Why is climate change not a bigger election issue?

[ChedderGorgeous]

Forget tax on private schools, it is going to be 43 degrees in Athens today, over 40 on Greek Islands in last week: huge risk of wildfires. The UK regularly floods due to unnaturally high rainfall , which gives water companies the excuse to pump raw rewage into rivers and beaches. Where is Starmer on this one ? Too busy smashing the gangs ?

You must surely know the answer to this, having any experience of humanity.

Why just Starmer?

well, look at the Green manifesto

Its almost like the political elite don’t believe in climate change

Everyone of course, but he could be putting the problem into the spotlight for Sunak, but instead all he's trying to do is not be controversial until polling day.

Tin foil hat ready?

I went to see Arnold Schwarzenegger on a book tour last year. He rightly said that some things should never be politicised - climate change being an example. Its not a political topic - its an indisputable fact.

Everyone knows its an issue, so politicising it doesn't help. Instead, what should be done is an agreement that "this is the problem, as a cross party solution, this is how we tackle it"

What should be focused on is helping people make the right environmental decisions, with a carrot rather than a stick. For example, I genuinely think that the biggest barrier to something like solar panels is the upfront cost. If a government pledged to guarantee 0% financing deals for solar panels, not only would it be easier for people to take advantage of them, but it would generate employment through increased demand while also helping to reduce electricity bills (and the cost of living) and make a difference to the environment. Instead, they have silly schemes like the obsession with air source heat pumps without realiseing they aren't suitable for most properties.

The green party have been around for ever promising to focus on the environment, but they've never actually achieved anything.

I see you are concerned about the bee population as well! Good on you!

Great British Energy - isn’t that the two birds with one stone Labour approach .

Not enough emphasis on Climate Change or Defence for me from anyone .

I'm too busy worrying about how to fund the extra £800 a month for DC's school fees. I certainly can't now afford to buy and install a heat pump and buy an electric car. I've already had to change my car thanks to ULEZ. There's no spare cash in my house.

Hundreds of people have died in Asia this year because of the heatwave. Its nearly 50 degrees in New Delhi. People who think this isn't the most important issue affecting the globe are deluded.

Because it requires people to actually do something and there’s no political appetite to tell the public that they’re going to be forced to do something, because it’s a vote loser. As e.g. all the MN parking and anti-cyclist threads demonstrate, nobody wants to cut back on their car usage or ownership or use their own legs. They want other people to do the climate-saving work for them and go on living their easy comfortable lives.

I gave up my car in the pandemic. Some of us can and do. I don't claim everyone can do that as they are not in London as I am.

However I am not sure individual action achieves much.

Because there is nothing that people on this tiny island can do to change the temperature on Greek islands. UK is responsible for less than 1% of global emissions.

You either don’t understand the math are too self indulgent to believe that you’re cycling to work or bamboo toothbrushes, or the pointless virtue signalling green measures make a jot of difference to climate change.

That is why it’s not a bigger election issue.

It’s not a big issue because it involves voters spending money on solar power , heat pumps , new cars . The majority don’t have that spare cash so it’s a vote loser for any party to harp on about Climate Change .

The UK floods because of a lack of natural soakaways, ignorance with blocked drains and undredged lakes and rivers, and its pigheaded stubbornness with insisting it needs more housing. The UK is also a historically rather wet and miserable country, which is why there are a lot of retired British ex-pats living in Spain. I pay no mind to other countries, because, to put it simply: Not England, don't care.

Who has got so much time to waste? To read a Mickey Mouse wishlist of pointless virtue signalling.

exactly this.

I'd love to have an electric car but the reality is I can't afford one, and it takes 7-8 years for the carbon emissions to become neutral anyway.

The reality is that if we want to tackle climate change, we need to stop encouraging people to change cars every 2-5 years. I can guarantee that me driving my 10 year old petrol ford is much better for the environment than spending £££££ in buying something new to replace a car that works perfectly fine

I think it's too late to do anything about it now anyway, so it's become a bit of a non issue.

I don't know- if Labour get a large majority and conservatives out in the wilderness for a couple of elections then surely this is the time to do something? Don't have to worry so much about only planning for next 4 years.

I don’t think that climate change features on most people’s top 5 concerns tbh

Mine are NHS waiting lists, education, cost of living (including utilities ), underfunding of public services and issues facing new adults like house prices (which is going to get worse in some areas because of the VAT on private schools policy)

Individuals add up to millions. Millions of people changing their behaviour achieves difference. But most people prefer the other millions of people to do it rather than them.

I don’t claim to care all that much about the climate. I’m childfree, I don’t have that investment or worry for the future. It’s baffling though how many parents put their heads in the sand and claim they “can’t do anything as one person” when it’s going to be their children and grandchildren fighting for resources.

"Not England don't care".

Ah, OK then. That explains it. Though election manifestos in even the two biggest democracies don't mention climate change.