesn't.

Not cynical. Realistic. The answer to every single "environmental" crisis has been money. If it causes "pollution", tax it. Don't ban it, tax it. 🙄 and has all this money solved the inpending doom? No. Ever wonder why the tax is set to a level that is just high enough to make it a money spinner, but low enough that people will pay it, so they can continue to do the thing.

Well, they can mention whatever they like, but if those changes don't outweigh the damage they've done by having kids, then they can't expect people to take them seriously IMO.

Whenever I have been to America they do minimal recycling. Still widely using plastic straws, cutlery, polysterene food boxes (I thethink I last saw these in the UK in 1992!) there are no public recycling bins. I do agree these things are important but whatever I do in a year is undone by my counterpart in the US within a week.

Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are apparently investing in solar and wind.

Though apparently solar panel don't do well in really hot climates - efficiency drops by about 0.3% to 0.5% for every 1°C that the panel heats up above 25°C.

Though have seen them over canals in hotter countries reducing water lost in evaporation and in France over car parks - so providing shade as well as generating electricity. So people are getting innovative.

Are they allowed to mention that they themselves have made changes?