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?!

My six year old is REALLY into space and planets and I’ve read a lot of books and watched lots of documentaries about the subject.

What Ive learnt is ‘our planet’ does not give a shit about us. The universe is full of billions of stars, solar systems and planets. Most of which are undiscovered. The universe doesn’t care if we exist or not, our planet could blow into a million pieces and really it wouldn’t matter.

It would be more useful to discuss the ability for Earth to support life in the future. Every animal has its day and I imagine our days are indeed numbered. The tipping point has already been reached and I don’t think there’s anything we can do now, that’s why I don’t overly stress about it. I do have children and my advice to them will be to have as much fun as they can and wring out everyday. What’s the point in being alive and spending each and everyday worrying?

@MaxNormal
Because I don't have the worry of what they might live through in the future when all this gets really bad.
🤦🏽‍♀️

I think the problem is that wildly over exaggerated claims have been made which people then (wrongly) take as disproving the entire theory. So Prince Charles told us a lot more than 100 months ago that we only had 100 months to save the planet, while that infamous Independent article in 2000 quoted a professor saying that in 10 years time children won’t know what snow is.

It’s a bit like a slightly barking parent at the beach saying the tide is coming in and unless everyone gets off the beach in 5 minutes we will all drown; if doesn’t change the fact that eventually the tide will come all the way in and we will all have to leave the beach

@Ghanagirl what's your problem?

@Provincialbelle

You are so right there. For example this quote I keep reading recently that there's only 12 or 15 years to put things into action or we are past the point of all return!. I kept reading and hearing this quote associated with Greta Thunberg. I must admit I just switched off, as I have heard all the 'We'll never see snow again' and 'Cold winters will be a thing of the past' quotes over and over.

I think it's far to late to try and change thing's the damage has been done, yes Al Gore and Prince Charles were concerned about climate year many year's ago i remember when people were calling Prince Charles a headcase when he talked about climate change, you can't blame some countries for not doing anything us in this country aren't really doing much, we recycle a bit, but we're still buying food wrapped in plastic and drinks in plastic bottles, big companies need to change until they do we just do what we can

I didn't start the thread Ghanagirl.

And I said picking because you started throwing accusation of being smug and privileged at me.

It's perfectly possible to disagree with someone with someone without calling them names. This is what I'm trying to do.

I won't engage with you anymore, because I don't want to derail the thread any further.

I made a thread a while ago on here and asked if anyone was prepared to make an actual sacrifice for the sake of climate change. Very few were.

We have little chance of turning it around. Unless it's starts to affect people's pockets, they're not invested enough. And, by the time it starts to hit people in the pocket, it may well be too late, anyway.

Of course there is a point in doing your bit. What the 'what's the point

“Just skimming this thread I'm so surprised at how extreme the posts are.”

Me too - and a lot of misinformation along with the “we are fucked” posts.

Engage with politics, lobby big companies to change. Make your action positive instead of passive. There is plenty we can do and there is a groundswell of knowledge and action happening, all over the world.

Sorry...didnt finish.
What the 'what's the point?' brigade mean is they cannot be arsed.
Buying a reusable bag or coffee cup is so little effort ( and saves money) and does make a difference.
Thanks to the plastic bag tax , single use carrier bags have declined by 95%. That is huge!

Re the world's population, I have a feeling, Ebola or similar virus mutation could very easily sort out the over population.
The population has risen so high because of better sanitation, healthcare and vaccines. A virus we can't control will sort it out.
Mother Earth will rise again!

^^ this.

I have raised this before. We need to do some major things -

Give up passports

Seize major rainforests from a handful of exploitative governments instead of seizing oilfields

Learn to live in a contracting economy

Or another world war, we will then all be wiped off the planet and none of us will have to worry about it

serious question how do we stop the climate changing the world is 4.5 billion years old and the climate has always changed

Oh great, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison is on the thread.

Or is that you, Donald Trump?

I hope giving up passports is worldwide not just us not having our holidays. would that also mean all immigration would stop?

Natural climate change and human influenced climate change can go together.

It’s just that if your house is burning down you don’t pour more petrol onto it.

Give up passports;

Businesses can skype etc - why does a technology rep have to fly to Singapore to sell computers. The planet is more important.

Domestic - we have to get used to staying at home, or move to the sun or mountains permanently. Soon, very soon travel will be rationed based on backsolving how much CO2 emissions are ‘acceptable’

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 can wear recycled beeswax undies and have a keep cup but it’s not going to make any difference. The only thing that will make a difference is getting developing nations to play along and that would take political and economic sanctions that no one is up for.

Everybody can make a difference Hopping they just have to be meaningful. Cut something out you used to do.

If everybody did that the difference might get noticeable. And believable. Then we are starting to roll.

The only thing that will make a difference is getting developing nations to play along and that would take political and economic sanctions that no one is up for

Doesn't paint the full picture. We need them on board, but there is still plenty western nations can do also.

Until there is a massive transfer of intellectual property to poorer nations, allowing them to exploit and retain the profits, rainforests and natural resources will be depleted cheaply and mass economic immigration will ensue.

Developed nations, west, east, north and south need to accept living with less.

No one is going to accept living with less, certainly not China, Russia, Brazil or India, whose emissions will all dwarf those of the west. They will be thrilled to see us impoverish ourselves, but it will make zero difference to global emissions.

Developing nations are taking action for themselves and their per head emissions are way lower than the developed world. Developing nations have a huge incentive because they’re the ones who are going to feel the impacts earlier. It won’t be long before China is taking way more action than the US because they’re a totalitarian state who can impose the solutions. One of the things people should really fear about climate change is that totalitarian government will become more widespread.

Where is the evidence China is taking action?