Do you care about climate change?

[julieca]

Not just in an abstract way. But would you be prepared to accept radical changes to your lifestyle to reduce climate change?
Or do you think continuing to live your life the way you want is more important?

YABU - No I don't and I want to continue living life as I want
YANBU - Yes I do and would accept major changes to my life

The thing that really gets me is that 'climate change' has happened for billions of years and people act as if it is something new. Read the history - the Earth heats up, it cools down, and so on. Although some of the fossil fuels have probably accelerated the rate of warming, it was going to happen anyway. We cannot stop it. About time we realise that humans are nothing special - just another species which has inhabited this planet for a few million years - there will be another species along one millennium soon!

@julieca

I just did that carbon calculator and for me personally, I am on 9.99 tonnes.

I believe that's average for a Westerner.

Isn’t it natural way of things for species to die out over time if they can’t adapt to the environment ....Adapt or die? I guess we don’t want to adapt, so we will die out. We’ll just be a footnote in the history of planet earth. We haven’t existed for very long in the scheme of things. Perhaps intelligent species are not compatible with this planet.

I live a very low carbon existence (still don’t have heating on, don’t drive, haven’t flown for years, all clothes second hand or owned for years until they have holes in).

But what will be, will be. I don’t under the mass hysteria. We are born and we die, human kind is used to suffering. We’ve had it pretty easy for these last 100 years but that’s not the experience of most humans in history!

Nothing will change for the better. Far too many people hold the view that they and likely their children will be dead by the time the shit truly hits the fan and they don't much care about the people who will be living then, including any descendents because they don't and won't know them. What with being dead and all. So fuck that. I'll keep my trips around the world, the future is someone else's problem.

And governments won't do things that will piss voters off for the sake of future voters.

And big business won't give up any profits in the here and now for potential benefits for the next generation of shareholders.

Our selfishness will bring about our extinction

And tbh, fair enough. As a species we're a bunch of twats.

I care but I don't need some rich bastard with a private jet to tell me how to save the world 🙄

No, and I am not a hypocrite about it like the vast majority of people who say they do whilst swigging from a plastic water bottle and sourcing their Colombian coffee

Until everyone can afford to worry about the environment and not about where the next meal is coming from, whether they have to sell their 9 yo daughter to feed the rest of the family, how to stay warm with 20p left in the meter etc etc then no

Climate change awareness is for the priveliged

I care deeply and have made some fairly big changes. I am prepared to go much further but I do think it has to be legislated for or it's a bit meaningless on an individual level. Nevertheless I don't buy the argument that there's no point and think people should take personal responsibility on this and do their bit.

I don't worry about it and don't think it's my responsibility to sort it out.

I'll happily buy an electric car when the powers that be make one I can afford to buy and put the infrastructure in place to enable me to easily drive where I need to go.

I just think about how foggy London used to be. All the old pictures of London show smoke pumping out of row upon row of factories . And that was sorted with the introduction of smokeless fuel. Not something the general person on the street could solve. I see this as the same.

@AnyFucker

No, and I am not a hypocrite about it like the vast majority of people who say they do whilst swigging from a plastic water bottle and sourcing their Colombian coffee

Until everyone can afford to worry about the environment and not about where the next meal is coming from, whether they have to sell their 9 yo daughter to feed the rest of the family, how to stay warm with 20p left in the meter etc etc then no

Climate change awareness is for the priveliged

I totally agree. I saw a recent TV report on Afghanistan. The family had sold their baby daughter so they could survive for another few months. Children are marching through the streets of Glasgow frightening each other to death. It makes me squirm.

@Stovetopespresso thank you for the link to the carbon footprint calculator. I just did it, and mine came out at just over 8 tonnes. So, nowhere near George Monbiot's ideal even if a good bit below the national average. There are some key points I need to work on. The questions asked, highlighted them for me, so I'm most grateful to you

No, it’s a load of nonsense

@AnyFucker

No, and I am not a hypocrite about it like the vast majority of people who say they do whilst swigging from a plastic water bottle and sourcing their Colombian coffee

Until everyone can afford to worry about the environment and not about where the next meal is coming from, whether they have to sell their 9 yo daughter to feed the rest of the family, how to stay warm with 20p left in the meter etc etc then no

Climate change awareness is for the priveliged

It is horrendous

But won’t the poorest hottest countries be hit the worst

I care more about the fact that the whole "Going Green" thing is either based on statements with no clear plans behind them -

"All cars should be electric" - Fine, please show me the plans and schedule for the installation of electric charging points in the town, the subsequent upgrades of the cabling, which streets will be dug up and when etc..... But they don't - there are no plans, anywhere, I've asked!! It's all going to be done by the "Charger Fairies" apparently.

And if it's not based on these sorts of statements it just costs so much as to make it untenable and doesn't meet expectations - these wretched heat pumps for example - huge, inefficient & ridiculously expensive.

I live my life as I wish to live it, making some changes that benefit me directly, but not following the herd "just because"....

I did that carbon calculator twice and got 15.46 tonnes despite being vegetarian, not having a car, living in a flat and spending zero on clothes most months! It can't be right.

Honestly, no.

@MareofBeasttown

Do you fly?

derxa and AnyFucker but climate change is a social justice issue too. It's the world's poorest communities who are the most severely impacted by the effects of climate change. We in the western world have a moral duty to care. Our actions have a direct impact on the global south.
Privilege is dimensional. Everyone in the western world enjoys a huge amount of privilege, but by western standards I'm really not. I'm self-employed, and living on way below the national average. So it's a myth that the climate crisis is an exclusively privileged middle-class concern. Albeit an understandable myth...

I'd restrict my meat consumption

I'd accept a scheme that rations flights to some Extent

I'd be happy to use reusable cups. Menstral Pads cutlery when out etc

I'd ban fake grass immediately

I'd support green energy

I support any scheme for wild flower verges replanting etc

The one thing I couldn't give up is a car as we love rurally with rubbish bus services but I'd happily switch to electric car at some point in the new ten years.

@CMZ2018

No, it’s a load of nonsense

Do you really believe that? Do you disagree with 99% of climate scientists? Posts like yours baffle me utterly. Climate change is a fact. A proven fact that we're currently living through. The science and evidence before our eyes couldn't be clearer I'm afraid. I wish it was nonsense. But it's most definitely not

@Gonnagetgoing interesting to read about the Asda sustainability store in Leeds - I wonder if they will change more stores around the country to be like this .

Anyfucker and derxa and where does that leave the poorest countries, drought ridden because climate change has meant it hasnt rained for 4 years? they cant grow anything, they cannot keep animals, they cannot breastfeed their babies.. how does your not giving a toss help them?
Climate change awareness is not just for the privileged, thats a huge cop out!

[quote twinkletoesimnot]@MareofBeasttown

Do you fly? [/quote]
One flight this year to see my family in another country. Makes a huge difference. But I did notice that the calculator does not ask how many children you have, which makes the biggest difference.

@Jellykat

Anyfucker and derxa and where does that leave the poorest countries, drought ridden because climate change has meant it hasnt rained for 4 years? they cant grow anything, they cannot keep animals, they cannot breastfeed their babies.. how does your not giving a toss help them? Climate change awareness is not just for the privileged, thats a huge cop out!

I agree and the privileged west do contribute more to it too

@AnyFucker

No, and I am not a hypocrite about it like the vast majority of people who say they do whilst swigging from a plastic water bottle and sourcing their Colombian coffee

Until everyone can afford to worry about the environment and not about where the next meal is coming from, whether they have to sell their 9 yo daughter to feed the rest of the family, how to stay warm with 20p left in the meter etc etc then no

Climate change awareness is for the priveliged

Agreed. Even the average family can't afford all of these bloody changes the government wants us to make. Buy an electric car, it will only cost you about £3-400 a month for a car that doesn't suit your needs. Make your home more eco friendly, you don't qualify for grants so that's 7-8k you need to cough up too, probably more in reality. Oh and switch to all locally sourced food on top of that, which costs more.

That's on top of increasing energy bills and no pay increase in line with inflation. Good luck, may the odds be ever in your favour.

No I don't care. Species become extinct, humans are no different.