To wonder how the general public would actually react if the government took drastic climate change measures?

[tequilasunrises]

I’m talking about measures that would severely restrict people’s ability to live how they choose. For example, implanting a one/two child policy, heavy restrictions on animal products and car and air travel mileage.

From reading threads on here and talking to people in real life it is clear that many people agree something needs to be done to stop climate change but aren’t willing to make the bigger sacrifices.

So, who thinks there would be uproar and who thinks the public would be behind extreme measures?

I’d be very sad to have my travel opportunities limited but would be behind it for the greater good.

How I would react - I would welcome most changes that would help save our planet.

I would want to see the science behind limiting family size because a)often women who have a lot of children haven't had much of a say in the matter and b) different groups of people might be differently affected eg New Scots from Syria might plan to have 3 or 4 children but might not use a lot of resources compared to a white 2-child family due to income. V generalized obv.

I long for a government that can think long term and put something lasting in place that helps with carbon output.

We don't use much new stuff. We don't ever fly. Our electricity bills aren't too bad.
It wouldn't affect us much.

Dp drives to her work though.
It would be 4x longer by public transport as things stand

I think we should make the supermarkets change their plastic waste instead of putting it all on us honestly they keep wrapping everything in plastic there is no need for it all and even when I buy plastic wrapped chicken they put it in another bag at the checkout

Put simply we have known for years orange nets and plastic wrapped cucumbers etc are no good for the environment but nothing has been done I actually used to shop with a lass who took the plastic off her products at the till and gave it back to them personally I would never have the balls 🤷‍♀️

Maybe the policy should affect corporations.
Obviously there would be uproar if our things are restricted, but bog companies AND government would still be doing whatever the fuck they want to.
Proper policy impacting the big ones will motivate people to do more too.
And how would you restrict a milage? Small businesses need a car and go for shopping and take deliveries to customers.

There was an article few years back that 100 companies cause over 70 (?)% of emissions. Banning someone like me to go to cash and carry more than 2x a week is not going to save us🤷

Honestly, I'd be raging. I think we are policed quite enough. Let the corporations do stuff.

And yes to reducing family size . Population will have to be controlled at some point whether we agree or not . Perhaps we could introduce some kind of test which you need to pass before having children ? I think that would be beneficial in the long run but can’t imagine any government wanting to do it .

Basically whatever we small people do will have fuck all effect. And that's very frustrating.

Thing is you can’t just stop things unless there are some reasonable alternatives. I can’t get a bus to work. First bus out of the village is at 7.30am, but takes more than 1 1/2 hrs to get 11 miles to the city I work in, so have to drive to work. No way I’m cycling on windy roads with people driving too fast.

Work places need to be more flexible and change working practices - so things like more home working to enable people to not travel as much.

What about the government putting restrictions on all the plastic tat that's constantly marketed to us?

Plus the packaging?

Why aren't they acting??? Waiting for US trade deal to swamp us further with crap, genetically modified foods included.

I’d be relieved, for us all.

purpletigers realistically it would never work unless we were going to introduce forced abortions, or fertility monitoring like in Communist Romania. It would be a massive restriction on women.

If the government hit big businesses with laws to reduce climate change which is where it really needs to happen, I think the public would be extremely pleased.

Flying is the worst thing any one of us can do. We all need to stop now.
Anyone who feels dramatic and systemic change isn’t needed, should read or watch Professor Jem Bendell.

I really hope the parenting test isn’t a serious suggestion, Purpletigers. That’s starting to sound like eugenics. I find it fairly disturbing, even it it was meant as a joke.

As parent to one child who hasn't flown for years and is fortunate enough to be able to buy mostly food that is produced locally; I wouldn't mind. None of these choices have been for environment reasons to be honest, but I guess it's a happy by product! The government would need to make things accessible for all though, not like a lot of very expensive eco options now which are out of reach for most people. Limiting air traffic seems like a good idea (people who fly somewhere for a meeting which would be done on Skype, for example), but it would be a shame to eradicate it altogether I guess.

My aunt goes on and on about climate change, usually whilst in the airport for her constant flights to her holiday home in Spain

There are still a lot of climate change deniers out there. I was reading a BBC news post on Instagram regarding Greta and her boat trip to the US - all the sceptical comments about climate change were getting the most ‘likes’. Tbh I would love to see a government make proper changes to get the message firmly across - won’t happen until it’s absolutely desperate.

Losing battle from some of these responses I think!

I certainly think these carbon hungry activities should be taxed more to dissuade people from doing them. And supermarket plastics should be standardised so that they can be more easily recycled - and recycled in this country rather than shipping our waste elsewhere where we can absolve ourselves of responsibility of what happens to it.

Unfortunately as a country we are talking about increasing trade from across the Atlantic and even from australia rather than keeping trade with our nearest neighbours! And where there might have been the opportunity to standardise use of plastic across the EU we are opting out

I don’t particularly like motor racing but I can’t imagine it has a significant impact in itself, except that all global sport encourages people to travel to get to it

Imho a big part of the problem is that climate change isn't effecting us (in the UK) that much yet. There are more short-term extreme weather events e.g. heatwaves, flooding, snow etc but it's nothing like it'll be in 100 years time. So it's easy for people to convince themselves nothing is happening, especially when it's up against "here and now" emotions like feeling stressed out and in need of a holiday in the sun.

Regarding a 1 or 2 child policy, I think that would be hard to implement nowadays when so many people live in blended families and have kids with different partners. Would it be 1 child per adult or 2 per woman? What if a woman with 2 children meets a man with none?

people won’t accept it unless the world do it. And that’s the problem, you’ve people in America using disposable plates instead of proper plates to save washing up, Brazil ripping up its rain forest. People denying climate change.

It’s also a bigger picture, like the anti plastic brigade, not all plastic is bad. If it’s wrapping food that helps preserve it, meaning less has to be produced and there’s less waste - what’s worse for the environment? Degrading plastics would be the solution there.
It’s hard to get it right. Even electric cars, the power, the mining for batteries (and deterioration). It’s not straight forward.

The thing that pisses me off, we’ve known for decades.

It’s going to have to happen we can’t go on like this.
I would welcome it. People are adaptable.
Rationing flying would be good. You can still fly but you have a limit.
All those saying “corporations” need to act you so realise they are entirely led by us the consumers? If we stop buying and take direct action they have to respond.

Providing the measures were sensible and effective then I’d be relieved. Corporations would obviously have to be targeted too, and I’d worry about how that would affect our global competitiveness. I’d hope that our measures would be part of a global movement, although realise this would be unlikely.

At present I am too selfish to curtail my lifestyle in the way that it needs to. If I was forced to and I knew others were doing the same (and therefore it was making a difference) then I would be happy with this.

It was tongue in cheek but I do think there’s a lot to be said from only breeding from the best . A bit like farming . Unfortunately I would have been culled after my first pregnancy .

I would be for some and against other things. For example, I would highly disagree with the one child limits. Look at China, who did it and are now suffering from lack of women. This would make the world unsafe for the girls who are born. Instead I would pump millions of pounds into developing safe contraception methord that is 100% effective and approved by the majority of anti contraception people (basically works by stopping ovulation full stop).

I would support any government who was pro working from home, eliminating needing to travel for work. And creating lot of jobs for local people so they could walk/ bike to work. Safety would then need to be increased to stop bikes from being stolen so easily.

I like the idea of only flying after applying for a flying type visa, where the government impose restrictions on who could fly.

One very simple start-no more disposable cups for drinks(tea/coffee, etc) anywhere in the world. That wouldn’t hurt anyone, really.

Restricting family wouldn't work it woud bd seen as impinging human rights.

As for the others, i restrict my own where possible but infrastructure needs to change first. My company suggests home working where possible to save commuting. More companies that can offer WFH and more lift share incentives could help commuting emissions, especially pushing to use Skype or vid calling instead of air travel.

And yes to all countries doing it. It would require worldwide collaboration.