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

I was in extinction rebellion. We were begging the government to take action. climate change will end up killing millions.

We were jeered at by the public and Boris Johnson called us “a bunch of old crusties’

its hard not to despair.

Very easy to list out those things and make it sound like we could change overnight, but a little more difficult to implement when you look actually dig below the surface.

This.

I very much doubt me doing anything will make a dent in the people jetting around the world on a daily basis or the huge corporations ruining the earth.

Maybe China needs to pull it's finger out, we're way ahead of our targets yet these huge countries couldn't give two hoots.

The super rich need to set an example by giving up their private jets.

All I need to do is polish my halo, I'm a vegetarian and I've only been on a plane twice in my life.

The only way it'll change is when stopping climate change is more profitable for the men in charge than creating climate change is. I am very very concerned for my children's futures but how can I stop Donald Trump doing anything to make himself a quick buck?

The problem is mainly outside our borders though, so there is a limit to what we can do. The uk is only responsible for around 1 percent of carbon emissions and our efforts towards reduction have been pretty rigorous. Some would argue too rigorous given the increase in COL resulting from net zero.

Unfortunately, due to greenwashing, it is really difficult to believe any such claims made by big corporations.
I am pretty sure that Bob is making more effort than Mcdonalds or IKEA ever will- and I doubt he would put in a lot of work, money and effort to lie about his efforts.

We need to be rejecting these big companies and voting with our feet.

They have - they went over 50% of energy form none coal sources - a lot of the progress gloablly for renewables come from them. The price of solar pannels been driven down by their manufactoring as well. Their coal consumption has increased because their energy demands have - but they do a lot of the world's manufactoring - ie some of our carbon produvtion has been exported to them - and seem to be doing well with electric cars designs as well.

They have a plan to switch from carbon sources which they seem to be a head of.

USA and Russia not really doing much more focused on war.

China is a massive carbon emitter but it is also investing massively in renewables and I also thought it had hit a number of key targets ahead of time.

Isn't the COL also to do with other price shocks such as Covid, energy crisis, Ukraine war, Iran war etc (as well as climate change hitting food production)?
It is certainly not only affecting the UK...

For the people who could make a difference eg fossil fuel companies, oil producers, polluting countries there is no money in it. If they are making $billions now they have no incentive to change. You and me might recycle but some children digging through a landfill in India can't. It will really only take a huge catastrophe eg Day After Tomorrow type thing to start the change.

Agree 100%. Global temperature seems to be increasing at a frankly alarming rate. And I know it doesn't affect us now, but I kind of like the idea of humans existing for several thousand years into the future (if wars caused by stupid men don't wipe us all out that is).

It is affecting us. Crops, water, general living are all being affected now. Huge swathes of some countries in Africa or Europe are becoming too hot to live in

That's not what I meant, I meant the idea of humans in the future doesn't affect us now. Sorry if unclear.

Yes, I agree its not the only cause , but uk consumers are still paying higher prices as a result of net zero.

It is -- but energy prcies have a huge effect .

The UK has among the highest electricity prices in the world for industrial users and ranks in the top tier for households that affects jobs and wider economy and peoples budgets.

I did hear how our enegery prices worked - apparently highest bid for every 30 minutes is what eveyrone gets provding enegery for those 30 minyes - seemed really odd system but was initally to promote renewables - but currently we pay not to use a proportion of the wind energy.

Action needs to be taken at every level - intergovernmental bodies, through national and local government, corporate policies, right down to the individual. It all makes a difference. Changing our own behaviour normalises climate conscious choices in our immediate environment and also creates consumer and political demand for sustainability. An example is the shift towards plant-based food - 20 or 30 years ago veganism was for cranks, whereas now it is absolutely a mainstream choice.

That said, I totally get that it does feel a bit pointless to recycle a plastic bag when you see the ultra-rich jetting around on their private jets. But there are also people working at every level every day all around the world on climate and environmental issues, making small incremental steps.

But loads of these things ordinary people are doing their best to do. Loads of people have adopted electric vehicles, paid to instal solar panels on their roof, buy loads of secondhand via vinted, everyone i know tries really hard to reduce plastic packaging, carries resuable water bottles and shopping bags everywhere. Loads more people eat much less meat than they used to as everyone's aware of the environmental impact.

The problem isnt ordinary people its huge polluting businesses.

The general public are expected to take on too much of the burden themselves despite the affordability.

You want more people to use public transport? Make it cheaper. Stop punishing drivers all the time in the hope it will make people ride the bud instead - just make the fucking bus cheaper, really low cost, clean, and quick.

No.1 priority in my opinion is to stop the wars. US / Israel / Gaza / Russia / Ukraine. The constant bombings then having to rebuild homes and infrastructure won't do the environment any good.

I was talking to DP about this this morning.
why is the government not advertising- four simple steps to reduce your carbon footprint etc.
and I do think that us plebs on the ground can have an influence, because we are consumers and voters.
also, the normalisation and stigmatization of behaviour- when I was a kid it was fairly normal and even accepted to drink drive.
its now viewed as unacceptable and I believe people would be vocal in shaming this behaviour.
if the same process happens with eg lots of flights, lots of fat fashion, eating loads of meat etc, habits will change.
but it will be a slow process, it may not be enough and we may not have time.

This.
And I'm totally on board with individuals making an effort and have been doing so myself for 30 years and I'll continue to do so.
But, it's reached a point globally, there is no turning back, and individual efforts sometimes feel futile in the face of it.

Im not disparaging bob. Just hearing about him doesnt make me feel positive. I think well done Bob but what about shell.

I aree voting with our feet's an idea but I just liked the concept of hearing good news but big scale good news. There must be something verifiable thats good?

As I’ve said on other threads, one problem is that the media is CONSTANTLY trying to frighten us about something or other, with inflammatory headlines including the word “misery”, and has done for decades: terrorism, your mobile frying your brain (now it’s “screen time”), greenhouse gases, the ozone layer, paedophiles living next door to you, immigration like a flood, cancer from your pen top, body bags in the street, drought (after months of rain), etc. Many of us think “whatever, heard it all before”. If the doom and gloom messaging was used more sparingly, people might take it more seriously; but it’s used to sell papers. They know it, and we know it, so some of us ignore it. Constantly peddling doom and gloom is crying wolf, and 2020 illustrated this beautifully. Boris Johnson never got his big moment of “it is with great pleasure that I announce the end of all Covid restrictions”, because the news was then throwing Ukraine in our faces, and monkeypox, and extreme heat. Wall to wall doom and gloom.

Also, I don’t think it helps that children are constantly being moralised at, even when it is disguised as fun: be good or Santa won’t come, you mustn’t visit granny because you might kill her, too much TV makes your eyes go square, too many sweets will make your teeth drop out, only you can prevent climate change (another poster expressed disgust about this message being aimed at children on another thread), you must be a superhero and get your vaccine (this campaign was pulled, but it was discussed in the inquiry).

If anyone remembers “the Roald Dahl guide to railway safety” in 1990, it began with a couple of pages of his children are constantly being preached at by “giants” (adults), so in their minds, these “giants” become the enemy, and all their preaching becomes counter productive. He then said “it is with great regret that I must now do the same”.