To think fcuk all is being done to combat climate change

[getdown2021]

Most people don't seem to care and I rarely hear of it anymore despite being told months ago of the dire warnings. Aibu to think no action is being taken either by governments or by the average person?

Op.

Do you have children?

If you do, will you be encouraging them to be sterilised?

if not, pipe down.

To be concerned about the climate you need to be comfortable financially, until the current cost of living crisis we as a family were very environmental thinking but now as many families we are more concerned with keeping a roof over our heads, keeping the lights on and keeping warm.
Green levies /taxes are adding to the crippling prices the average households pay and I bet if there was a referendum in the UK most would vote to axe them until prices stabilise.

Ukraine is taking all the headlines. I bet the Torys are sneaking all sorts of mad laws out at the moment. Climate change is one of those things that won't matter until it does

@MistOverTheDowns

Op.

Do you have children?

If you do, will you be encouraging them to be sterilised?

if not, pipe down.

I do and will be.

Well, fair play to you @JanisMoplin

I have kids and won't be but then I think the climate crisis is the con of our age.

Where it isn't fair play is when those who have swallowed the PR con, want to make life as difficult as they can for the rest of us but won't do the one thing that the Climate Crisis fans say would be the most help... stop having children.

So, either they are bold faced hypocrites or, not so deep down , they don't believe in the 'crisis' either!

Humans have survived 2 ice ages. That was without central heating and thermal clothing. Incredible what we can endure. (Obviously climate change then too)

I very much hope you are right @MistOverTheDowns .

@Whatdidisay

To be concerned about the climate you need to be comfortable financially, until the current cost of living crisis we as a family were very environmental thinking but now as many families we are more concerned with keeping a roof over our heads, keeping the lights on and keeping warm. Green levies /taxes are adding to the crippling prices the average households pay and I bet if there was a referendum in the UK most would vote to axe them until prices stabilise.

Yes

Actually green policies are helping to cut costs for everyone.

Large-scale solar and onshore wind are the cheapest ways of generating electricity - they were cheaper than gas even before Putin invaded Ukraine, and are much cheaper than nuclear.

So called Green 'taxes' are used to fund energy efficiency which also helps reduce people's costs.

And many years ago the Stern report pointed out that the long-term economic costs of NOT taking action on climate change would be much higher than the upfront costs of tackling it. Which is now being born out by the impact Ukraine is having on our energy prices here.

Too many people on here are taking the Nigel Farage view of Net Zero as gospel without even questioning it.

Wanting people who want to combat climate change to not have kids so you can carry on regardless? Nice. Go the whole hog , demand sterilisation if anyone concerned about climate change

Children can have low carbon impact - no point getting rid of people who only have a small footprint

So you will simply end up with your children dying young from war, famine and heat

We have had decades of notice during which time money has been pumped into the fossil fuel industry- if it had been pumped into green electricity instead there would be no crisis now. So a few oil companies would be less rich - their wealth doesnt seem to help us though does it ? let's raise NI not claim more tax of those poor oil companies seems to be the government line

Green electricity was already cheaper than oil before this crisis and we need more of it and we need it fast

@mudgetastic

Your first paragraph shows that you have displayed comprehension skills and immediately jumped to a very dramatic-and incorrect interpretation.

This is a great example of the dramatic and incorrect interpretation spouted by those who have swallowed the Climate Catastrophe Kool Aid. They pick up on one point, misunderstand it and rush to a an extreme conclusion.

Many thanks for demonstrating this so ably.

I meant, of course, that you have displayed limited comprehension skills!

No I have just followed the logical conclusions of what many say

Too many children is not the problem
It's the lifestyle people want for themselves that is the problem

It's all about deflecting

It's in the press today. 6 points for us mere mortals to make, rather than waiting for gov/companies.

1. Eat largely plant based diet, with no waste
2. Buy no more than 3 new items of clothing per year.
3. Keep electrical products for at least 7 years.
4. Take no more than 1 short haul flight per 3 years, or 1 long haul every 8 years.
5. Get rid of personal motor vehicle or keep existing one for longer
6. Make at least 1 shift to nudge the system like moving to green energy or insulating your home.

Problem is, I just don't see enough people being willing to make these personal sacrifices.

@Swimmum78

It's in the press today. 6 points for us mere mortals to make, rather than waiting for gov/companies.

1. Eat largely plant based diet, with no waste
2. Buy no more than 3 new items of clothing per year.
3. Keep electrical products for at least 7 years.
4. Take no more than 1 short haul flight per 3 years, or 1 long haul every 8 years.
5. Get rid of personal motor vehicle or keep existing one for longer
6. Make at least 1 shift to nudge the system like moving to green energy or insulating your home.

Problem is, I just don't see enough people being willing to make these personal sacrifices.

For many all of that and more is called every day life, not everyone changes their car yearly or has more clothes than Primark not everyone jets off, well at all.

Most of that list just shows a massive lack of understanding about how millions live

The world leaders and others at the top of this climate change tree are going to find especial difficulty keeping number 4 on your list!

Surely it is a fact universally accepted that in order to attend a conference on climate change one has to first fly many miles to it-often on private planes- and then, once there, travel around in gas guzzlers!

Let's see how sticking to point number 4 works out for them!

Mist, we can all be hypocrites and I get that you might not want to listen to particular people if they are not practising what they preach.

but do you think the science is wrong? or just that a lot of politicians talking about being green are in it for themselves?

I saw that list too and thought it was going to be very off-putting for many people.

Especially 2 and 4.

@Swimmum78

It's in the press today. 6 points for us mere mortals to make, rather than waiting for gov/companies.

1. Eat largely plant based diet, with no waste
2. Buy no more than 3 new items of clothing per year.
3. Keep electrical products for at least 7 years.
4. Take no more than 1 short haul flight per 3 years, or 1 long haul every 8 years.
5. Get rid of personal motor vehicle or keep existing one for longer
6. Make at least 1 shift to nudge the system like moving to green energy or insulating your home.

Problem is, I just don't see enough people being willing to make these personal sacrifices.

Well I fulfil all of these and I only have one adult child who isn't having any children himself, him and DiL are in their 40's. We share a house which has been divided into 1/3...2/3rds to keep costs down and because it's not sensible for me to live in a big three bed house on my own. We are all vegetarians/vegans. But I don't want a gold star, we have always lived like this because it makes sense and its much cheaper. The only problem we have is cars, we have to have two cars, DS works from home so doesn't need one but due to the piss poor public transport in Somerset me and DiL have to drive to work as I work in the NHS all over the county and Dil has no bus or train route to the remote place she works. Really if they expect people to give up their cars there must be a viable alternative and there isn't one.

Why is 4 difficult though, how much do normal people fly if they don't have to for work, we haven't flown anywhere for 20 years, I have taken the ferry to mainland Europe several times.

Think about it in more personal terms. When your child is sick, a pipe has burst in your home, and you just lost your job, it’s hard to worry about your retirement years.

People, businesses, and governments are past their limits.

I actually feel quite nostalgic for the days when I used to worry about having had a child who would face a climate crisis. That fear I felt 10 years ago felt so big, but i now know it was nothing compared to today worrying about plague and war.

@Swimmum78

It's in the press today. 6 points for us mere mortals to make, rather than waiting for gov/companies.

1. Eat largely plant based diet, with no waste
2. Buy no more than 3 new items of clothing per year.
3. Keep electrical products for at least 7 years.
4. Take no more than 1 short haul flight per 3 years, or 1 long haul every 8 years.
5. Get rid of personal motor vehicle or keep existing one for longer
6. Make at least 1 shift to nudge the system like moving to green energy or insulating your home.

Problem is, I just don't see enough people being willing to make these personal sacrifices.

We're reducing meat in diet anyway.

Clothes are an issue for me - mainly beacuse I've worn bulk of my wardrobee to destrcution and newer stuff hasn't lasted as long as previous stuff so need to replace items. Clothes don't have longvity they once did and can't seem to afford the quality items which are very expenisvbe these days. Do mend what we can and buy second hand as well - and sometime re-purpose fabric.

We keep electrical products till they break and it's either not possible or not ecomomic to fix - and fair few things don't last 7 years. In fact there's few items we've upgraded that haven't out right failed before being replaced.

Haven't been on a plane for over 20 years - though may do this summer. In fact only been on 6 flights overall and 2 of those for work.

We don't have a car and never have - we get around by taxi, bus, train, occaionally bike for DH, and feet.

We have insulated the house as much as we can afford but don't want to change electricty providers yet.

So we're already doing a lot of this were we can. Though we live in a city - it's much harder to go carless in rural locations - and imporved public transport would be a help in many cities.

I'm not saying lots of people don't live like this. I've hardly bought any new clothes for years. Have 1 car which I will keep until it dies. Cutting down on meat etc. However when I look at influencers, or go into ahops at christmas and see all the tat on display it's clear that most people don't want to live that lifestyle. And unless it's enforced it will make fuck all difference if i live on lentils and weave my own clothes which then makes it all seem pointless.

@Shehasadiamondinthesky

Why is 4 difficult though, how much do normal people fly if they don't have to for work, we haven't flown anywhere for 20 years, I have taken the ferry to mainland Europe several times.

It depends on the person. In normal years I take a few short haul flights for long weekends away & holidays. A lot of people travel for other reasons than work.