Just Stop Oil - I couldn't care less

[savannahowl]

Those protestors actually make me feel even less bothered by climate change. I genuinely don't give a shit anymore.

Have they managed to convince anyone?

I don't know what I think about this. Its quite a manipulative way to approach the issue. In my area floods in certain months are highly likely to delay me getting to hospital if I need to go. And underfunding of health services have seen some really terrible outcomes for people recently.

If I was caught in one of these protests on the day I needed to get to a hospital I expect I'd be very distressed and feel angry.

But I still believe in the right to protest in general.

That’s idiotic. That’s like a builder is stood outside shouting ‘your house is about to fall down’ but you don’t like the way he is talking so you decide you don’t care.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czd13mezz7mo

They tend to be a bunch of privileged, middle class, hypocrites. They have probably used more resources in their lives than the people they are shouting at. As you can probably tell I have no sympathy for them.
I don't feel inclined to listen to them. Or have them telling me what to do. And I would have no hesitation in telling them. And don't get me started on Greta Thunberg. She is a prime example of a privileged middle class person who thinks she can lecture the working class. And then does exactly as she likes.

It’s worked . It’s got people talking about climate change

Everyone seems so "terrified" of the world ending.... yet I have never heard of one single stunt even, by any of those thousands of concerned activists, in China. Not even a protest outside a Chinese embassy, let alone a hunger strike in the UK or holding a protest in Beijing, for example...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c30ln80z4deo

agreed @SodaFountainMountain
however its useful that OP expresses these thoughts so that the rest of us can take into account such selfish short sightedness

I really disagree with JSO tactics - as we can see they are counter productive- BUT we are facing a climate crisis and its urgent to take action, all of us

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/27/heat-wave-death-record-southwest

There may be floods that cause disruption in your area but then that doesn't give anyone the right to protest and cause disturbances that could cause life threatening consequences to people. The ambulance couldn't get to Betty to give medical assistance when she fell therefore it's OK to stop the ambulance getting Bob to hospital to get time critical treatment for his stroke?

I too believe in the right to peaceful protest but not when you're causing real, potentially life threatening harm to people.

Anyone who isn’t concerned about climate change is either ignorant of the facts, idiotic or dead.

I also don't understand why there is no movement among young people to live without smartphones, when you think of all the negative consequences of their manufacture, the mining, the electricity needed... Young people have, at various times, engaged in "sacks and ashes" behaviour. Yet the silence in this area is deafening.

Likewise, many people everywhere engage in noise pollution with watching films on public transport, music out loud, constant phone calls. Yet no chastisement ever from a single "environmentally concerned" individual or "celebrity"?

Indeed. These privileged people are happy to break the law in countries where they know nothing will happen beyond, at the very worst, a few days or weeks in a prison where they'll be looked after,. I very much doubt they'd still have the courage of their convictions in countries where there's a lot more on the line for them.

Thankfully many people in the deluded club are very sensible and not prepared to go along with opinions we are told must be believed.

Excellent post, soupfiend

The hugely financed "experts" play with their models and pretend to have the ultimate answers, apparently ignoring - or perhaps too ignorant to know - that it's all been done before with other hypotheses, many of them now rightly derided or just plain forgotten

Edited to add love the thing about the smartphones, @PrincessOlga
I can stand a certain amount of this cant from callow youngsters determined to tell me what I must do to avoid the world ending, but there comes a point where I'll quietly suggest that forgoing the very latest digital whatsit might help too

Cue thousand yard stares ...

Generations down the line will be far too late, and we are already seeing the effects now. Good to know you don't care about the people whose lives are being destroyed due to drought/floods and other extreme weather.

Some of the floods in my area are directly caused by housebuilding and farming practices, why is that disruption tolerated? It is causing real, life-threatening harm on a regular basis.

As it is I think the protests have moved on - and throwing soup at the Van Gogh didn't cause any harm to people.

But overall I think protest is a vital democratic right. We see protest in all democracies. The UK police have sufficient powers to respond.

Just Stop Oil, climate change, Covid. Never gave a shite about any of it.

I fully agree that there are environmental affects caused by various practices in the world today. No one could deny that. But I still don't think that just because these things are happening then it means that it's OK to cause serious harm to other people.

I'm always amazed that no one actually suggests that the greatest threat is actually a population that is increasing beyond what is sustainable. I would say we need populations everywhere to decline.

At least toasters have a useful function!🤣

You must be a founder member of the "Deluded Club" with me, or are now a fully fledged member! Welcome!

Roger Hallam has literally spent years researching effective grassroots movements, civil disobedience and peaceful protest.

I'd say our children and grandchildren would be more appreciative if JSO used their money and time on actually helping address the issues, eg. donating to people low incomes to help them pay for energy efficient work or appliances, donating and delivering second hand furniture etc. Instead of doing very unenvironmentally friendly vandalism and violent protests that piss people off and cause harm and distress. And yes preventing or delaying people getting to hospital is violent, and that and the vandalism is unenvironmentally friendly. Eg. Extra traffic build up so more pollution, plus oil is used to make a large proportion of paint and also to make a large proportion of clothes (likely including their sloganed t-shirts).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn5zx2zx5xvo