Anyone else surprised that there isn’t more uproar about global warming right now?

[fluffythecat1]

In the grips of an unprecedentedly hot summer, schools closing, fridges breaking down in many supermarkets, impending drought. How come there is not more popular protest as we experience properly for the first time what the future will hold? It is a problem for global leaders and governments, however I’m surprised that Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain, or a similar grassroots radical protest organisation isn’t harnessing the momentum. It doesn’t seem such an abstract issue right now.

The groups like extinction rebellion and just stop oil were banned by the government, so any people based movement feel futile because any protest groups will be silenced in the same way!

Scientists have been raising the alarm since the 1980s, the evidence is there that we are experiencing climate breakdown and an extinction level event as a result of human activity… but people don’t want to change their lives… and politicians are often in the pockets of fossil fuel lobbyists and accept political donations from fossil fuel companies.

My career is linked to the impacts of climate change - hence the user name and for my whole career this is exactly what the organisation I work for has been predicting for the last 25 years…

The economic impacts of climate change are huge… the impact on food security and health too!

But unless governments take action it’s all fairly futile!

It is these sort of sneering attitudes to protesters that probably puts them off. Greta Thunberg has probably done more than anybody on the planet to raise awareness of climate change and has built a huge platform. Why shouldn't she also support other causes as well?
I find it so depressing that people talk like this about the very people who are trying to do something rather than the leaders and corporations who are actually responsible.
If you talk like this about Greta Thunberg you would probably have talked the same way about civil right protesters, the suffragettes and anti apartheid protesters as well.

We all need to make a difference to help this planet, we only have one planet, I don't know why people don't do more, especially when they have children who are going to grow up into a very unstable planet for humans to survive on. Even the smallest things help when trillions of people do them together. Ie: don't buy big cars, don't buy plastic water bottles, refuse, recycle, reuse, eat less meat and fish and diary. Have less things. Vote against fossil fuels. Plant more meadows and wild flowers.
Don't travel on as many airplanes. Walk more.
That's just for starters....make a difference. Sign petitions against money making oil giants and billionaires. Educate everyone. Don't moan about it do something about it...we shouldn't leave it to it's too late...how can we do that to the next generations.

How can anyone say climate change is so last year?? It doesn't go away, it's not a trend. It's a reality!!
Everyone needs today there bit.. however small, if trillions of people did we could lessner the worse case scenario that we are rapidly moving towards, and how can we do that to the next generations, it's criminal.

Was on holiday last week, place full of Brits in their fast fashion, false nails, tattoo sleeves,( judgy I know) watched many vape as if their lives depended on it and throwing them away when empty despite the proliferation of bins. In short the insta tiktok generation are both very selfish and ignorant.

Absolutely, I do believe in mass co-ordination. We can lobby, do what we can, rinse out plastic bread bags and re-use them instead of reaching for a new plastic bag, use the water butt, wash clothes at 30c and don’t wash them at all if they’re not really dirty, turn lights out, catch the train. We can change habits like you say.

Agreed.

It's not futile. Individual actions add up to a lot.

The less we consume, the less gets manufactured. And the less fuel is spent transporting unnecessary crap

The less we travel mindlessly the less fuel is burnt

The more we cover our gardens with grass and trees and flowers and veg rather than AstroTurf the better

The more we set these examples the more others feel able to follow them.

I have to use a car as I am disabled but I make sure it is a tiny economical car even though I earn a high income. I don't feel any pressure to keep up with the neighbours

When someone else tells me about their efforts it makes me feel less alone and more inspired to do more.

When we give to green charities and vote for green politicians (locally and nationally) it shifts the conversations and considerations and options

I honestly think that it's because people are enjoying the heat/summer so much, that they don't think about global warming.

Bad I know...

Just because some people are idiots doesn't mean we all have to be.

We can all only do our best given our circumstances. The sad thing is some people don't try and some people seem to actively want to enshittify everything.

Like you OP, it really surprises me that people aren’t more concerned about climate change, given the horrific heatwaves this summer (and indeed over the last few years). Excess deaths, wildfires in Spain, parched gardens, the threat of drought - I find it all terrifying and ominous. If this is what summers are like now, imagine what they’ll be like in 20 or 30 years time. Think what our children are going to suffer.

Some of the cavalier, irresponsible and frankly idiotic responses on this thread make me despair that anything can be salvaged for humanity.

Exactly this. The planet is massively overpopulated and growing exponentially. Every child is a consumer.
A child in the UK generates over 60metric tonnes of CO2 in their first 10 years. That’s the equivalent of 70 return flights from London to New York.
And the economy clearly doesn't need them based on the threads on here that bemoan the lack of jobs for young people.

Because the people who fund protests have found its more disruptive to fund the pro Palestine protests.

The earth's population is not growing exponentially at all.

We’ve given up tbh. I’m in London at the minute boiling and rereading Ballard’s The Drowned World. It’s not like we didn’t and don’t know about this. What’s the point in worrying about your straw when governments and billionaires are the ones doing 90% of the damage - we’ve no chance. I do admire the optimism of anyone having babies these days though.

If you want to get people to reduce car use, then it requires government funding to fund additional and new public rapport services and routes, and subsidise it to make it more affordable.
The government could force retailers and manufacturers to print on all labelling and packaging the CO2 / methane / water used to produce a product or food. It would help people make more informed decisions.
The government could tax producers more for having comparatively higher environmental impacts to encourage them to use more sustainable production.

Companies literally do the bare minimum required, but taxing and charging for unsustainable products does work! Look at how the plastic bag tax changed consumer habits and now you see lots less of them littering everywhere.

The government could introduce higher sustainable building standards, retrofit schools and public buildings with bio solar roofs, or micro generator wind turbines could be installed on public land.

The government could build more reservoirs, and invest in wetland habitat creation. Invest more money in flood defences, prioritising nature based solutions.

The government could tax private jets much more, and phase out petrol diesel cars much sooner than proposed and invest in upgrading electric car charging stations.

The government could stop the development of new homes in areas that are water stressed and build new cities in areas that have enough water and space for environmental infrastructure.

The problem is the that governments are elected every 4-5 years, so it’s always in their interest to kick long term solutions into the long grass… which is why we are where we are now!

20 years ago councils across the country signed the Nottingham declaration on climate change which mandated all homes to have high water efficiency and all developments of 10 or more homes would have solar panels.. councils signed it, had a nice story and photo but never delivered it!

If the government had made it mandatory in the planning system, it would have happened!

Thats why government action is essential, because the above list of interventions would have far more impact than anything that individuals can do, and drive positive change in all individuals.

In I always thought that Greta was never
for real and always had her eyes and ambitions on the main chance.

Very much agree. I am astounded at the 'Can anyone recommend a fake grass supplier/fitter?' posts on local social media. I am astounded by the DPD/Amazon etc vans on my street every day. Action is needed - yesterday.

Part of the reason “renewable” prices are tied to gas (which is cheaper than electricity anyway) is because producers would not invest in “renewables” if there was no way to make a profit. Here, have billions £££ and don’t give me anything back 🙄

Making China richer and increasing their emissions so we can have nice solar panels and turbines isn't going to save the world.

It’s not a priority for a lot of people (me included at present).

We're all focused on rising bills, childcare costs for the summer holidays, mortgage rate rises, aging parents, job security etc.

Plus although it’s been hot and uncomfortable for many, in about 10 weeks we’ll be back to the 6 months of grey, cloud and rain.

I just cannot understand how people can not have climate change as a priority. It’s a real disservice to future generations that we do not care more for our planet I think. Shocking.

Because the vast majority of emissions are produced out of Asia and South America. We produce a very small
amount. It’s a global issue not going to be solved by idiots stopping traffic, chucking paint or me converting to a ground source heat pump.

It affects the people - us - and we should have the right and means to express ourselves.

Public opinion matters to politicians. Look how all the main parties are trying to make their policies acceptable to disgruntled voters that might go to Reform.

I think the problem is that the tactics of XR and Just Stop Oil lost them public support.

Meanwhile the polluters have funding and access to the decision-makers and don’t need to worry about public opinion.

We have to start somewhere. It takes just one country to lead the way.