To be terrified about climate change?

[misspuggy]

Extinction rebellion has encouraged me to do a lot of reading around climate change. I admit, before this action I wasn't aware of quite how catastrophic climate change was. I'm now really quite scared, and worried for my son's future and the future of any children he may have.

The attitude of some world leaders towards climate change is also quite terrifying.

I can't join the extinction rebellion protests as I work in law enforcement, but am now quite proud of those there. My brother is one of those who was arrested.

Anyone else shitting themselves over it?

Honestly it really keeps me up at night

Especially since having my dd. She’s 9 months now and I’ve managed to really cut back on plastic usage etc. My kitchen and bathroom are completely plastic free (even the sponges!) and I buy local farmers market produce. Even just cutting out meat one day a week helps! Little changes really do make a difference to ease the anxiety for me. Though now I can’t even buy a pair of shoes without feeling guilt 😔

I was woefully uninformed until I started working with someone who is a big climate activist. And yes, I’m fucking terrified now. I worry that I have brought my dd into a world that is going to be horrendous for her.

It’s so good that people are starting to realise now though. It’s never too late! The big companies need endless pressure to get on board, because without them it doesn’t matter if we don’t fly, or drive or if we recycle. It’s just going to keep getting worse.

We have to keep hopeful. It's not yet too late to avoid the worst.
While it's terrifying right now, it's in public consciousness. The first step towards making changes.
Lots of people and groups are working on different projects.
I get anxiety anyway so have to work hard not to get consumed, while staying realistic.

YANBU but do something about it. Start with talking to your MP. Government need to know that the voters care enough about this to affect the way they vote.

We watched the David Attenborough programme as a family over the bank holiday and are all still a little shellshocked. We have resolved to do the following:

Reduce flights. We generally go abroad 3 times a year. We now won't.
Meat only 3 times a week (2 veggie meals, 2 fish)
Continue to grow our own fruit and veg as much as possible.
Plant trees
When my car needs replacing we will go for an electric car
Make sure everything is switched off if it doesn't need to be on
Continue to try to minimise plastic
Continue to try to minimise consumption in general.

I was really heartened by the fact that on the David Attenborough programme the scientists were stressing that every little thing does help and its the only way of avoiding those catastrophic events. Too often people say "there's no point". I was disappointed to come on MN though and find that there's not much chat about it. I thought it would be like the plastic thing and everyone would be taking small steps.

Yanbu it's terrifying. What worries me most though is it's general absence from from everyday life. We still talk about it in an abstract way and talk about changes in the future but by then it will be too late.

We are watching the netflix documentary our planet with our kids at the moment, it's not easy viewing but has been so educational. It's easy to be complacent when you aren't seeing the effects in your own back garden.

We are a very selfish species.

What really hit home to me and DH, sitting watching with DS1 (14) was that when we were 14, many moons ago, people were saying the same things and we as teens were blaming our parents generation for not doing anything. We're 30 years down the line and our generation has simply made the problem worse.

Its terrifying to think that we have ten years to try to get it under control.

When my car needs replacing we will go for an electric car

Electric vehicles emit more CO2 than diesel ones, German study shows

brusselstimes.com/business/technology/15050/electric-vehicles-emit-more-co2-than-diesel-ones,-german-study-shows?fbclid=IwAR0is5oI6dwrKQhZmlgcFGpD1EeX6KIXeszbM3SK3vpLcnKG0BKx8eDxOfo

brusselstimes.com/business/technology/15050/electric-vehicles-emit-more-co2-than-diesel-ones,-german-study-shows?fbclid=IwAR0is5oI6dwrKQhZmlgcFGpD1EeX6KIXeszbM3SK3vpLcnKG0BKx8eDxOfo

I agree- it is terrifying. We have just TEN years to sort it. What worries me is that governments just don’t seem to be doing anything! I’m pinning my hopes on Greta thurnberg

Totally agree OP, it's bloody scary. It's really the only thing we should we worried about. We are looking at the extinction of our species and most other species on this planet. What could be worse?

Imagine an asteroid was detected, that was going hit earth with catastrophic consequences in 12 years. Would people be panicking? I feel they would be. It would be all anyone would talk about. On the other hand maybe we would just ignore that as well.

I don't worry about it, the damage has already been done, China and America are the biggest polluter's yet they do nothing, i don't see the point in worrying about something you can't control, As the saying goes mankind has ruined the planet, it's to late now to try and repair it.

Absolutely terrified as well. The government seems to be doing nothing at all all. An individual going vegan, stopping flying and using plastic, getting an electric car all is great but it only goes so far (I do all these things though). Part of me feels we need actual revolution to get anything important done, the government and the governments around the world are backed by oil and coal and gas companies, everyone is too focused on their own personal gain to do anything. Feel we are completely screwed

I am too and my DD is very much an environmentalist. I’m
Going to make some more changes to plastic use. Annoyingly I am reliant on my car but it doesn’t exceed the ulez boundaries - hopefully will trade in for a more environmentally friendly model this year.
I feel whatever I do is a drop in the ocean of what China/tge US pumps out every day.

Why isn’t the govt discussing this instead of crappy Brexit - no-ones gonna give a shit about Brexit when we are all under water.
As for Trump - wish he’d fall off a cliff instead of that poor walrus.

Watched some of “Our Planet” with my kids. They were really upset and asking what they could do to helP. They found it difficult to link the steps that we already take (GIY, electric car, recycling, avoiding plastic) to melting icebergs on the screen. So I can see how some people might not feel their behaviour can help if they can’t link one thing to the other.

Fewer people might mean less consumption. No-one is ever prepared to say that we need fewer humans or to control the birth rate.

Why would mankind becoming extinct be a bad thing? We are all going to be dead at some point.

I watched the Sir David Attenborough programme on climate change the other day. D.A is like a god to me. I grew up watching him and if he says we are up shit street I believe him.

After watching I immediately switched to Green Energy with my supplier.

It absolutely terrifies me. It is one of the main reasons we decided to only have one child. This world is so overpopulated already.

I have started making small changes, cutting down on meat and diary products, not buying plastic bottles of water, not using cling film to store food, I have switched to a moon cup instead of pads/tampons, I am hoping to get an electric car in the next few years.

I know in the grand scheme of things it isn't much but it makes me feel like I am doing something.

i don't see the point in worrying about something you can't control

But the message of the programme was that if everyone did these things we could stop the trigger events which are going to bring about widespread devastation within our children's lifetimes.

Half of Eastern England disappearing is just one of the things that will directly affect us.

Cutting down on meat and dairy isn't enough! It must be cut out completely. Animal agriculture is responsible for approximately 30% of all emissions - switching to fish ( remember the oceans are dying too - eating fish only makes that worse) or just having meat a few times a week just isn't enough to help - we need significant numbers of people to go vegan if we are serious about saving the planet.

Yes but that isn't a realistic change for most people with families overnight.

Why not? just stop buying animal products, it's very easy. Aside from this, lobby your MP. I can't see it being much longer before even Extinction Rebellion are seen as not doing enough - I reckon there will be climate revolution in our lifetimes

Its that sort of attitude that puts people off though. I'm willing to make big changes which are realistic for us to try to achieve. If someone then comes along and says "well that's no good you need to change everything for it to make a difference" then nobody will ever do anything.

Meat 3 times a week only will be a very big change for us but we've decided as a family that its important. Cutting out all animal produce would not be doable at the moment.

@moscovv

You’re right! Thank you for the kick up the arse I needed. I’m not buying any more animal products. Those stats are ridiculous. It’s such an unnecessary thing and look what harm it’s doing.