If it’s that bad, why aren’t we panicking more??

[Nightgardenisodd]

Climate change.
I keep reading posts about it and it’s scaring the crap out of me for my DD’s future.
How bad is it? Anyone have any positivity about it?

@Bluebellsinparadise I totally agree. However, I don't know how to engage everybody either. It did seem, though, as if David Attenborourgh's "Blue Planet" did get a larger group's attention.

50% of all global co2 emissions are due to intensive animal farming
@afriusaenghather
Do you have a link for this?

@afriusaenghather Here we go again. We talk about climate and immediately someone is aggressive. But since you demand to know what I do:

• We still eat some fish and meat but have cut down a lot and have exchanged some of the red meat for chicken as it is better for the environment.
• Eat leftovers. (This we have always done. We have always wasted very little food)
• Have swapped 2/3 of our use of rice for pearl barley instead.
• Grow a large portion of our own vegetables ourselves and make jam, cordial, and cider from our own produce. We have an allotment.
• Buy more organic and local produce. Much of it from a shop which does not use plastic.
• In general, going after food in containers made of cardboard or paper instead of plastic.
• When we cook a ragout, we boil it for an hour and then cover the pot with towels for the remaining two hours instead of keeping it on low heat on the stove.
• Turn off the oven a little before time and let the food finish on the remaining heat.
• Stopped buying things that contain palm oil.
• Primarily buying tea in one bigger bag instead of individual tea bags as a lot of them contain plastic.
• Use shopping bags made out of textile instead of plastic. Most of them made with scraps we had. Most more than 20 years old.
• Use bamboo toothbrushes and in general swap plastic for wood when we buy new things.
• Always looking for the documented most environmentally friendly solutions whenever we buy something.
• Environmentally friendly scrunges, and hardly any use of bleach.
• Use scraps from old t-shirts for cleaning the house.
• Kitchen cloths mainly knitted from second-hand cotton yarn. (Thanks mum)
• Reuseable food wrapping such as lunch boxes and bee wax wrappings.
• Compostable bin bags and we reuse the plastic bags from toilet paper as bin bags as well.
• Composting
• Sorting garbage. When something can be recycled but is not collected at our house we find a place to recycle it.
• Have a low consumption and buy many items second-hand.
• Donate unwanted items to charity shops.
• Reuse and mend clothing and household items.
• Keep clothes for many years.
• Use washing nuts instead of washing powder. This is also good for your wallet as we are still on the one kilo of washing nuts we bought more than 3 years ago and that kilo cost the same as one kilo of washing powder.
• Make my own dishwashing tablets from washing soda, baking soda, distilled vinegar, and Epsom salt to save the environment from the borax that is in almost all dishwashing tablets you can buy.
• Dry the hanging outside whenever possible instead of using the dryer.
• One of our cars is a hybrid. We only put fuel in that a couple of times a year. The other car we don't have to pay road tax on as it doesn't pollute much either.
• Work from home when possible.
• Walk to the shops instead of using a car when possible.
• Choosing trains instead of cars whenever possible,
• Turn off the lights in rooms we do not use.
• Live in a well-insulated house, so less waste of power.
• Put on a sweater instead of turning up the heat.
• I have written to Aldi and Tesco to ask them to please sell items such as beans, rice, and oats in paper instead of plastic.
• My husband has influenced his company to implement more heating-efficient solutions and I have influenced my company to change some of the things we buy to be more environmentally friendly.
• Have influenced others to be more environmentally friendly. Two of our neighbours have now bought hybrid cars because they saw how well it worked for us and my inlaws have bought an electric car and have also clearly stated that we inspired them to do so. Two families we are friends with have switched over to washing nuts after seeing how well it worked for us.

It is now at a point where it is getting exceedingly more difficult to find more environmental solutions. Never the less we try. Shampoo bars didn't work for us. Our daughter and I just have too thick hair, I guess.

@Fimofriend what an awesome list - and great ideas- thanks for sharing

@GreatAuntEmily

50% of all global co2 emissions are due to intensive animal farming *@afriusaenghather* Do you have a link for this?

This has been disproven very recently. I read something about it (something valid as well not a farmer's Facebook page)

Can't for the life of me think where though sorry

That's a really impressive list. We do a lot of that but not as thoroughly or as well - have taken notes!

There's a difference between pasture fed and grain fed cows - my understanding is when cows eat the grass the roots underneath die off a little bit in response so you actually build up soil. That's where the really thick good soil on the plains of America - that we are now exhausting through industrialised agriculture and monocroppimg - came from. I would eat beef from cows raised in a regenerative farming pasture fed long rotation kind of system. I completely agree we shouldn't be eating grain or soy fed cows from industrial feedlots. I don't think we should be eating fish at all, unless it's things like mussels grown on ropes.

Doesn't a really really large proportion of the plastic waste in the sea come from the fishing industry? That's another reason not to support it.

An interesting facet to Brexit earlier this year for me was finding out how much of our waters were class 2 or whatever - basically unclean. Like the previous poster saying about the sewage flows into our rivers and seas. That should be unacceptable.

@Bluebellsinparadise

Most people don't give a fuck about Climate destruction, they are looking forward to hols, opening up hospitality etc

What a lovely attitude! How dismissive you are of the many people who live in the U.K. who probably have a lot of financial pressures and day to day worries that eclipse climate change. It’s a privilege to have the luxury of worrying about things other than how you’re going to pay the bills and put food on the table.

Also a lot of people can’t afford a holiday abroad or to eat out.

Most people don't live in penury in the UK, 40 million foreign trips were made by British people pre CV (many multiple trips)

Rich or poor, the vast majority people do not care about climate destruction or rather they are not willing to change any aspect of their lives.

You may not like that but that doesn't make it any less true.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

A general election won't change anything for the better.

Both parties will be wary of the green agenda, it's expensive. It's not a vote winner, there is already moaning that it will cost too much for the Red/Blue wall and the traditional conservative middle class voters won't be happy to shoulder the whole cost.

It will be worse.

As i said, IF people really care, they won't be voting Tory or Labour, they'll intend to vote Green.

What would both parties do if the Greens were at 45% in the polls and all 3 main parties at 10 or 15% ?

You can bet your last vegan burger that policies would very quickly change.

But of course this won't happen, which is why i said earlier "people dont care" if they did, they wouldn't support the main parties because without political change (and not just in the UK) we wont begin to address this issue until it is far too late.

As i said, IF people really care, they won't be voting Tory or Labour, they'll intend to vote Green.

That’s not going to happen, their policies are utterly unhinged and unworkable.

We need the mainstream parties to have a sound environment policy, but that’s not a vote winner.,

And it’s not about whether people care, I care but I’m not voting for the Green Party.

This is something I'm getting more anxious about but as someone who doesn't follow news on a regular basis due to my anxieties, I'm not really sure a) where to start and b) that whatever I do will be such a tiny drop in the ocean.

Everyone I know seems to be massive consumers of energy, plastic buyers, very wasteful. Go on lots of holidays, multiple cars. I just feel as if it will never be enough without the government making the massive changes like they did with Covid. Even then people ignored but lots of people did comply. Without government, other countries and big businesses doing anything m, what hope do we have.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

And it’s not about whether people care, I care but I’m not voting for the Green Party.

But you'll vote for a party that wants and is planning for airport expansion? has issued oil exploration licences out til 2050 and gave permission for a coal mine?

Care maybe... but not enough.

I don't see what is so terrible.

www.greenparty.org.uk/assets/files/Elections/EasyRead%20Manifesto%202019.pdf

Maybe I don’t care as much as I think.

Also, let’s not forget that it was Labour who pushed the Heathrow expansion with the building of terminal 5 and the white paper on airport capacity.

Again, I’m sorry, for me the Green Party proposals are completely unworkable.

The bottom line is, you may as well enjoy life while you can, to the fullest really. An that's because the Government isn't interested. So there will never be a proper change. Not great for our future generations but that's the way it is if government aren't willing to step up

A collective group of people in their millions will NOT make active change without active leadership

@ChardonnaysPetDragon

Also, let’s not forget that it was Labour who pushed the Heathrow expansion with the building of terminal 5 and the white paper on airport capacity.

Again, I’m sorry, for me the Green Party proposals are completely unworkable.

Yeah sure but they ain't in power, so its not relevant and it was Johnson who said he would lay down in front of the bulldozzers then went on a foreign trip to avoid the 'vote :(

I'm not sure on a universal basic wage but compared to living with 50'C summers and mass flooding, possibly not a deal breaker?

Again, I’m sorry, for me the Green Party proposals are completely unworkable. This is a line from the 'climate delay' handbook, beloved by Tories everywhere these days.

We have moved past climate denial, as everyone with access to the news can see what is happening.

Now we get climate delay:

It is too expensive to do anything
People won't accept too much change
It is too complicated
It is unworkable
etc etc etc

What, specifically, is unworkable? We shut down our whole country last year. Anything can be done if there is purpose and will.

I vote green but I live in a very safe conservative seat. So I dont really have to engage with whether the policies are workable, just what signal they send to the sitting MP.
Im not really sure what their defence policies are

@wherearemychickens

An interesting facet to Brexit earlier this year for me was finding out how much of our waters were class 2 or whatever - basically unclean. Like the previous poster saying about the sewage flows into our rivers and seas. That should be unacceptable.

Yes, I found that interesting as well. It isn’t that long ago that our rivers were said to be the cleanest theyd been since before the Industrial Revolution and were a big environmental success story. We’re also supposed to have strong marine conservation zones. Either it was —lies— exaggerated or something’s changed massively. Something to look into.

@Fimofriend that’s an impressive list. I’ve just started a bit of brewing but haven’t tried cider yet! Any other tips for beginning food preservation? I can make jam. Also, what are soap nuts please, I have seen them around but haven’t tried them yet.

ANYTHING CAN BE DONE WITH PURPOSE AND WILL

I hugely agree with this.

1. Tell people they're not flying anymore - allocate them one flight a year

1. Force people to only buy electric cars by not allowing manufacturers and dealers to sell them - they're all allowed to sell off pre-2021 stock. And hopefully all older cars (and classics) will be kept on the road longer.

1. Force people to only buy eco-boilers - if you own your property give them an interest free/very low interest loan to pay for it, if they can't afford it put a charge on their house for it to be paid for when they die (so they're not stressed by it)

1. Force councils to wildflower any redundant space (and keep beehives). And turn over suitable land for community gardens to grow vegetables. EVERY fucking space that's not used - we dug up Britain in the war (not to great effect actually, it was more of a PR thing) so let's do it again.

Yes, I found that interesting as well. It isn’t that long ago that our rivers were said to be the cleanest theyd been since before the Industrial Revolution and were a big environmental success story. We’re also supposed to have strong marine conservation zones. Either it was —lies— exaggerated or something’s changed massively. Something to look into

All talk, legal sewage discharges into rivers are at al all time high, they are also self reported by the water companies, so we only get to know the ones they tell the EA.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/09/southern-water-fined-record-90m-deliberately-pouring-sewage/

Marine conservation areas are still allowed to be fished and are tiny compared to what has been damaged.

Flying is a prime example of, in the main, entirely optional travel that can go. Apparently only 15% of people make 70% of flights fullfact.org/economy/do-15-people-take-70-flights/

4. Force councils to wildflower any redundant space (and keep beehives). And turn over suitable land for community gardens to grow vegetables.

Oh yes. Closed waiting lists for allotments is ridiculous. The demand is actually there. Dig up the golf courses! I wish more allowed bees and chickens, connecting up to local associations for advice, too.

It can be done. It could have been done. It should have been done, years ago. Hyper-consumerism and extreme capitalism was and is a very political choice.

As a result of which, we now really have no choices left.