To be totally freaking out about global warming?

[TakesTheCake]

I know global warming is real, so not asking if it is unreasonable to “believe” in it. But I am wigging out so badly, and I don’t see anyone else around me or online worrying about it through this awful searing heat and lack of rain and record temperatures all over the globe.

I am freaking out about future water scarcity, food shortages, nature, fires... have I got this out of proportion? I am so doom-and-gloom about it all, even when it is cool enough to sleep I lay awake worrying about my three kids’ futures environmentally. But my fears are not echoed by those around me.

Just me? Being over the top?

Yes the difference it makes to the planet you having two children instead of three must be vast 🤨

We have had almost two weeks of nice weather. I doubt it will last much longer. It was soon be grey and wet again.

We are having a good summer which we are meant to have. The lack of rain of course, isn't great.

I’m enjoying having the hotter weather to be honest. Life’s too short for worrying. Regardless of my personal feelings nothing is going to change so may as well enjoy it.

Yes the difference it makes to the planet you having two children instead of three must be vast

And if everyone had that attitude?

Be the change.
Go vegan.
Animal agriculture is the single most environmentally destructive thing and contributes way, way more greenhouse gasses than all transport modes put together.

There is not a western overpopulation issue. There is an overpopulation problem in developing countries. This is causing the issues.

Cheers religion 👌🏻

What utter rubbish MelanieSmooter.

Melanie This was addressed earlier in the thread. You're utterly incorrect.

It’s not rubbish though, and I’m not the first on the thread to say it. Not PC though, is it? We have an aging population we can barely sustain, hence NHS/Social Care/Pension funding issues. People having 3 children in the U.K. isn’t causing global warming.

People having 15+ children, through oppression, in countries already full to bursting is contributing.

It’s not rubbish though, and I’m not the first on the thread to say it

It is, and no, you're not, but you're not the first to be corrected for saying it, either.

Global warming was discredited years ago. Its not real. Climate change is the thing now. Look that up and you will find all the in constructive handwringing you need.

YANBU at all OP and people berating you for having 3 kids are being pretty daft. Ideally yes if we are worried about this we should strive to live our principles by keeping kids, travel, plastic and water use etc to a minimum. But this is just the same as not buying fast fashion or not eating animal products: any sensible person knows their individual efforts will not make a jot of difference. We do these things so we can, as far as possible, feel unhypocritical.

Real, tangible change can only come from government, and from massive global cooperation. And that’s what terrifies me. No government in the world is even close to taking the level of action we would need to see a difference.

TBH I think that we cannot save things now. Because every government only thinks of its own short terms goal of being re-elected, and the kind of strict measures needed would be enormously unpopular.

I just comfort myself with the selfish hope that the worst effects are still a few generations off, so neither I nor DSS will have to live through them.

@rosamundhope stats? Last winter here/summer in southern hemisphere was colder than average.

stats? Last winter here/summer in southern hemisphere was colder than average.

Where? Wasn't the case in Australia. 2017/2018 is almost certainly going to be the hottest summer on record.

Change must come from government and corporations, I should say. But corporations will never willingly compromise their profits for the long-term health of the planet so it still ultimately comes down to government regulations forcing them.

Yes, I feel the same. This weather isn't normal. The winter was very harsh too. We just seem to be experiencing extremes of weather.

Oh FFS. I am not denying climate change, or that we are ruining our planet. But this is a British heatwave, it happens ever so often, and our winter wasn't 'harsh'. Jeez!

And the big issue with our planet is with hugely populated rapidly developing countries.

Just wanted to pick a point out in your post op where you say you feel like nobody else seems worried there's a huge community on Instagram and Facebook full of people doing their bit for the planet using less plastic/vegan/recycling I feel way less worried after becoming involved. If everyone does a little it soon adds up!

I'm not denying global warming, but for years we've had crap summers. This summer, up till now has been hot, reminds me of how summers always were when i was a child.

Floods "We have a population problem"

thank you! It's normally me who says this. It's partly why we adopted - and that was ages ago - the population has been way out of control for ages and everyone just wants to rearrange the deckchairs!

A child in the West uses 50 times the resources of a child in the developing world. And also has a much higher life expectancy.

It is ridiculous and utterly incorrect to blame poorer countries for climate change.

It is ridiculous and utterly incorrect to blame poorer countries for climate change.

Not 'blaming' poor countries for climate change. But there are countries with huge populations which are rapidly developing. And the problem is, why shouldn't they have what we have?

But if you actually asked most people in developed countries to change their lifestyle to even things out, there is just no way they would do it, the change in lifestyle would just be too much. Using a keep cup for their coffee and ditching plastic straws isn't going to cut the mustard. Especially when loads of those people fly at least once a year on a naice holiday.

It is a big problem.

But probably unrelated to the big standard British heatwave we are currently experiencing.

I agree that we need to do something.
I think we need to charge a higher tax on petrol and diesel.
A higher aviation tax.
Have a legal target of how much energy should be renewable.

But Train101 it’s not transport that causes the most problems - it’s animal agriculture.

Yes but what's more likely to stop? People eating meat or people using cars?

Just because one factor is higher doesn't mean we don't tackle other big factors

I worry about Climate change a lot. Al Gores two films and Naomi Kleins's book "This Changes Everything" are amazing (but scary). I think governments will only act on it when the will of the people demands it. At election time when the MP candidates come round, I always say it's my biggest priority. They are always surprised. Our heatwave is "weather" but globally temperatures are rising and break new records year on year. (Goes off to worry about Polar Bears.)