AIBU to be terrified by what David Attenborough has said?

[ArcheryAnnie]

He's just said about climate change ""if we don't take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon." He's not the only one saying this - it's now common currency amongst scientists, and indeed anyone paying attention.

www.theage.com.au/world/europe/civilisation-may-collapse-if-climate-change-ignored-attenborough-20181204-p50jzs.html?platform=hootsuite

There's no time left for pissing about. We've got to take radical action now. It isn't something that any of us can ignore.

Births have been declining for the past few decades, it’s not really the number of people but what we all do to be honest- and the compromises on standard of living/lifestyle everyone is willing to makes

People are scornful about those who take some steps to reduce their carbon footprint but not others.

I find this incredibly unhelpful. Small actions make you feel good and can then lead to bigger actions. And anything you can do, however small, has a positive impact.

I've been an environmental activist for most of my adult life - and have got progressively more so as my understanding has grown of the issues and the impacts I can have - but I would never condemn others who don't do as much as I do. I get a perverse pleasure from serving vegan family dinners without anyone noticing or complaining!

It might start with refusing a plastic straw or buying a bamboo toothbrush - but at least it means you are considering the issues and later on when you have a big choice to make, say about a holiday, maybe you will make a different one.

Births have been declining for the past few decades, it’s not really the number of people

No, it's the number of people worldwide. But keep telling yourself that.

Births have been declining for the past few decades, it’s not really the number of people

The very unpalatable truth is it's the number of people not dying.

Births might be declining but life expectancy is increasing! Compare cancer treatment alone with where it was at 50, or even 15 years ago! Medical advances are fantastic but the birth rate needs to be reduced further to compensate. I've made the choice not to have my own biological children. I'm one of 3 myself so it feels like not having any of my own would balance things out a bit.

I don't know how anyone can be surprised. We destroy the planet and forget we are nature. We are so detached from everything. It's a disgrace.

@OnlineAlienator if you have some studies that debunk them and show that they’re “irrelevant bollocks” I’d love to see them. Around 40% of crops are fed to animals btw.

Also animal agriculture is massive business and definitely doesn’t want the press pushing veganism. Big biz does not love veganism at all.

I definitely agree that we need to do our bit, but really the most damage is caused by government policy, and no matter of what do will make a massive difference.
I know it sounds really defeatist, but we need a massive change in our global approach to the environment, and massive investment into green/renewable technology.
I just don't see much of a political will for this especially not from current government, or Trump. It's pretty f*cking annoying!

@LonelyandTiredandLow

The things on that article are obvious. Opt for oat milk, take your reusable water bottle with you, don’t use a straw unless you have a disability etc.

I'm going to do the no buy 2019 - hopefully there'll be a mumsnet support thread!

Fab suggestion - I'll join if there is.

no spend 19

Which companies will make the changes needed?

Climate change is one area where business is leading the government, because they are not as short-termist (governments only have 5-year horizons) and need to plan for the long term.

A couple of examples of retailers, by no means perfect but trying to do their bit, are Iceland with its ban on palm oil containing products, and M&S with its Plan A (yes I know they need to do a lot to make up for the over packaged imported fruit & veg).

Then there is the R100 programme. And Virgin Atlantic researching renewable fuels for airplanes.

Unilever is also doing a lot.

Whilst DA is a national treasure, he is also just a TV presenter. He is as entitled to his views as anyone else but that is as far as it goes. Anything he says on climate change (or any other topic) is not more or less accurate just because it is said by someone who is a household name.

I don't trust him because he is a household name Citrus. I trust him because he has a deep respect for the natural world and his personal experiences all over the globe have enabled him to see, first hand, the changes that are occurring and the effects they are having on our environment.

I would not give the same weight to the opinions/views of Keith Lemon, that fat bat off Masterchef (Gemma something-or-other?), Alexander Armstrong, or even the revered Stephen Fry, for example. And certainly not to the opinions of Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Donald Trump etc

I liked the Iceland advert a lot and feel cross it was banned. So ridiculous

The others do a good line in making an effort but do sell a lot of stuff in plastic

The VA fuel thing sounds very good

Thanks NoSpend - I'm there now.

I’m also very concerned but unlike many I am cautiously optimistic in the advances of technology to help address climate change and pollution.

History shows us it’s often outliers who make changes and I think change will come from an unexpected quarter - for example, look at Silicon Valley and their punt on some of the more out-there carbon capture technologies.

If anyone wants to take a glimpse into the future, take a look at futuretimeline.net. Very obviously it’s not written in stone. But it’s a look at what is possible based on real advances today and some of the posters here who feel frightened and powerless about the impacts on our children might find some solace there.

I haven’t read the whole of the thread but I do wonder whether pp ( and Governments) are committed to what it would truly take to stop this? It would take a massive drop in living standards for the majority of the population, giving up your cars, your foreign holidays, growing your own vegetables, not having the latest iPhone, Alexa etc. Not washing your towels every week, rationing food, so many changes.

It would also involve all nations being collaborative, the GDP not being the measure of success, no more wars and the richest percentage being willing to give it up and share with the rest of us.

Sadly I don’t think this will ever happen therefore we are fucking doomed.

If you’ve ever seen the cartoon Wall-E, that’s where we’re headed, folks!

Don't eat grain fed meat. Eat more local vegetables, make your meat grass fed... pastured meat is actually beneficial to grassland ecology, builds soil and is a huge store for carbon. Grain degrades soil and releases tons of nutrients and carbon. Eating grain = bad. Eating animals that eat grain = 10 X bad At last someone who understands the golden hoof.

Incredible how many people still think that they can dismiss climate change "cos it was freezing yesterday".

Quote from futuretimelines.net
“The 2070s saw major growth in the use of fusion power. Accelerated space development also marked this time, with expansion of the lunar colonies and their automated mining operations. By now, a full-scale environmental catastrophe was unfolding on Earth, with sea levels forcing the large-scale evacuation of cities.

With continuing advances in AI, the 2080s saw an explosion in scientific discoveries. This helped to slow the rise in global temperatures and pave the way for a more sustainable future in the 22nd century. Transhumanism was now a mainstream phenomenon, the average citizen becoming heavily reliant on brain-computer interfaces and other implantable devices, contributing to a decline in religious adherence.

By the 2090s, it became clear that Homo sapiens were no longer the dominant species on the planet. Much of the day-to-day running of world affairs was now handled exclusively by ultra-fast, ultra-intelligent machines, robots and virtual entities.”
This isn’t exactly reassuring

Don't you think that 'terrified' is a bit ott?

Worried, yes, concerned, that too but terrified?? ( bit too dramatic maybe?)

I thought the same - the future stuff talked about mass death on earth and also getting to mars by 2050 😶

Just checking that everyone saw the educated responses to the Iceland advert? Not got much time to fully explain but:

1. They still sell palm oil items, just use other words (there are 8 other words for palm oil)
2. Palm oil is actually much more eco-friendly than other means which take x amount more deforestation
3. It was banned because it was stolen/re-hashed from the Green Party and was therefore deemed political.

Would post links but they are easily found online.

Yes to other words but that’s outrageous if they do use it still
I don’t agree with 3 though, political is good atm (I thought it was Greenpeace?)
No. 2 there must be better ways?

Don't you think that 'terrified' is a bit ott?

We're talking about the very real possibility that humans will be extinct along with possibly most life on earth with in a few generations.

I think terrifying is an absolutely appropriate descriptor. I'm not sure I can think of anything that would be OTT. It's beyond catastrophic.