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've admittedly not really looked at all the research, but I thought there was some doubt as to whether global warming was even real?

LordRudolph you can't be serious?

Actually, I think I may have been thinking of the hole in the ozone layer...

I'm not particularly concerned either way tbh. I'll be dead long before then and don't have/want any children. If the human race dies out it'll be our own doing and a tiny blip in the universe.

That's not likely though whereas climate change is

What? I don’t think you’ve understood my point.

I’m saying that even if the UK went entirely green tomorrow it’ll make no difference because we’re so small in terms of our impact. The whole world (particularly US and China) need to be on board.

On a positive not is anyone else loving the UK summers now? ☀️

No.

House is like a sauna, dogs are miserable, gardens are suffering, and the least said about public transport the better. It's far too hot.

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 are and have. Just by being less well off than average we have inadvertently "done our bit". We have ONE car (a small hatchback) in our family of ONE child. We can't afford to go abroad and our passports expired years ago. DS doesn't have one. We have bought a part-owned house ran on electricity by air source heating. No gas, no oil, no coal, no wood. We tend to shop locally if we can afford it.

Is this enough to help reverse climate change? I don't know. But i do feel that if there was more acceptance of making do with less then we'd be somewhere towards a solution. The problem is there's always those who want and consume more and what they have is never enough.

@groundanchochillipowder are you okay love?

To everyone saying "there's no point changing until the US and China do," there ARE changes coming from those quarters. It might not look like it with Trump in charge but there is a resistance to his narrative and individual states are taking action - take a closer look beyond the large headlines and read about the work that is being done. China is reforesting and closing its coal plants.

Much more could be done but it is not game over, not by a long shot.

Yes, dear, I'm fine, calm down.

@Gilbert1A Yes, the climate is always changing. Over the past 400,000 years we've had 4 ice Ages. It takes 80,000 years to cool down by 4degC, (ice all the way to the Channel or even Spain) and then 20,000 years to warm back up by 4degC. And the CO2 changes from 180 parts per million (ppm) to 280ppm.
Over the past hundred years, we've risen by 1degC - 50 times faster than the natural change. And CO2 is 415ppm - almost double the natural average, and it's rising fast .
So yes, things normally change. But not this much. And not this fast.
And 4degC is the difference between full-on peak Ice Age, and 100 years ago. Can you imagine what it might be like if it changes as much as that again, but hotter?
We know how fast things used to change. It was like doing 2mph on the motorway compared to speeding on the motorway now.

China is reforesting and closing its coal plants

Where are you getting this information? China is certainly not closing coal plants! They are looking into alternatives, but fossil fuels will make up the largest source of their energy generation and there’s no real plan to change that.

Also, China’s reforestation effort is just planting the same trees over the land. It does prevent soil erosion (landslides are a real problem) but does nothing for biodiversity. In fact native forest is still slightly shrinking

The individual Chinese person has quite a low carbon footprint, relatively speaking, but expectations are rising as fast as their living standards. I wouldn’t expect much tbh

Tbh as a species we don't deserve to survive. Harsh but fair.
Most species only take what they need. Humans are greedy. No other species is dumb enough to soil their own nest without really caring about the consequences.

I agree. We don't deserve this beautiful planet.

We don't deserve to be here it's so true. Our demise is going to be very unpleasant though I fear.

The cruelty is that those that do care will be destroyed alongside those that don’t. Thread on here now merrily contemplating whether to have 4th kid or not

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

But what sacrifices? I don’t have kids and don’t drive. People who have two kids then do a bit of recycling are doing fuck all to help the planet.

““A US family who chooses to have one fewer child would provide the same level of emissions reductions as 684 teenagers who choose to adopt comprehensive recycling for the rest of their lives”

So you’d need to get 1300 teenagers to recycle for the rest of their lives just to offset the damage of YOUR two kids.

www.independent.co.uk/environment/children-carbon-footprint-climate-change-damage-having-kids-research-a7837961.html

@Al2O3
Give up passports
No thanks, I had my first trip abroad aged 20 as we couldn’t afford holidays abroad as children.
My mum flew once during my childhood to return home to bury her mother I never met one of my cousins till I was an adult.
My children on the other hand have been all over the world and they are not yet teenagers.
They know cousins from both myself and DH’s families and have been able to refute the stereotypes regarding Africa by staying in their Grandparents beautiful house.
I’m pretty sure all those trying to restrict travel have flown pretty extensively since childhood.

@Riggald

Explain how 60% of wildlife has disappeared since 1950 if not for global warming?

@Al2O3

You cannot be serious. You have kids! How can someone who has done THE most destructive thing for the planet be lecturing others??!

Read the above article I linked. Now get out there and force 1300 teenagers to recycle for the rest or their lives to offset the damage of your little darlings.

Until America come on board, what we're doing will have little affect.

@wheresmymojo
I’m sorry but blaming people of colour for something that westerners have created is pretty low which is why I choose not listen to over privileged handwringing.
go and live in a yurt if you want but white people telling me what to do pisses me off.

Oh and we’re doing 4 holidays this year and we have 2 SUV’s