I am terrified of the climate emergency but more terrified by how ambivalent others seem to be about it!

[CopperPatch]

Just that really, I see people sharing things on social media, commenting on threads, talking about climate change etc but actually changing their lives very, very little - or finding ways to justify not taking action.... it is not scaremongering, it is not a fear project, our planet will no longer sustain human life because of us but so, so many people seem to not care, or only care on a surface level - great click bait but changing their lives in any way seems a step to far. Yes we need wide-scale political and economic shifts but we also need every day action from every day people - and that is EVERYONE'S responsibility!!!! AIBU to expect more of everyone?!

I'm totally with you OP

I agree with you! It's sad and frightening how little people care. Carrying a reusable cloth bag isn't enough as many seem to think!

Thinking we can stave off environmental disaster by composting and cycling is like trying to beat stage 3 cancer by drinking 20 pounds of fruit and vegetable juice a day.

I have every sympathy with you, OP. I run one car for the whole family, recycle, compost, avoid plastics, nurture an insect friendly garden, cut hedgehog holes from my fences, only fly once every few years, etc. I just don't think any of these things will make any difference.

People cannot see the effects of this in their every day life, and will not in this country for some time. We are in one of the rare parts of the world where global warming is likely to increase crop production for some years to come. By the time the UK sees a large impact from this, every tipping point will have been passed.

I don't blame these ordinary people. I blame the billionaires, the oil moguls, big pharma, weapons manufacturers and dealers, the people who know the true facts and projections and spend their money obfuscating this for the sake of profit.

I think the world had a fork in its path, Bush or Gore, and we took the wrong path. I am not sure we have the time or the ability to recover from that mistake. Every glorious, record breaking summer day is bittersweet now. I can understand your frustration, but I can also understand the urge to simply enjoy what we have, whilst we have it.

Every glorious, record breaking summer day is bittersweet now. Totally agree, even James Lovelock says it's like moving the deck chairs on the Titanic now, it needs huge and radical leadership and that isn't coming from anywhere soon

What the planet might need is the extinction of the human race, or a large part thereof.

I don’t see how we can reverse the tide without completely destroying quality of life. I’d rather adapt than cut back on everything. Sorry if it upsets you that I have no interested in becoming a sustenance farmer than never goes beyond a 30 mile radius of her house nor do I care enough about how I look to hypocritically pretend that I my keep cup and use of public transport is going make any difference at all. I would rather accept that developing economies are going to destroy the planet in an attempt to raise their populations out of poverty and plan to adapt before its too late. What’s the point I destroying our economy in an attempt to curb the inevitable when we could use the money and economic leeway to find ways to cope in the event of catastrophic climate change?

What the planet needs is it’s forests back.
I know man made pollution plays a big part in climate change but how can the planet heal if the forests keep being destroyed?

I agree. I've tried switching to sero waste and not using plastic but sadly the nearest plastic free store is an hour drive from me.

People will care when those they love start dying horrifically.

To be honest I don’t really know what I could do within the constraints of my day to day life. Reusable bags yes, but trying to do a weekly shop without buying any food packaged in plastic, without buying expensive eco brands, how? I can’t afford to change the diesel car, and without it we can’t pay the mortgage as I wouldn’t have a salary. Imminent homelessness doesn’t work for me. I dont fly anywhere. I think we need global legislation so that China and the US also have to comply with large scale change. The UK using pac-a-bags and recycling their milk containers isn’t going to save us from disaster.

@nellodee what does climate change have to do with weapons and billionaires?

I don't think I would go overboard on it, but would just make small adjustments here and there.

When I saw the horrendous queues to climb Mt. Everest recently (and that's just one example), even though many died in their attempts, I thought, who really cares here?

But I will do my little bit anyway.

Unless the whole world does the same we are totally wasting our time really.

Should also addd I’m a bit sceptical of the whole thing tbh. I was taught in my ‘forward thinking’ secondary school that oil would definitely run out in 30 years, there would be no cars and we’d all cycle everywhere. It was a fact. In my 12 year old world I spent many hours worrying about this. 32 years ago.

I do my best to be environmentally concious. However, it annoys me when someone is encouraged to have their third, fourth, fifth child. I do enough by being childfree

Someone upthread mentioned the US. I don't see the US doing anything much to halt its car and oil-based activities.
Climate change was first "mentioned" in the early 1970s, by the way, and nobody took much notice.

The attitude of most people who accept climate change is that it’s too late to reverse it now purely by making small lifestyle changes.

Nobody’s going to accept reducing population, giving up travel, working only in local community, turning vegan, minimising energy use and waste to the extreme etc. Therefore, many people have given up hope - and this is understandable when for every person doing “their bit” is outnumbered by a factor of 10 people doing the opposite.

Mother Earth will eventually send a catastrophe to reduce the human population in an attempt to heal herself - and most people seem to be happy taking their chances with that.

Yanbu. I do quite a bit- buy as little "stuff" as possible, very rarely fly, tiny economic car, mainly vegan diet, and am searching all the time for ways to do more. But then I look out of the window and our neighbors on either side have 2 giant gas guzzling 4x4s on each drive, large lawns they have covered in plastic grass, huge numbers of plastic toys everywhere and seem to go shopping as a hobby several times a week.... And I just wonder why I bother! It feels like our efforts are so futile in the face of complete apathy.

I agree. I’m terrified about climate change apathy. All the families at school who talk about using beeswax wraps are all going on medium and long haul holidays this summer. And therein lies the problem- people want change but they don’t want it to impact their plans or lifestyle.

What horrified me the most is that a 15 year old girl is out there making more noise about this issue than the World leaders. What do people not understand? And even with our progressive attitudes in the UK, as a nation we are small fry; the large world producers, and economies, continue to pump the world full of shite, all in the name of progress. It's not progress though, it's capitalism. Money. Greed. I read a book called 'The Overstory' this week and it makes climate change so utterly simple to see and fix. We just have to want to. And sadly, most of the decision makers don't.

So we try to do things to avoid climate change. Great.

But US is abysmal in this regard, as are many other countries too. They don't believe in it. (money I suppose). So we are just doing things to make us feel better in ourselves here.

Global acceptance of steps to be taken to avoid climate change is very slow, or non existent.

Deforestation of the Amazon rain forest is one of them, and there are many others.

Now that it is on everyone's agenda, I'd give it 50 years minimum.

But every little helps.

And soon enough we will have chlorinated chicken labelled as something else.

Sorry, I could go on. But unless the world is in tune, it is a useless exercise globally, but good for our local areas I suppose.

It seems to me that the majority of people who have the power to make a difference to climate change also have the money to adapt when the shit does hit the fan, so they're not really inclined to spend now. It's very upsetting and scary for the those of us who cannot make the big changes.

Not sure why you need to know Gilbert - but short haul once every few years to see family who live somewhere fairly remote

I think more responsibility needs to be put on the manufacturers.
They are the ones wrapping everything in plastic and making items that are non recyclable, don't even get me started on items that are designed to be obsolete every few years e.g phones.
We can all do our little bit but the manufacturers are the ones with the power to make a big difference imo.

Does no one see that even if we here, do everything in our power to lessen the effects of climate change and use less plastic, and overdone packaging, and cycle and walk and so on....

It will NOT matter unless the entire country and the world is engaged also.

Flights won't stop. Big 4x4s will not stop being purchased, nor will cars, recycling can be hit and miss. And so on.

That makes me think again. But I will try to to my bit just the same, but feel it is wasted somewhat if others don't give a fig.