Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Does this weather change your attitude to climate change?

240 replies

Allotment123 · 18/07/2023 18:36

It seems like everyone is taking about the weather but no one is thinking about their own personal responsibility to climate change as a result, AIBU to think we are all abdicating responsibility while we can see the dramatic effects all around us? I feel sometimes like in the only one concerned

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
SmallTreeDeepRoots · 21/07/2023 13:32

Not saying that cycling is evil, but it does require more infrastructure than walking. Factories, mining for metals, replacement parts, shipping the bikes to shops/customers, a certain standard of road or path. So it’s clearly correct to list the transports above in that order. All three (walking, cycling, public transport) are better than personal cars, but bikes are not the perfect fossil-free future solution.

DdraigGoch · 21/07/2023 13:53

FlowersInTheSky · 21/07/2023 13:27

Life’s too short to be a mug and waste time doing all of that rubbish.

Life is too short to waste it trying to find a parking space. Or spend it sat on a static exercise bike in the gym that you've just driven to.

Threenow · 21/07/2023 20:54

FlowersInTheSky · 21/07/2023 13:27

Life’s too short to be a mug and waste time doing all of that rubbish.

And life's too short to put up with idiots. Just saying ......

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 22/07/2023 00:28

Right to be concerned V right to not give to shiney my family come first over virtue signalling.
If you give xyz try harder on our behalf😉
Cheers

Idtotallybangdreamoftheendlessnotgonnalie · 22/07/2023 00:47

I don't think it can be sorted at an individual level, it needs to be done at a policy level. I would love to see the government:

Taxing the shit out of cheap plastic tat imports would be a good place to start. Same with reducing tax on sustainable materials - clothes of natural/ethical origin for example.

Subsidising food sold within x miles of origin.

Removing dodgy subsidies which make it cheaper to grow a fruit in Thailand, process it in Brazil, bulk ship it to Spain for individual plastic wrapping and finally freight it to England for a parent to buy it for a kid's lunchbox just to go in the bin uneaten.

Having a well thought through solar and electric car scheme. Offering sensible insulation initiatives, heat pumps that work. Tax breaks for low emission households.

Investing in low carbon infrastructure designed by people who use it rather than to council quotas. Subsidising UK manufacturers of bikes. Normalising family cargo cycles. Unfucking the trains.

Banning disposable nappies and baby wipes from sale, and offering cloth nappy schemes.

National planting schemes in urban areas.

DdraigGoch · 22/07/2023 02:19

MotherOfDragonflies · 19/07/2023 07:45

China supplies the west. Stop making excuses about why you don’t need to bother.

That used to be the case, but you'll find now that the consumption-based emissions per capita for China now exceed those of the UK.

DdraigGoch · 22/07/2023 02:32

Fawful · 20/07/2023 15:23

"The point being, there is always more that can be done and no doubt we will all be forced to make big sacrifices in the future. But allow us a tiny bit of life, in the meantime, while we get to grips with what is and what isn't reasonably easy to do. I am sure, over time, many more people will be forced into the kind of money-conscious lifestyle that the poorest (of which I am not one, I might add, just very careful with money due to being a single mum) already lead."

I don't think anyone would criticise you for living the way you describe... We can possibly all do more, but we're also human. The goal is Net Zero, not Absolute Zero. I want to fly soon, and found out I could offset it through donating to a charity. That will have to work for me.

Offseting is a con: https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/insight/dangerous-distraction-offsetting-con

I'm not going to say that you should never fly, just that you should do so sparingly. There are plenty of fantastic destinations that can be reached by Eurostar + connections, I've been all over Europe.

A dangerous distraction – the offsetting con | Policy and insight

Carbon offsetting and nature offsetting are both worsening the climate and nature emergencies. They can’t be made to work, at least not at scale, and trying to do so is dangerous distraction from the real job at hand, cutting carbon emissions and resto...

https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/insight/dangerous-distraction-offsetting-con

Rummikub · 22/07/2023 02:35

The government should ditch trade deals with countries on the other side of the world. And instead trade with Europe/ grow more food here. Helps reduce food miles.

Plant more trees. And protect existing trees.. why did Sheffield cut down 100s of trees?!

companies encourage wfh/ hybrid. Reduces commuter traffic. Employers should allow flexibility for school run if walking/ public transport. The commuter traffic reduction in school holidays is incredible.

GarlicGrace · 22/07/2023 03:32

Numbers. Might surprise some.

Canada comes 7th on a table of per capita CO2 emissions, at 18.72 tons each.
The country uses 675,918,610 tons a year, also the 7th largest.

Australians are the 12th biggest per capita users at 17.15 tons each.
Australia emits 414,988,700 tons in total, making it 14th as a country.

USA is 15th per head, at 15.32 tons.
America's the 2nd largest national emitter with 5,011,686,600 tons.

Russians are the 22nd biggest per capita users, at 11.45 tons each.
Russia's the 4th largest emitter overall with 1,661,899,300 tons.

Japan comes 26th on per capita emissions, at 9.76 tons a head.
It's the 5th largest national emitter with 1,239,592,060 tons.

Germany is 28th per capita users, at 9.42 tons each.
The country's the 6th largest emitter overall, with 775,752,190 tons.

China's 41st per capita, with 7.44 tons each.
Its national emissions are the highest at 10,432,751,400 tons.

The UK comes 60th per capita at 5.60 tons per head.
We are 17th for total country emissions, with 367,860,350 tons a year.

India's only 126th for per capita emissions because of its large population.

As a country it's the 3rd largest emitter at 2,533,638,100 tons.

The data's a few years old, I think:
https://www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-per-capita/

A methane table might be useful - but methane release is changing so fast, I don't know if one's available.

CO2 Emissions per Capita - Worldometer

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions per Capita for each Country in the world

https://www.worldometers.info/co2-emissions/co2-emissions-per-capita

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 22/07/2023 10:17

Rummikub · 22/07/2023 02:35

The government should ditch trade deals with countries on the other side of the world. And instead trade with Europe/ grow more food here. Helps reduce food miles.

Plant more trees. And protect existing trees.. why did Sheffield cut down 100s of trees?!

companies encourage wfh/ hybrid. Reduces commuter traffic. Employers should allow flexibility for school run if walking/ public transport. The commuter traffic reduction in school holidays is incredible.

UK farming should be viable, new housing estates plant trees.
Actually manufacturer things. Motor Trade struggle for mechanics as people want to be gamers, youtube personalities any clean dry job.
Manufacturing seen as dirty third world job.

Washeroo · 23/07/2023 20:53

To PP commenting on climate change and the comparison to currently wearing a jumper during a British summer. Climate change doesn’t just mean heat, it’s also more extreme weather events as seen with cyclones etc. It might just be a wet one for us but there are some climate scientists who think the jet stream may shift more significantly allowing much cooler air from the polar regions.

MotherOfDragonflies · 23/07/2023 22:37

DdraigGoch · 22/07/2023 02:19

That used to be the case, but you'll find now that the consumption-based emissions per capita for China now exceed those of the UK.

That isn’t what that statistic means.

DdraigGoch · 24/07/2023 00:05

MotherOfDragonflies · 23/07/2023 22:37

That isn’t what that statistic means.

Do please elaborate.

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 24/07/2023 18:51

Washeroo · 23/07/2023 20:53

To PP commenting on climate change and the comparison to currently wearing a jumper during a British summer. Climate change doesn’t just mean heat, it’s also more extreme weather events as seen with cyclones etc. It might just be a wet one for us but there are some climate scientists who think the jet stream may shift more significantly allowing much cooler air from the polar regions.

We have had periods in history before, we survived-its a shock 😉

Washeroo · 24/07/2023 19:26

Only thing I’m shocked about @SowingTheSeedsOfLove is the idiocy of the climate change deniers on this thread 😊

SingingNettles · 24/07/2023 19:33

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 24/07/2023 18:51

We have had periods in history before, we survived-its a shock 😉

What do you mean? The Earth is currently hotter than it has been at any other time since the dawn of civilization and, of course, is predicted to become significantly hotter during the rest of this century.

BlossomCloud · 24/07/2023 19:43

GwinGwyn · 18/07/2023 18:54

I take a lot of personal responsibility and think what we are facing is frightening because we’ve effed up the planet. But what also annoys me is the fact that 71% of emissions aren’t from people going about the daily grind, it’s from business. Where are their sanctions?

But the businesses don't operate in a vacuum, they only do things that are profitable. If we stop buying their crap they will have to scale down (I haven't bought new clothes or furniture in years, I buy it all second hand. In fact all my furniture is second hand. )

Lethalinformation · 24/07/2023 19:43

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 24/07/2023 18:51

We have had periods in history before, we survived-its a shock 😉

Er, no, we have not survived the temperatures predicted. I despair at posters putting winking emojis on their pathetic posts

BlossomCloud · 24/07/2023 19:46

Washeroo · 23/07/2023 20:53

To PP commenting on climate change and the comparison to currently wearing a jumper during a British summer. Climate change doesn’t just mean heat, it’s also more extreme weather events as seen with cyclones etc. It might just be a wet one for us but there are some climate scientists who think the jet stream may shift more significantly allowing much cooler air from the polar regions.

Plus sea level rises, worse flooding, far more rapid coastal erosion
(Am always baffled by people who live at sea level yet have mammoth carbon footprints)

And species extinctions (insects etc in particular, which then has an impact all the way up the food chain)

calyxx · 24/07/2023 20:43

I already felt deeply concerned so no. But it has made me resolve not to fly for holiday if I can poss help it. Back to France I guess!

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 24/07/2023 22:42

Do what you like, we landfill our rubbish and it is taxed.
We drive older diesel cars as they are Cheaper pence per mile including maintenance and no finance.
It's all hysteria and hype and we have more pressing concerns than if somewhere else is on fire.
Too much drama and virtue signalling, as repugnant as religion.
It's like sex before marriage etc

Live fast, love fast & die young

AnorLondo · 24/07/2023 23:03

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 24/07/2023 22:42

Do what you like, we landfill our rubbish and it is taxed.
We drive older diesel cars as they are Cheaper pence per mile including maintenance and no finance.
It's all hysteria and hype and we have more pressing concerns than if somewhere else is on fire.
Too much drama and virtue signalling, as repugnant as religion.
It's like sex before marriage etc

Live fast, love fast & die young

And fuck everyone else who suffers as a result, right?

DdraigGoch · 24/07/2023 23:23

calyxx · 24/07/2023 20:43

I already felt deeply concerned so no. But it has made me resolve not to fly for holiday if I can poss help it. Back to France I guess!

You don't have to limit yourself to France, take the Nightjet sleeper from Paris, Brussels, or Amsterdam and you can wake up in Vienna, Berlin or Zurich.

SowingTheSeedsOfLove · 24/07/2023 23:29

AnorLondo · 24/07/2023 23:03

And fuck everyone else who suffers as a result, right?

Human nature
We do enough unpleasantness domestically to genuinely disabled and pensioners in poverty etc.
Some woke save the world narcissistic narrative.
Rest of world can save itself.
Third world disasters are nothing new

Swipe left for the next trending thread