Anyone else want climate change further up the political agenda? It should be in the news every day.

[MrsAlexxis]

I am increasingly worried about global
warming, but although I have tried to do my bit for decades, I find myself reading more about Harry and Megan’s returns to the UK than climate change in the papers and politicians and industry leaders are just pressing on with their data centres which will consume even more AI and we have peoole
like Trump in charge who don’t even believe in climate change. We are ruining the planet for future generations and not even taking much about it. Is it only me feeling helpless watching this unfold?

100 per cent agree with all of this.

There are so many wasteful and crazy things that humans do!!

I would add to the list - build every single new building whether domestic or industrial with solar panels. Why do all supermarkets not have solar panels? etc

Totally agree OP, I think people just find it more comfortable not to have to think about it. People waiting for it to happen in the future when it’s literally happening all around us everyday. I do keep wondering what will be the wake up call people need to acknowledge we’re already right in the centre of a climate crisis and it’s only going to get much worse.

Next few days will be interesting. Flooding is highly likely. Be careful driving

It is very scary. I hate the way the emphasis for climate change is put on the consumer (fly less, recycle more, buy an electric bike/car).

It is governments that should be working co-operatively, like they did for the ozone layer. There are so many regulations that should be introduced and changes to manufacturing, construction and supply processes that should be made.

Governments have basically ignored the problem, while allowing big businesses to dicate their terms, which is to continue making profits at the expense of the environment.

It has gone too far now - on so many levels. I feel very pessimistic. (Apart from education - kids are being fairly well grounded in simple climate science. Although the greenhouse effect is on most curriculia - the sixth mass exctinction is not unfortuantely.)

It is in the news everyday .

A very good podcast that reviews the latest climate research. It almost needs a trigger warning as some of the research published predicts much higher temperatures over a shorter timescale.

https://pca.st/podcast/98aa5310-ebd1-0138-e7f9-0acc26574db2

This like all arguments these days -I’m not against renewables and comments like ‘All the tripe about we cant do anything/1% impact/ no jobs. Its just not comparable to what's happening’ - it’s not black and white - you go green but plan it -don’t throw £millions at China for wind turbines then realise there is no pylon infrastructure to take the power where it needs to go. Don’t destroy areas of beautiful countryside (rich landowners choosing where they’ll have the windfarm) then realise there’s no population to use the power. Don’t shut down oil production and the tax it pays the country to import from Saudi ( it now goes all the way round the s of Africa ) oh so green!
its extremist attitudes that turn people off, it doesn’t turn it off wanting to save the planet

its not the oil companies (so easy to blame) it’s the people who use the oil -all the plastic people use, all the cars people drive. Stop buying g single use plastic and driving everywhere.

Of course its complex
Its going to be
But that's what govt policy and science work towards
Ignoring is also not the answer

We can't rely on renewable energy without ploughing a huge amount into the grid infrastructure. Solar only works when the sun is shining (last year we had 3 months of solid rain, no sight of the sun or even blue sky) and the grid doesn't have any way to store the energy currently. The same applies to wind - yes parts of the country are windy but there's currently no way to (cheaply) move the power generated to where it's needed. The current grid can't cope with the on off nature of renewables so we either need to spend a huge amount to improve the grid, build pylons (people don't want them as they 'ruin the view') or put more reliance on nuclear power which has its own problems. You have to start with the grid before trying to move to renewable energy or force everyone to drive EVs.

A point about China- yes they are investing in renewables but they are the highest consumer of coal in the world. They use coal to power the factories that build the solar panels and those that build EVs. Their cities have a smog problem because of the amount of coal they burn.

I have felt like this many times over the past 20 years or so, but the anxiety has really had an impact on my health and relationships and I’m not prepared to let that happen any more.

So I continue to do what I do, which is consider waste and CO2 whenever I am making a journey or buying things. I buy only what I need, not what I want. I don’t use AI chat things- I actually don’t know what they’re called- chatbots? I clear out my emails, photos and music on a regular basis. We have solar panels and an EV. We fly infrequently. We avoid plastic packaging where possible. We’re careful with our use of water and electricity. We have reduced our meat consumption. I know this makes very little difference but at least it soothes the anxiety a little.

That’s it, that’s all I can personally do. I used to try to talk to others about climate change and what we can personally do as individuals but found that many people are very defensive as they want what they want and are unwilling to change their behaviour. People don’t want to be inconvenienced. The whole thing has made me a bit of a misanthrope really so I have definitely distanced myself from people and avoid trying to make new friends because I can’t relate to people who don’t care. I’ve made my world smaller basically and that’s helped the anxiety.

I do think governments and the media should be talking about it more, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Defeatist, yes, but I recognise my lack of power and influence.

Hi, I've just had a email from the WWF to ask me to email my local politican to attend/debate climate change in Westminster on the 3rd September. This is the link to email: https://actionbutton.nationbuilder.com/share/SPK-QEhCRUE=?utm_campaign=mp_debate_sept3&utm_medium=member_referral&utm_source=wwf
Thought it would be good to spread the word, and for all of you on here worried, that we can take some action.

Does it talk about AMOC? Whether it’ll get hotter here or colder due to a collapse seems mixed.

Yes..Per capita counts.

This kind of whataboutery is always trotted out by people who just want to refuse to take any action. It’s what got us to the mess we are in.

Ask any sensible teenager what they want, less debt or a liveable planet. They are already saddled with generational debt. They will deal with that. But having to deal with it in a climate that suppresses their ability to build an economy will do them no favours.

I just want to say I feel the same, OP. I am kind of fascinated by our endless capacity as humans to distract ourselves from the things that matter. The climate crisis is a terrifying existential threat and this summer we have had a small taster of what it will look like, and yet most people seem happy to just ignore it.

As for those saying nothing can be done, that kind of defeatism and nihilism really isn’t helpful.

I found this article earlier this month really encouraging, actually (though I know George Monbiot gets some people’s backs up):

https://www.theguardian.com/membership/2026/aug/11/dont-despair-about-whats-happening-to-our-planet-thats-what-they-want-you-to-feel

I agree. It's the elephant in the room. V weird

Well there is solar, wind, and tidal...

And the china comments are whataboutery
Whats your solution if we do nothing?

uk is a bigger contributor than China and India per capita

Where on earth did you read this? China's emissions per capita are almost twice Britain's. India's is roughly half that of Britain. USA is the highest.

Stop using the Internet! The carbon emissions from that are higher than the entire global air industry, and will be even higher with AI and all the giant data centres they are building

100% agree with you OP

As for those saying nothing can be done, that kind of defeatism and nihilism really isn’t helpful.

Ignoring is also not the answer

These previous comments from above are not helping. Apart from DTrump -and good luck with changing his views- who is saying ‘nothing can be done’ or is ignoring ?

I think it’s the fashion to want to be a victim these days -in this case a loan brave handful desperately trying to save the world instead of intelligent scientists producing a usable plan to cut our use for the Gov to follow. There’s an all or nothing attitude that greens demand which would destroy life as we know it - no flying, no car use - which turns people off THEIR demands …. but not off slowing climate change

We are certainly not making it the top priority. Yes there is incredible work being done by scientists and policy makers but not enough. With trump reform and even conservatives rowing back on net zero pledge and advocating increased dependency on fossil fuels. Madness

No. Yes it’s an important issue. No it shouldn’t be top of the agenda.

There are many more things with at least the same risk of existential destruction, or very serious harms, that have a fraction of the attention of climate change. Engineered pandemics, various severe AI risks, nuclear proliferation, population collapse all plausible candidates.

Picking just one risk and insisting it be top of the pile almost guarantees taking our eye off the ball.

Plus, assuming OP wants more action to limit climate change rather than less, how sure are we that raising the issue’s prominence in the tabloids will do that, rather than the opposite?

The Nepal floods are just terrifying. Entire villages and families wiped out in a country that has a tiny carbon footprint.

Listening to the news over the summer, it seems that the UK is moving to a drought - flood climate. I think that’s one issue that should be looked at more - what are local & central government doing re mitigating the impacts of flooding & how are they going to retain water in the landscape in the summer. Farmers are key to this so more coverage of the challenges they face could be reported on. I would happily swap a news story on Westminster gossip for an environmental one eg on beavers (who seem to be having an amazing impact).

Actually, my local authority is doing stuff re flooding although it’s not very well-publicized but I then think the reporting of local politics generally could be much better.

i was trying to make the point that saying people are ignoring the issue and claiming tbat others are saying that nothing can be done is just wind up material which instead of helping a reasoned debate divides into 2 camps -a bit like if you don’t agree that trans women should be in women’s rescue centres you are outright transphobic, no you want a sensible debate.
Why are supposed supporters of environmental improvements claiming others are ignoring the issue or claiming that people say nothing can be done - I know no one who thinks nothing should be done and no one is ignoring.
I suspect that climate change which is ultra serious is being used by bots?? as another way to divide the country, like immigration, like tax the billionaires, etc
It renders sensible conversation about the best way to ta kle this impossible