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?!

But it's us the consumer who drive the supply and demand for new cars, phones etc

Yanbu.
I'm getting more huffy and middle aged about it. Litter pick locally, even my dc's have accepted we should eat very little meat, got the train today, less package and more glass packaging etc.
But so many people won't change 🤷‍♀️.

We still, no matter what we do (which is great) have to deal with others, and other countries who will not do anything.

That is a big problem.

I think a lot of people have far more to be immediately terrified about.

Yanbu op, I agree.

I watched the documentary the facts about climate change (I think it was called that) and it made me so worried for my baby's future. All my mummy friends on the other hand seem to be in a bubble!

Won't work until US complies. No chance of that happening now.

They have the high hand in any post Brexit agreements.

Doesn't matter whether you are pro or against Brexit now. US will dictate the terms. And I don't think they are pro climate change either.

Profit. You see.

So blame the US, not the bozos who voted for Brexit and still support it.

I'm getting more huffy and middle aged about it. Litter pick locally, even my dc's have accepted we should eat very little meat, got the train today, less package and more glass packaging etc.

My understanding is that glass packaging had a higher carbon footprint than plastic. I'm not for a second advocating single use plastic but I see this been a massive focus on a lot of groups I'm on with people seeking out alternatives like glass and other things that result in higher emissions (driving all over town to various zero waste places being a good example).

Oh I hope not formerly.
I do walk almost everywhere and almost always go to the supermarket on foot. Maybe that cancels out some of it .

No every little things doesn’t help.

We’re past that.

We need radical action if we want to survive.

BogglesGoggles Billionaires are responsible, because they make their money through oil, weapons, drugs, or politically used information. The aims of the oil industry are obviously diametrically opposed to those trying to prevent global warming. The weapons industry will gain from global warming and destabilisation of governments. Drug companies and agriculture are complicit in the failure of antibiotics, massive deforestation and the wiping out of insects. Big tech companies seem to be invested in designing clever propaganda to make people vote against their own best interests. So many people have a vested interest in making money from the end of the world, knowing they can just retreat into their ever shrinking bubble of luxury.

I agree Chardonnay how the hell you shove everything back I do not know, Pandora's box is well and truly open

We all know how.

We have to consume less, fly less, stop deforestation.

We have to think 50 years ahead. We have to think "In 50 years time, will my child be grateful Ido this this or this, or this?" Will they still be grateful for the Nutella, holidays, happy meals toys we think we should provide them with?

We know what we have to do. It just hasn't sunk in yet.

All our efforts will only work if every country in the world is on the same page surely?

It's hard because we can only do so much.

For example I live rurally because it's cheap. My mortgage is a third of the cost of a mortgage in the town where I work. There's no public transport and it's too far (and dangerous) to walk or cycle so I need a car - it's a 40 minute drive. DH works in another town 40 minutes away, but it's in the opposite direction. Again, there's no public transport so he also needs a car.

Most people in our little coastal town are in the same position. Like a PP said - without our cars we wouldn't be able to survive.

The problem is we're almost certainly fucked already.

The problem cannot be solved by recycling, reducing single use plastics, going vegan, walking and cycling, taking fewer flights, buying beeswax wraps, using a mooncup, composting bla bla bla.

The problem is agriculture, cities and capitalism. Try turning those juggernauts around. It is possible but it will be extremely difficult at best, bloody and dangerous at worst, because we have grown to expect life to be comfortable and because those with the actual power to change things have a strong vested interest in those systems perpetuating themselves.

We're heading for bumpy times, whether we successfully challenge these systems or not.

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

If we carry on as we are that's what all our (few surviving) grandchildren or great-grandchildren will face, whether they have an interest in it or not. And we're the lucky ones. Already there are vast swathes of the population of this planet who would give their eye teeth to be able to manage sustainable subsistence at the place they call home.

I'm not saying don't do all those small personal things that slightly reduce the harm you do to the planet, just don't expend too much energy on it - your energy is better spent actively working towards more profound change. The time you spend sorting and washing your recycling, or sourcing ethical local products, might be better spent putting politicians on the spot or engaging in direct action.

This is an astonishing video which gives the biggest overview of what we're up against. It's from 2012 and things have got predictably worse since then. The second video is just the last 8 minutes, it's about an hour altogether:

it's like we're picking crisp packets up in our streets while America, India, China and others are emptying skips on the village green. Wasting our time until they start looking after the planet

yes youre right al gore was right wen he said the North polar ice cap would not exist now and we all have to do something well if you are ric and live in a western country and

by the way out of interest does climate change make the sea more or less salty?
www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/oct/27/climate-change-water
www.livescience.com/3883-global-warming-sea-salty.html

But it's us the consumer who drive the supply and demand for new cars, phones etc

Oh you sweet summer child.

I care a lot but I just don't know what to do. I have to keep going to work. I'm so tired at the end of the day. I recycle, reduce meat, take the bus, avoid plastic, sign petitions .. but then sometimes I make bad choices too like our friends invited us on holiday and we said yes. We need friends. I will carbon offset it. I feel bad. I'm tired. I don't know.

Eh? Patronising

@CopperPatch
I think you’re being incredibly dramatic.
I have two black children and racism impacts us right now every F***g day but we also recycle and do meet free Monday.
I have no idea what your personal situation is but some people have immediately pressing issues so don’t have the luxury of handwringing over something in the future.
YANBU to not think about things outside your own box.

I'm on medication for anxiety about this so reading threads like this is probably not a great idea for me. But I guess there's no hiding from the truth of it is there? It honestly makes me want to end it all now before this all comes to fruition. I feel unbelievably guilty for bringing my children into a world where this is their future.

You can't stop it happening. Even if the stats of things like China causing 80% of the worlds pollution aren't true, many countries and organisations are the cause of pollution. And as they make lots of money doing this, you're onto a losing battle trying to get them to change. You stop using plastic, so what? It's still on the shelves, people still buy it. It still caused pollution being made. So not buying it makes no difference to the world.

You're not going to change anything. The world as we know it is screwed and not everyone will survive. Well most won't survive actually. Worrying about it just causes you stress unnecessarily. It will happen regardless.