To feel really worried about climate change in this heatwave

[Fulbe]

This heatwave has been caused by climate change but there seems to be hardly any discussion about this at all. It seems that people are focused so much on getting air con or massive paddling/ swimming pools without thinking how that might be actually contributing to the problem. People outside the school gates idling their engines to keep their air con turned on whilst creating more pollution.

I think I remember reading somewhere that we've released 6 million years' worth of CO2 in the past 150 years. Something needs to stop but consumption and car use seem to be increasing.

Am I the only one to be concerned about this and that we're just slipping into a future of more dangerous heatwaves?

Yes but there are levels of this. In between the food/ water/ shelter idea and rampant greed and consumerism.

We are taking more than we need.Mounds and mounds of plastic toys, thousands of bottles discarded during marathons, special party bags, wrapping, crackers, on and on it goes.

@ticktickticktickBOOM You sound like a wonderful person!! You "Don't let the bastards grind you down!!”

Good luck to you in all your endeavours.

Typo should say “with all your endeavours !!”

Thanks for the nudge. I have written to my MP and asked if they support the work of Chris Hinchliffe on his environmental campaigns, and what they would be willing to do to support cooling initiatives locally and nationally.

We all need to plant these seeds and get our MP's refocused on sustainability, rather than 'grow grow grow the economy'.

And they do try and grind us down!!

From the 'oh it's happening anyway its too late the world is better off without humans' brigade, to the 'it's just a bit of warm weather we'll adapt' stalwarts, then the 'I'm going to fly because I want to and I can do what I like I don't care about anyone else' Verucca Salts of the world.

Realists and problems solvers is what the world needs now.

Not denyers, ignorers, and blamers.

More and more of the large estate around where I am are planting vineyards. At least when the apocalypse comes there will be wine!

Agree - it doesn’t matter if you think it’s futile - MP’s represent us and they should be told if we are worried about climate change. @GrantMyWishes is spot on - if you haven’t already write to your MP and join an organisation that is lobbying the government about the impact of climate change

Your post made me laugh!!

I’m in the “it’s too late the world is better off without humans' brigade.” At least are doing something which is commendable.

Constant typos meant to say you’re!!
The heat is getting to me!!!

I have one foot in the 'its too late' brigade too. I don't verbalise it though as that would terrify my child and that's the last thing I want. Hope and action is all we have.

On the first day of my conservation degree, many moons ago, the lecturer asked the theatre 'what is the one single thing we could do that would ensure the conservation of all ecosystems'. No one knew.
'If the human race all died out tomorrow' was his answer.

That sobered us all up.

If we want to carry on living on this amazing, infinitely beautiful planet, we need to shape up, or ship out.

Yep and I got told of for having air conditioning.

Is there any evidence that the climate would stop changing if humans were to disappear?

What your lecturer said, I’ve heard before too!!

Does the planet only matter to humans if we get to live and have experiences and meaning, or does it matter simply because it exists, regardless of whether humans are there to witness or benefit from it?

I don't get this the whole "evil humans we should all disappear" and what. Just have animals and bugs and whatever run rampant?

There's a reason we are the dominant species. Our brain, intellect and ability to shape our environment to suite our needs.

What would be the problem with animals and bugs running rampant?

Our brain, intellect and ability to shape our environment to suite our needs.

Maybe that was a bit of a design flaw given the damage that doing so has caused, which is the entire point of the thread.

The planet will purge itself of the dominant species long before it is destroyed. Nature will always refress the balance.

The Earth has bounced back before from multiple mass extinction events before.

Without human interference to maintain pollution, emit greenhouse gases, and hunt, nature would quickly begin to actively clean and reclaim the environment.

There no good or evil value judgement. The dinosaurs weren't good or evil just unable to adapt fast enough to changing conditions. We can shape the environment until we can't. We have been dominate for such a tiny part of the planets past that is completely conceivable that we will be dominent for only a tiny part of its future.

Yeah right. I believe humanity will still exist. And in a few million years we would have spread out across the galaxy as well.

What's the issue with humans running rampant?

How would "nature" "clean and reclaim the environment"? So what you're saying is that human ingenuity and engineering and expertise has kept "nature" at bay allowing us to continue to live and thrive?

The climate has always changed. The planet was here for a long time before us and will.be here a long time after.

There have been several ice ages and we are currently in an interglacial stage (the periods between ice ages) and have been for around 12,000 years.

We talk with concern about the polar ice caps melting. They've melted before and will do again. Earth is around 4.5 billion years old. There weren't any ice caps until around 34 million years ago.

Human activity has greatly increased greenhouse gases which has increased the rate of change but it was always going to happen. Just not for a very long time!

In the life time of the planet, humanity is just a very small blip on the landscape. We have no right to assumeamy greater authority than any other creature.

My standpoint is that we are very lucky visitors to this beautiful place, we ought to be custodians and protectors of it so that all species that come next can enjoy it as we have. Especially now that we have the knowledge and evidence to clearly see the destruction we are causing.

Even if humans cease to exist, the thought of animals wading around in all the detritus we created makes me feel a bit sick, guilty and disgusted.

Even if we are on our way out - we owe it to the existence of all future life to clean all the crap up we've created and leave it as we found it.

The way it always has. It's what nature does. It's far bigger than any of us.

So, yes, we can keep it at bay for our own benefit for a while but it's only biding its time.

We used to live and work with the land and nature. Understand its rises and falls. The problems started when humans decided to try to dominate it rather than work with it.

It amazes me that people don't see that and think we can carry on exploiting it and it's resources for our own gain and 'lifestyles'.

It's essentially given humanity enough rope to hang itself.

Humans are thriving at a devastating cost to other animals.

My standpoint is that we are very lucky visitors to this beautiful place, we ought to be custodians and protectors of it so that all species that come next can enjoy it as we have.

This is my perspective too.

Visitors with no right to claim the position of 'dominant species'. We're here for as long as it permits us to be!