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?

What difference does insulating homes in the UK make?

Well I think probably a lot for UKs energy usage.

But that guy on that interview spouting about insulation when he hasnt even insulated his own home! Give me a break. Its fucking outrageous.

And yes I get its expensive to insulate. Well don't buy a house with single glazing and single brick if you cant afford to sort it out.

We all have to take individual responsibility. I bet you 90% of the people they were holding up in traffic, including the poor woman who is now paralysed all ATLEAST had double glazing, let alone other insulation methods.

The sheer hypocrisy. Its astounding. And if I remember correctly he was an electrician. So dont tell me he doesnt have any handy mates who could of done it a cheaper price than the majority.

Its shocking. The flipping imbecile! I have utterly had enough of these virtue signalling hypocrites.

I'm shocked if he's an electrician tbh.
As my electrician neighbour used to quip, any stupid ones usually don't make it.

AGreenerShadeofKale

I'm shocked if he's an electrician tbh.
As my electrician neighbour used to quip, any stupid ones usually don't make it

My last house had been “renovated” by someone who was obviously qualified in both plumbing and electrics given his job.

When we came to put in new lighting the electrician we got in showed us that every earth wire had been cut short.
A gas pipe had been diverted to come up the wall, into a cupboard and across it near the top to double up as a hanging rail.
If you stood on certain floorboards you got an electric shock.
Upstairs (bungalow) to make a couple of “bedrooms” the supporting beam to the roof had been moved so it was wasn’t over the downstairs supporting wall but hovering somewhere mid hallway. It was hovering as when we came to redesign the upper floor into 1 bedroom with an en suite the roof had to be propped up as the only thing that had been keeping the roof up was the plasterboard as the supporting beam was not actually attached to anything.

I don’t really trust people to do things anymore given the shonky stuff I have seen that supposedly qualified people have done. So it doesn’t surprise me he is an electrician but can’t keep his own house in order

Oh what a nightmare.

@AGreenerShadeofKale

I'm shocked if he's an electrician tbh. As my electrician neighbour used to quip, any stupid ones usually don't make it.

A stupid electrician would probably end up shocked too!

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10006191/Ringleader-Insulate-Britains-M25-eco-mob-lives-house-no-cavity-wall-insulation.html

Liam Norton (one of IB leaders) and his eco unfriendly home, also mentions him being an electrician. Apologies for the mail link..

@SpittinKitten

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10006191/Ringleader-Insulate-Britains-M25-eco-mob-lives-house-no-cavity-wall-insulation.html

Liam Norton (one of IB leaders) and his eco unfriendly home, also mentions him being an electrician. Apologies for the mail link..

^ so there's at least two people (Norton and Hallam) leading the movement with uninsulated single glazed homes.

The place I used to live in Roger Hallam's federation of housing providers was only insulated about a decade after it was set up, and was single glazed. We were far from being a unique case within the group.

For years (since 1980s at least) scientists have been telling us that we need to change and campaign groups have been calmly, patiently and articulately passing that message on to us and our governments. We have seen peaceful protest after peaceful protest. Very very little has changed. Nowhere near enough to make a difference.

We are heading for extinction. People are already dying. People are already suffering. Future generations, our children, will experience hardship like we can barely imagine.

Any one who is fully educated about this (I’m not fully educated about it as I don’t work in the field) is losing sleep, seeking therapy, trying to work out how best to give their children a hope of survival.

Governments are failing us. Have continued to fail us. What else can people do in this situation than engage in civil disobedience? What alternative path is left?

If you can see the harm already happening and understand the harm to come from inaction, and all the many years of peaceful campaigning and protest have amounted to next to no governmental action, what else can you do?

I feel awful for anyone negatively effected by the protests but I also feel awful for the many who have already lost their lives due to climate change and fear for us all as things worsen.

There is no easy way here. It’s a hugely difficult time ahead for the worlds people. At least they are doing something.

And those saying they won’t recycle or insulate their home because of it? Erm.... That’s like me saying that because the doctor told me that: ‘if you don’t give up smoking you’ll die soon’, in a tone of voice I don’t like, I’m going to up my smoking habit just to show them! Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face.

We are all in this together. We all need to do our bit if humankind has a hope.

If more homes in the UK were more energy efficient we would need to rely less on fossil fuels, people would be better off financially and our CO2 output would go down. It’s not the answer on its own but continuing in the way we are is not an option. Lots of small changes make a big difference. We can’t change other countries- we can only change our our own. So start with us. Lead by example.

Just because other people are ‘worse’ than us, isn’t an excuse to continue to behave badly... ‘Oh well my neighbour down the road punches his wife in the face and I only slap mine so why should I stop, if he doesn’t?’ ... totally flawed logic.

Lostmarbles2021 agreed. People are ignoring all the deaths caused by cars routinely, never mind how they are stacking up death and ruin for the near future. Its like they just block out all the deaths.

I'm not part of XR or Insulate Britain because I don't really understand how it helps, but if there was a direct action movement where I did think it would help, I'd be in it in a heartbeat. (I think it's irrelevant that some of the "leaders" or spokespeople are wankers, because its a movement, not a membership organisation, and the individuals involved can speak for themselves.)

I think for some direct activists it's akin to a therapeutic howl - we really are galloping into the shit at full speed, and it's terrifying. Some people take action in these circumstances because they have to do something, anything, rather than passively wait for disaster. So I understand, even if I'm not involved.

And if the protesters aren’t zero emissions, that doesn’t negate the need for us to be or the truth of the message.

We do our best to lower our CO2 but there are somethings we haven’t yet been able to do. Money, living in rented accommodation, the type of solutions available are all potential barriers. That’s why it needs to come from legislation etc. Individuals don’t always have the means to make the required changes.

A doctor that smokes, that tells you to give up because it’s going to kill you, is still right.

@Lostmarbles2021
I completely agree. This is what pisses me off we learnt about global warming in school in the 80’s. We even had captain bloody planet.
Yet we still carried on trashing the place.
There’s so many things that we could have and should have put in place. Common sense stuff. But we just carry on ripping up greenbelt, ancient forests (without really knowing about the fungus and microscopic world and how that supports us), putting in more concrete, more plastic grass.
It’s madness and frustrating

*need for us to be doing something different

I worry about this move to insulate homes to within an inch of their lives.

My daughter lived in a new build flate for 18 months and the summers were unbearably hot. There have been news reports of many owners having to install air con to make their homes liveable. I worry that in a few years we are going to be using up valuable energy trying to cool our over insulated homes, rather than on trying to heat them.

Also some homes are damaged by cavity wall insulation and end up with terrible damp issues. We have to think before we act.

Archery and Evil.

It’s all pretty depressing but we can only do what we can do and not let nay sayers get in the way. Millions of people making small changes = a big change. Millions of people sharing their views is powerful.

A doctor that smokes, that tells you to give up because it’s going to kill you, is still right

You've absolutely nailed it.

I don't believe this is the only way to protest. Can you honestly say that this in any way effects decisions at the top. The only thing it's allowing to change is allowing government to push through freedom limiting laws on protest-something we should be very wary of.
Why target normal people and the M25? Why not block politicians getting to parliament? Why not target the 10 most carbon emitting companies? If you are going to resort to terrorism target the correct people. At least Guy Fawkes tried to blow up parliament.

I'll tell you why. Because it's all about virtue signalling and getting likes.

And to be perfectly honest if humanity is destroyed by our own making, then it is what it is. We're the only species on the planet that the world would benefit from if we had mass extinction. Far too full of our own self importance and too hypocritical to change.

knittingaddict

Yes. You are right. Different types of housing need different solutions but there are breathable options that insulate for heat and cold. It needs to be done smartly.

BelleOfTheProvince

Those less disruptive things have all been done. More than once. As for targeting politicians - very hard to do. These big acts of civil disobedience really are a last ditch attempt to try and wake us all up. Far worse is sadly in store than a blocked motorway

knittingaddict insulation works both ways - it can keep a room cool, eg by stopping the sun from heating it through the roof. Think of being in a car that's been sat out in the sun all day - a metal.box, little insulation. Then walk into a well-insulated, well-ventilated building and feel the difference. Its why you are advised to close the curtains on south-facing windows in an effort to keep your house cool.

BelleOfTheProvince

Also, I totally agree that our extinction would be better for the planet. I’m just not ready to give up and want to look my DC in the eye and say that I did everything I could. They will suffer so much and I already feel such guilt but at least I can try.

It's hurting innocent people.
And on top of that it's ineffective. Really ineffective.
The only thing it's been successful at doing is lending public support to restriction on right to protest.
If these people think government is so hard to target then they should run themselves. Far more effective.
They should be giving money to insulate home funds. Rather than pushing the government to do so. When they know the government are cutting things as it is. The NHS is on its knees and the money for it still hasn't appeared. If you think they are going to prioritize housing you are dreaming.

Get off your ass and do something about it. Donate. Train. Whatever.

Stop harming others and saying it's ok because you are the privileged few who understand climate change blah blah.
Like no one else knows or understands or is doing something. Did you miss all the E10 pumps being put in? Lots of things are happening to bring our emissions down and you credit hogging dicks have nothing to do with it.

Credit hogging is a good point.

BelleOfTheProvince

Running to be an MP has been tried. The Green Party.

I’m not part of the direct action but can totally see why people are doing it. When people are dying already and more will, and governments aren’t acting what other choice is there? Every alternative you’ve suggested has been tried. For years. The only other option is to roll over and give in, allow greedy corrupted governments and corporations to continue in the way they have, and allow future generations to suffer like no other generation in history has.

The NHS is on its knees. But if the planet becomes uninhabitable the NHS is pointless. Climate chaos is THE biggest threat to us all right now.

And credit hogging? Ok. Let’s go with that as a motive...

Even if a doctor takes my case and gives me advice to showcase their prowess as a medic rather than because they give a £&@! about me. It doesn’t mean their advice wrong.