I'm a mum going to COP26 - AMA

[ParentsForFuture]

We're Charlotte and Rowan from Parents for Future UK, a growing group of parent climate campaigners. We're going to COP26 in Glasgow to demand ambitious action on the climate emergency and are planning what will be the biggest mobilization of parents ever on a single issue, with other parent groups. Mumsnet reached out to us to come on and answer your questions on COP26 and how parents can make their voice heard. Our work is led by parents and rooted in love (and fear). Charlotte (Mumsnetter) is from Bath and Rowan is from Oxford, and we each have two children, aged 3 and 7.

I'm not asking environmental activists to be perfect. I'm pointing out that everyone, environmental activists included, make choices as to what is acceptable to them and the effects on the planet.

@gildalily

Thanks for going and representing here. How did you get involved with your organisation and what day to day things do you do as an activist?

@gildalily I started a small eco blog a few years ago as a New Year's Resolution. @OnlyOneWorld19 I was getting so worried but wasn't certain what to do. The more I posted, the more I realised I needed to learn more about systemic change rather than placing all the emphasis on individual changes.

So I joined a couple of climate campaigning groups and really liked Parents for Future - I started helping with social media and then organising.

Rowan may reply separately - she actually helped found Parents for Future. We are very friendly - check out our social media feeds and website!

@AlphabetAerobics

Were you able to park your private jet at Glasgow or did you need to drive in from Edinburgh?

@AlphabetAerobics - haha - we weren't high profile enough for Edinburgh either so had to settle for the train...

Thank you! Brilliant.

Two other mums who are taking an active role in COP26 are Green Party councillor Nicole Griffiths and World Basic Income expert Laura Bannister who will be speaking at a Climate Justice event 4.30-6.30pm at Strathclyde University, Tuesday Nov 2nd. More details here: www.walk2cop26.com/events-2

Something needs to be done about animal agriculture - not just from the demand side, but by governments. How is pressure being placed on world leaders to drastically reduce meat and dairy production and to stop global deforestation, which goes hand in hand?

@UltimateBugKilla

If the government were to bow down and grant everything campaigners are asking to in the UK, would it have any impact on the global issue and health of the planet (genuine question)

@UltimateBugKilla at the moment the clock is ticking. We have a very small window of opportunity to try and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. As one example, we are asking the UK Gov to stop all new fossil fuel financing and exploration and embrace a just and swift transition to green energy. According to scientists, we have a 50% chance of a safe future based on NO new oil and gas. And yet at the moment in the UK alone, there are 40 new oil, coal and gas projects in the pipeline for approval by 2025.

If they do listen and act immediately, yes there is absolutely hope for a safe, livable future. The slower they act - the slimmer our chances - so we need everyone to get on board and pile the pressure on!

What would you expect to be done about the plastics industry? If we’re not extracting any hydrocarbons we can’t make plastic. I’m not talking about reusable shopping bags, stocking filler tat or packaging, I mean the kind of high grade plastic products used in healthcare for instance, that can’t currently be produced to the same standard from other sources such as plant cellulose.

A lot of people expecting you to live perfect eco lives
What were the hardest and easiest changes ? and what do you think you Never achieve ?

Hi, Thank you for your time. What top 3 systemic changes would you like to see the UK government put in place to fight the climate crisis? And how optimistic do you feel that this will happen?

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

Are you "official" attendees, or are you protesting?

Sorry if that seems a really silly question, but I can't work it out from your post, and it would influence the type of question I'd ask!

Not silly at all - and getting 'official' access this year has been quite the labyrinth! I (Rowan) am going as an 'official' participant with access to the UN spaces and some of the other mums we're going with from South Africa, India, Nigeria and Poland have access for at least some of it but there will be more mums there, especially from the UK who are going for the 'unofficial' events. As well as protests (which will be big, colourful and beautiful - if also wet and windy!) there are lots of fringe events like the COP26 Coalition's People's Climate Summit. There are lots of fringe events online in case you're interested and these two events include parent speakers: cop26coalition.org/peoples-summit/list/?tribe-bar-search=parents

How can we make electric cars more affordable, and a viable alternative to petrol and diesel?

Hello everyone - a reminder of our AMA rules was posted by @JuliaMumsnet up thread - but can we again ask posters to be civil to our guest AMAs, please? We wanted to create a space where parents could find out more about COP26 and how they could get involved if they care about this issue. Robust discussion is absolutely fine but we’d really appreciate it if you could be polite and keep things on track. Thank you.

What outcome(s) are you hoping for from this year's conference? Can do a top 3 if that's easier

@NigellaSeedofChucky

Thank you for donating your time. I don't know what to ask really, I just know most normal folk do their best to recycle and look after our own small patches, and we need the big companies to actually do something. After they going to start banning things and creating more green legislation after this?

I totally agree we need big companies to act - and to make big companies act legislation is probably part of the answer as companies/industries have a poor track record of regulating themselves in a way that looks after the planet. The UK has more environmental legislation than many places but doesn't do a good job of enforcing the rules - particularly on things like air pollution. 'Banning things' sounds draconian but stopping the use of environmentally harmful products can be done in lots of different ways - think of the system to stop plastic bag use by charging for them rather than banning them; that's been really popular both with people in the UK and with other countries who have copied it.

Don't underestimate the power of individuals acting though - if individual actions include talking about what you're doing to others and pushing companies/MPs/councils/government as well as more obvious green activities! We can't wait for governments and companies to act, we all need to engage .

How do you explain the way the earths climate has changed since day one with millions of years with no humans around, going from very hot to ice ages and back

What about us that work in Oil & Gas.? Please don't say we can retrain as that's simply not possible. Ending oil and gas will have a huge impact on so many peoples jobs.

Could you blow a rasberry to the blond clown from me?

only kidding
Hope you have a great time and continue to inspire people to take action (beyond the MCB, micro consumerist bollocks such as drinking straws etc). Real action means - imo - doing things fundamentally differently as nations or blocs.

One of the barriers to progress must be that it isn't in many people's short term interest to take the pain of fixing the problem

If you work in oil or flying or fast fashion , fixing the climate problem must seem like a direct threat to your future, how you put food on the table and clothes on the back of your family

Do you have suggestions, do you see reasonable suggestions being proposed that can tackle these issues !

? Not !

The ‘China isn’t doing anything so why are we bothering’ line is bullshit. China’s making huge strides on climate change. Am not a China apologist - horrific regime in many ways, but really not an excuse for inaction.

And - look - this isn’t a choice between making sacrifices to save the polar bears or protecting our economy. It’s a choice between making big but doable changes to save our civilisations or throwing the whole damn thing away because we couldn’t be fucked to act.

@DontGiveAFlyingFig

Can the things we do really change anything especially as it appears China and Russia in all honesty couldn't care less?

Honestly? Yes I think what we do does make a difference.

There are lots of issues with so much manufacturing from countries like the UK taking place in China and counting as 'their' emissions whereas we are the ones consuming the products. While a huge amount more needs to be done, there are also at least some glimmers of hope from China.

But more than that: our approach in the parent climate work is that we can't keep saying to our kids 'they didn't do anything about your future so I'm not going to either' - even if it's hard, it really is important that our kids see us as their parents sticking up for them. It all comes back to the kids and our love for them .

What are the best ways to impress on others the importance of being environmentally conscientious?

The world leaders have produced more carbon emissions travelling to this meeting than my family will produce in a lifetime.
Why couldn't they have used digital technology to meet rather than this?

getting very tired of being talked down to by privileged people who continue to do what ever they like, while expecting me to change

I agree with what you're asking, but what will you do if the letter is disregarded? To me, COP26 seems to be lots of people saying that things must change, after many of them (not you included!) will have done further damage to the environment by flying to Scotland. It would be great if those in power listened, but realistically what will/can you/we do if they refuse to act?

While a huge amount more needs to be done, there are also at least some glimmers of hope from China

What about Russia and India? Are there ‘glimmers of hope from them’?