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?

Adaptation and resilience have to become our watchwords at a personal, neighbourhood, national and global level.

The simplest example: looking at what passive measures we can take to shield properties from the heat, and to cool ourselves, instead of jumping straight to aircon, with its negative consequences for energy use and heat generation.

That's not meant to sound preachy, just pointing out that we still have a choice between better and worse options. And while I understand the critique which says the onus is on big business and govts to stop screwing us over, it's not helpful for individuals or society to drift into nihilism - so taking personal responsibility and acting accordingly has to be part of the plan.

On the contrary, we only seem to talk about climate change being a problem when there is an extreme weather event. The rest of the time we complain about net zero targets, just stop oil protests, renewable energy levies, increased taxation for green policies etc etc.

Taking the view that we are a small island and can’t do anything is so shortsighted. We are a global superpower. We hold a lot of sway in the world. If we have policies where trading with us demands a level of sustainability, that makes a difference. If we produce clean energy, and can become more self sufficient, we are less reliant on global oil markets which as we’ve seen recently can be catastrophic. Think about it in the “village green” scenario. Ten houses back on to the village green, half of them have lovely gardens and keep the place clean but the rest are throwing rubbish out. You only need to convince one at a time that it’s a bad idea. Before long you have 9 lovely gardens and 1 midden. It has to be a particularly strong character to be the only polluter, and the more restrictions which are put on them, the more likely they are to clean up. And that’s what is happening. People will always point to China as being the biggest problem and yet it is the global leader in renewables. The climate action tracker gives China the same rating as Canada, which is a better rating than the US.

We need to move away from talking about climate and focus on resources. The science of climate change is imprecise as science tends to be, so it’s too easy for people to deny the problem when the information appears to be contradictory. People struggle to comprehend the massively wet winter we’ve just had is related to the heatwave we are now experiencing. They can’t see the direct correlation between throwing all their rubbish out, and the hot weather. But, they will absolutely see that not recycling leads to more landfill sites in urban areas. That polluted cities become better when more EVs are on the roads.

We can’t stop the tide of technology. Simply saying that aircon and data centres are bad so we must avoid them is not the answer. Aircon systems have evolved and are much greener than they used to be. The technology for cooling and using less water in data centres is improving all the time. The answer is to find better ways and that is happening.

Scientists and environmentalists have been saying this for decades, and no-one listened. We are just a drop in the ocean and actually have relatively low CO2 emissions.

Meanwhile at the World Cup they have air-conditioned stadiums and the USA bomb oil refineries belching God knows what into the atmosphere. Country leaders just don't seem to get it. I don't really care about humans, but animals don't deserve this. We are killing this beautiful, perfect planet.

@Pippa12

That will be the famous summer of 1976. 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' by Elton John and Kiki Dee was a huge hit then too.

My lifestyle is so boring that I can tell you I make hardly a hairline scratch on the environment. Don’t travel abroad. Hybrid car. Don’t buy crap. Only buy second hand clothes. My child comes home and is confused why everyone else he knows is constantly going abroad on trips and we don’t. I don’t understand how other people can afford to live the way they do, and I dont really know what to tell the children. Maybe we are in an elitist bubble I don’t know 🤷‍♀️

We are selfish beings and don’t want give up our pleasures in life.

There are approximately 100,000 to 120,000 commercial flights worldwide everyday!!!

For the worse, as I recall. There was a lot of talk about contrails and the lack of them, which worked against the benefit of less air travel.

@6ate9

It seems a bit unfair to expect everyone to give up on going abroad, though.

If aeroplane travel is to be reduced significantly, then governments should invest in environmentally-friendly ways of travelling to countries, especially ones that people can only reach by going overseas.

The Met office cannot predict next week's weather so how the heck do they know what will happen 30 years from now?
Us humans have caused climate issues, there is no doubt about that but the planets weather patterns have constantly changed and always will continue to change even without human input.

What does that even mean lol?What is this travel craft that has no environmental impact and can carry people enmasse? Ships with oars maybe.

It’s called summer.

Rain, wind, snow and rubbish weather be back soon enough.

Before we talk about people stopping moving around, maybe the billionaires should reduce their lifestyle?

We don’t help either by shipping tat across the global be from Temu and Shien, then some lecturing us to in next breath walk, wheel or cycle everywhere.

I’ll buy my goods locally as far as I can but won’t be giving up my wee car until everyone in Monaco etc has one house, no jet, no yacht etc

@EvangelicalAboutButteredToast

I don't know, perhaps there isn't one. I was assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that there might be ways to invest in/create greener modes of transport.

My main point was that I don't think it's fair (or practical) to expect everyone to stop journeying to other countries. My mother is from the USA, came to the UK in 1987 when she married my Dad. She literally needs to go to the USA in order to see her siblings in person. She just flew there yesterday, in fact.

I don't think it would be reasonable to demand she stop that.

But NO ONE needs to go overseas!!! We WANT to for many reasons.

Do we want to make the planet healthier or not? Do we only care about climate change if it doesn’t impinge on our lifestyle?

Climate isn’t weather. This post is about climate change.

And, for the record, weather forecasts are accurate to the hour and the Met Office is one of the most accurate in the world. If you really think that this heatwave hasn’t been forecast before today, you’ve had your head in the sand.

Of course people need to go overseas.

Interesting, I read it improved when global air traffic plummeted!!

Ha i knew someone like you would reply.

Yeah air con is damaging. But I don’t feel guilty about using air con when i need to work from home or to keep my young kids comfortable.

if it makes you feel better, i didn’t have a car until i was 27 😂

This is why I'm grateful I'm no younger. I'm in my late 40s and I envy my parents and others who have already gone. Selfishly I don't want to be around when things get even worse- and they will.

Why? People WANT to for a lot of reasons.

@6ate9

My mother needs to go overseas in order to see her siblings in person (they live in a different country.)

Do you honestly think she should give this up?

"There was a lot of talk about contrails" by whom? Conspiracy theorist loons? Always with the contrails, I dunno what it is about them that attracts absolute nutballs.

Air travel does not and never has had a beneficial effect on the environment with the possible exception of Red Adair capping burning oil wells and smoke jumpers getting dropped near the frontline of bushfires.

She doesn’t need to she WANTS to.

We can’t say we care and moan about climate change and then carry on the way we are. Of course people aren’t going to give up flying or cruise ships, and a host of other stuff which we know impacts the earth.

We are our own worst enemy!!!

@6ate9

If she is to see her siblings face-to-face, she does need to.

Okay, I think what you are saying is that she wants to see her siblings face-to-face from time to time. I suppose, strictly speaking, she doesn't need to.

However - it is totally reasonable for someone to want to visit siblings face-to-face from time to time.

In my opinion, it would be unreasonable to expect her to stop going overseas to see her family. There are some very valid reasons for wanting to do things, including going abroad.

Some people travel oversea in order to escape war.

Besides, people have been travelling overseas long before climate change started. That's literally how Paul went around spreading the gospel. The Romans travelled overseas to colonise Britain. John Dee and Edward Kelley travelled overseas in the 16th century. So I don't think travelling overseas in itself is the issue.

Yeah this is my thinking. It’s too late. The planet is fucked and there’s nothing we can realistically do now. Humans don’t deserve this wonderful planet anyway!

Im advising my DC to think very seriously about not having DC of their own because the next few decades are going to see cataclysmic change in the UK - climate change, uncontrolled migration, war, likely civil war/massive unrest owing to greater divisions in the uk and unwanted cultural change. I know I’ll get flamed but the rise of Islamist extremism will continue in the UK, fuelled in part by migration of young men from countries even more greatly affected by climate change (eg sub Saharan Africa).

Im glad I’m the age I am and won’t be around to see it.