To think that Insulate Britain are an absolute menace…

[Flawedperfection]

Just that really. Currently listening to LBC radio.
And they should be held to account for the death of the woman last week who couldn’t reach an hospital for 6 hours, following what would normally have been a much shorter journey. An oncologist also couldn’t get to work, where she was surely urgently needed.
I understand they have a message, but what if they do more help than good?
What do you think?

Because its not trendy enough @Tealightsandd

I think that you’ll find that the extreme end of the suffragette movement had very little to do with the granting of female suffrage in this country. It mainly just pissed people off and seriously put lives at risk - their own and those of society. Terrorism never brings about positive change. It was lobbying, the example set by other countries and most importantly, women’s contribution to the war effort which brought about votes for women.

And yes, we might be a small country in terms of landmass and population, but as the world’s fifth biggest economy I think we should be proud that we do not contribute anywhere near to other economies in terms of emissions. There’s still more to do, of course. We own an old house (1903) and as we’ve slowly been restoring it to its former glory we’ve added all of the insulation we can (reinstated sash windows but double-glazed; insulated ceilings, floors etc). This was more about keeping our eye on the ball with energy bills in such a large house to heat but if it’s also helping the planet - win-win. It’s still not going to do bugger all when the US, China, India, Brazil et al don’t give a shit when they’re chasing dollars. My DH and I are on a drive to not buy plastic tat made in the Far East as much as we possibly can - Insulate Britain/XR would gain my respect if they encouraged Brits to do the same and hit them where it hurts but no, let’s block roads, cause greater pollution and risk lives in the UK while factories and power stations in the rest of the world are blissfully pumping away…

@LoislovesStewie

I read somewhere that one of these idiots lives in a house that has single glazed windows and no insulation. So why hasn't he done something about that?

Because it’s probably a grade II* listed property. I have never seen a more entitled, middle class, hand-wringing liberal “do as I say” bunch than these lot. When they say insulate Britain, they mean poor people’s houses. Theirs wouldn’t get past the heritage planning officer.

They want support for their cause.

They're getting the attention they want it to have.

But they won't get support by doing something that's resulting in deaths of others.

And they refuse to answer questions around this and if they think their cause is worth this.

I fully support the right to peaceful protests as it has its place. But this isn't that.

I was in one of the cars stuck on the M25 last Monday. We had a 9 week old baby in the back who (legally) I couldn’t get out to feed or change for 2 hours (but obviously I did as we were at a standstill and he was screaming).

Our dog was also sitting at home on her own for 6 hours because of the massive delays we had. Probably not a huge deal to some people but unnecessary stress caused to her.

I don’t see how targeting people like us who may usually support their cause is going to help - now we just think they’re dickheads.

@MercyBooth @RedToothBrush
Those issues aren't with being over insulated but poorly design and poor detailing executed badly.
Insulation can't just be whacked in with no thought but it often is. New build housing by mass house builders isn't designed by people who have the right skill set to actually design low energy housing and it is a skill set. There is no requirement to be qualified to do any of this kind of thing and it shows.
There are well insulated well designed low energy houses and house retrofits that don't overheat in summer but they generally aren't built by mass house builders

@BlackCountryWench2; if they want to come around and do some work on my house (for free!) I won't stop them. But I don't think any of them would do anything practical, would they?

Of course it’s not unreasonable, the public who they’re holding up should be left to deal with them

[quote LoislovesStewie]@BlackCountryWench2; if they want to come around and do some work on my house (for free!) I won't stop them. But I don't think any of them would do anything practical, would they?[/quote]
lol You stole my thunder... And you are so right. They look young and fit and should be pleased to learn trade and show the world how much they care,,
and yes I am being sardonic but

how about that being the penalty for their obstruction?

@LeafOfTruth

As the risk of sounding like I support IB (I don't - I don't pay them a huge amount of attention), it occurs to me that every effective (and some non-effective) activist group since the dawn of time has been

a) disruptive
b) described negatively for it

The suffragettes were accused using similar language to that used here. Called terrorists, accused of causing millions of pounds worth of damage and risking/taking lives with their bombs.

Sometimes the current generation is not best placed to judge what is reasonable and what isn't - plus, progress is only made by unreasonable men and all that. So my distaste for IB may be right or may just be a product of my generation.

None of these ‘activists’ can ever answer the question - what is the point in this virtue signalling when UK has less than 1% of global carbon emissions? Really what difference does it make?

1% is too high no? There are 195 countries in the world and the UK is a small one compared to some. Using a crude measure 1/195 of the carbon emissions would be 0.5% so 1% would appear to be more than 'our fair share' iyswim.

Sigh. And as we have to discuss EVERY FUCKING TIME these numpties come up, the suffragettes didn’t get the vote for these tactics. In fact, they got no public support for them. It was only when WW1 happened and they changed tactics completely - they stopped protesting almost all together and used their organising to support the “homefront” and then, while we may not love it, they were given the vote as a kind of reward for this. Not for any protesting and definitely not for obstructionist protesting.

It would be like what would happen if all these arseholes went and actually helped at a single home that needs insulation. They’d be done in a day. People have DIY projects all the time, so it would be legal - maybe not insulating the whole house but perhaps they could be insulating people’s attics with just one tradesman to direct them on where to bend their backs, AND they could call out newspapers to cover them doing it. That would be a hell of a lot more like what won the suffragettes the vote. But as @LoislovesStewie points out, she’ll never see them at her house. Because the director of Insulate Britain, Roger Hallam, ex-Extinction Rebellion founder, has a university degree in “radical campaign design,” (not a joke, look it up) not in actually helping a single person.

A degree in radical campaign design? Wow this takes the concept of Mickey Mouse degrees to a whole new level.

In a similar way to how I am always confused by XR protesting about climate change in ways that are particularly un eco friendly, how does creating extra lengthy traffic jams on a road already known for traffic jams, help the environment?
And quite disgraceful that these actions led to an innocent persons death. It would be bad enough to deal with if the ambulance had simply been delayed by weight of traffic or an accident but this was totally preventable.

Just like pouring paint all over a building or stopping people using public transport is equally un eco.

Obstructive Wankers.
I'd love to meet one and pick apart their lifestyle.

Or just do unto them as it were and harangue them instead.

@sst1234

A degree in radical campaign design? Wow this takes the concept of Mickey Mouse degrees to a whole new level.

Good lord. What’s the course content? Semester 1: 214 Scrawling on Badly Made Placards; 623 How to Play Drums Really, Really Poorly; 772 Glueing Yourself to an Inanimate Object; 905 Blowing a Fucking Whistle?

They need to be made to stop.
They're doing a lot of harm when it comes to raising people's environmental responsibility.

Yanbu. Destruction of everyone's life won't help their cause.

Most people are making active changes for the environment, running out on roads risking their life and the drivers is stupid.

I draw the conclusion that the government allow them to act. Tacit approval as it were.

If I were to try their tricks I would be arrested.🤷

[quote LoislovesStewie]@BlackCountryWench2; if they want to come around and do some work on my house (for free!) I won't stop them. But I don't think any of them would do anything practical, would they?[/quote]
My thoughts exactly! If they really want to effect change, why don’t they set up a social enterprise offering double glazing and insulation on a means-tested basis? Those who can afford it can pay a bit more (and as it’s not for profit, cheaper than they would get from a private sector supplier) and use this to offset cheaper works for those on lower incomes. Lower bills (especially with this so-called looming energy crisis) and if you’re the homeowner, you are enhancing an asset that you own with a higher EPC rating if you ever come to sell. People would be snapping their hand off! But no, easier to get on the telly for causing disruption than actually doing something about it, it seems

I would be quite willing to allow them to insulate my home from the outside. Minimal disruption for me and a warmer home.

This particular situation is tragic and of course can't be condoned, but protest is supposed to be disruptive, inconveniencing the public the only way we've ever manged to force government to act. Teacher's strikes, for example, are effective when the public requires that government "do something".

Would women have the vote if the Suffragettes had played nice?

Yes.

Surely they could have spent their time offering to do free energy surveys on peoples homes and offering solutions to how to reduce their energy usage, or help with the installation of insulation etc.? Too much like hard work that actually achieves something??? No thanks... Just go sit on a motorway instead?? Yes please.

Overgrown children playing chicken for virtue signalling and likes.

Recon one of them will have to be run over for this to stop…just don’t prosecute the driver