What can I do that isn't on an individual level regarding climate change?

[7393827gsjsbdh]

I've done all I can on an individual level, I've joined a litter picking group and have a veg patch and made my small garden 'wild'...
But I feel I need to do more.
I have so much passion on the subject, always have even when it was called 'global warming' and ' the ozone layer ' and 'being a hippy' 😅

What else is there to do?
I don't mind spending time and money, I only work 25 hours a week so I have time to put into a project but I don't know what would be best to try and do?

I'm thinking maybe I could try to start a really zero waste business?
I always daydream about winning the lottery and buying loads of land and building a waste free city but I'm not going to win and what's the point in waiting?

I know this is a little bit of a ramble but I just want to be able to look my children and my grandchildren in the eye and assure them that I did all I could.
so does any one have any ideas? what can I do today or plan to do next week or next month that would make a change?
or just a bit of solidarity?

and many scientists have looked at the data and concluded that there is no man made climate change worthy of note but they have no voice.
Just made me remmeber David Bellamy: he lost his career by offering an alternative opinion

I'm a school governor and I'm supporting them with the sustainability and climate action plan (currently a non-statutory ask in England which means it isn't Ofsted measured but it is expected that all schools have one by September)

If you are Scottish you could join the parent council and support with embedding the LfS curriculum more effectively

I signed our workplace up to a project with the local uni to calculate our carbon emissions and, now we have that evidence, our senior leaders are now looking at ways we can make changes, from going plants at all our events to creating an ethical procurement policy. I do work in a small organisation but I am only an admin person so they have listened.

I also use our local eco pantry (it's hosted in a local secondary school)which reduces food waste but also is a cheap way to try new food. It's not a food bank, anyone can use it and you donate for what you take.

On a personal level look at what investments / mortgages you have and how ethical the banking is. We also use Ovo for our gas and electricity - they're not perfect but they go a small way to reduce emissions.

this makes for interesting reading re. global cooling which I very much remember we were all warned about in the 70's.
The science seemed sound with many respected scientists in full agreement.
Funny how science can change.

https://iseethics.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/the-cooling-world-newsweek-april-28-1975.pdf

don't worry, it's a valid link!

"If you can't do absolutely everything, it's the same as doing nothing."
Surely you can do better than that.

Hmm yes but David Bellamy wrote in 2005 (possibly in New Scientist or similar?) using inaccurate data to back up his claims. He suggested 500 or so glaciers had increased in size, not shrunk (from a sample size of 600 odd). But it turned out that data, which he claimed was from 1989, never existed... so I do think he deserved to be viewed with scepticism from then on.

I can't remember the specifics but I read an interview with him where he claimed his methods/ anaysis had been trashed for non valid reasons ( but I can't remember what now so may have been bollocks!)
He did have a very sudded removal from screens after being on everything

Reduce, re use where possible
Reduce food waste
Go vegetarian
Don't buy fast fashion
Don't fly

gizmodo.com/reality-check-most-scientists-never-believed-in-globa-1617925806

https://scienceline.org/2017/04/ice-age-never-happened/

Community renewable energy generation. Look up Younity, Energy 4 All or Community Energy England/Scotland.

https://www.desmog.com/2009/03/30/david-bellamy-wrong-climate-change-science/

Keep 'em coming. They've all been debunked long ago.

Where d'ya read that, the Daily Heil? Try this energysavingtrust.org.uk/from-flats-to-terraced-houses-heat-pumps-are-suitable-for-all-property-types/

I've put them into two very northern homes.

Oh dear surely you can do better than stating a tired old platitude that I didn't make?

I'll try to help you underit the point within my absurdist illustration: you are probably not prepared to do the very hard things which would actually help the problem so you will do essier things that don't help but which make you feel good.

We would therfore have to conclude you don't care that much.

If you can't understand the difference between those 2 arguments then I understand why didn't understand my post.

It's not true that many scientists have concluded there's no man made climate change. There's been various studies that have concluded that an overwhelming proportion of scientists agree that humans are changing climate.

Enough said. You don’t actually hold any level of expertise but just recite whatever pops up from your algorithm induced SM feeds, right?

Utter. Bunkum. You really need to fact check what you see rather than believing it wholesale.

so much wrong with that 1.5 sentence. We’ve had one annual year where the global average temperature was more than 1.5C above the pre-industrial level.

But actually surpassing 1.5C - as in the 1.5C of the Paris agreement - is measured over a long-term average ie the average temperature for a two-decade period needs to be above 1.5C not just one year.

And the scientific expectation is we will surpass 1.5c but the hope is we can then bring it back down. Methane for example is short lived in the atmosphere (about 12 years compared to hundred for carbon dioxide) so tackling methane emissions now will buy us time later down.

As for the op, I think the best actions you can take are

• reduce consumption
• when something wears out (eg your boiler or car) replace with the more green option
• if you are a shareholder in a company, push them to take climate change seriously eg by speaking at the annual meeting
• if you have a pension, again push them to take climate change seriously or try to use the most green investment option (which is easier said than done)
• switch to a bank that has progressive climate policies eg one that isn’t continuing to lend to coal etc
• engage with your council/MP on climate issues

The article you've linked to is from 1975 and is more an opinion piece than reporting results from scientific research. What it does show though is the importance of a long timeseries to be able to tease out what is natural variability and what is a longer term trend. When the article was written, global mean temperatures had decreased from the 1950s. The author speculated that climate was cooling and would continue to cool. We now know, with another 50 years data, that temperatures have increased since then. Research has also shown that the 1950's - 1970's hiatus and slight cooling was as a result of natural variability as well as aerosols from pollution that act to cool the Earth. Since 1975 the warming can be attributed to the increased amount of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere because of human activities. Scientists can reconstruct temperature back in time (ie before we started measuring it using thermometers) using things like information within layers in ice cores. They can also investigate future changes using powerful computer models that are getting better all the time. It's about drawing together lots of different pieces of evidence.

yes also mining for the materials for the tech alone is so fucking detrimental to the communities and the environment. Whole water supplies are being lost to extract the material to make it possible for your phone to vibrate for example.

that sounds amazing! there's a local tesco by me that is notorious for being the best place for reduced section. To organise a collection and save them all would actually be so great! I'm going to contact them and see if I can sort something out.

that's what I was looking for when I posted. Something small but effective that I could do so I can feel like I'm doing something to combat the masses of rubbish we produce and tonnes upon tonnes of pollution we spew out

oh for goodness sake
that's a blow. I feel sick

@7393827gsjsbdh have you watched/read about the Earthshot prize? I find that to be a positive watch compared to all the doom and gloom of the news.

Also have a look at what can be recycled and where, the stuff that can't go into regular recycling. Things like blister packs from medicine, old glasses, make up etc, you might find that you can recycle more than you think. Also look on the terracycle website for locations and items.

Ignore the deniers OP 🙄

Couple of ideas for you: ensure you keep your inbox trimmed and unsubscribe from everything. Delete photos as you go. Keep your online footprint low. Steer well clear of using AI. Use Ecosia instead of Google.

If I had your spare time, I would definitely do carbon literacy training. You can then go on and be a trainer yourself. As others have suggested, get involved in local politics. Change to an ethical bank.

That is indeed the argument you were making and oddly enough, you've just admitted it. There is actually no difference between the two except that they are expressed with different wording. If you can't see that, that's unfortunate.

"you are probably not prepared to do the very hard things which would actually help the problem so you will do essier things that don't help but which make you feel good."

You are quite literally saying lesser measures will not help. That's the same sentiment as saying lesser measures are as good as doing nothing.

On what basis do you state that, anyway?

You literally cannot spot the difference between makes no difference doing nothing.

You can do something and it makes no difference.
You can do nothing when you could have made a difference.

It's quite subtle comprehension tbf and the fact you can't understand the difference explains your position.

All too late now & with Trump in the WH, even more pointless.

We need world leadership on Climate Change which is 100% on us but look around you?
Where is it? there is non, non whatsoever.

Hordes of TV programs where pointless celebs jet off around the World with their TV film crews, attempting to do some daring exploits or show us how important it is NOT to travel to X or Y whilst they do exactly that....

Then there is the push for AI, requiring massive amounts of energy to power these computer systems.

At best we will have to (some of us) learn to live with the increases in temperature, at worst we will die as a species.