After Covid, will we still be so worried about climate change?

[Aprilrainbow]

I am not saying that climate change is not real or is not an issue but having confronted a very immediate threat to our selves & our loved ones will climate change no longer be seen as the end of the world?

@DuesToTheDirt

My particular bugbear is people who had their own children a couple of decades ago claiming they wouldn't do it now because of climate change - it's really easy to sacrifice things in theory when you've already had what you wanted...

Mine are young adults, and I don't think I'd have kids if I were in that position now. Not out of selflessness to save the planet, but because I think the future is precarious at best and at worst, grim.

Yeah, again, that's so easy to say... I can't look at my toddler or feel my baby bump and wish they weren't here and I don't think you would have been able to either.

Also, whenever your young adult children were born there were some grim looking things about the future too, and it didn't stop you...

@Msmcc1212

NeilBuchananisBanksy

Wow. That’s amazing. So sad that this the choice that this generation have to make. And sorry to hear you have had negativity. We limited number of children but it was too much of a sacrifice for us to not have any. We decided no more than two so that were replacing ourselves and not adding more. I do feel guilty though in terms of what future DC will have 😔

Thank you for saying that and thank you for your honesty. Both are a tough choice I think.

"I know lots of people who smugly say they aren't having children for the environment, but who actually all have lots of other reasons they don't want them."

But does there just have to be one reason? I won't lie abs say it's our only reason not to have kids, but it is a factor. Just like I'm sure there are multiple reasons to have kids.

It's not smug though. I just wish more people thought about it, even if they do decide to have kids.

Of course there doesn't have to be one reason, but my point is that none of the people I know who proclaim they didn't have children 'for environmental reasons' had the deep yearning for children that many people do, or even feelings stronger than ambivalent. Convincing people who desperately want children not to have them is very, very hard indeed and I don't know that it can be achieved without China-style coercion.

Thanks for lots of answers to my original question, have you asked your sulky teenagers what they really think, not asked them what their teachers told them that they should think but what they actually think? My impression is that these soon to be new adults think that climate change is a bit old hat, real but over stated.

My impression is that these soon to be new adults think that climate change is a bit old hat, real but over stated.
Your impression could not be more wrong
among those who have an iota of science knowledge

ER are lurking
Greta is waiting
2020 was a blip
the young are FURIOUS at how we have kicked the can down the road

@Hardbackwriter

Of course there doesn't have to be one reason, but my point is that none of the people I know who proclaim they didn't have children 'for environmental reasons' had the deep yearning for children that many people do, or even feelings stronger than ambivalent. Convincing people who desperately want children not to have them is very, very hard indeed and I don't know that it can be achieved without China-style coercion.

Well that might be the case for some, but you seem to write everyone off as being 'smug environmental ' which isn't the case.

Those who have a deep yearning should still think of what kind of world they are bringing their children into. Even if they decide to go for it. There is a lot of denial 'because biology'. If you want children so much you should think about what kind of life they might have.

I think people are more concerned than ever (definitely within those I know) but the tangible changes to make are less clear - yes ok we could all fly less for holidays but surely business people who fly regularly for things covid has proved can be done by zoom are worse. But it's the changes ither than that which need to be shouted about, cloth nappies, brown paper for wrapping paper (or using gift boxes people can reuse for years), using locally sourced food, ones you can be specific about. Saying "use cars less" is too vague as it's so ingrained in peoples head to use the car that they cant see how but if suggest "walk if you're going to the shop x minutes drive away" then that's clearer. Yes it sounds patronising but unless it's made simple people dont make changes. People want to go abroad which I understand - highlighting what you can do holiday wise and the environmental benefits of the channel tunnel etc. Its the only way I can see of real change happening in a lot of people is a change in the marketing

I also dont think us alone in the UK can fix it, all the world need to be on board and will that happen.....

Speaking to my parents about it they said that every generation has had a fear of something for their children (war, disease etc) and this is our generations burden, it's not just our fault its 100s of years in the making

One of things that worries me about the pandemic and impact of Brexit (which already massively worry me!) is that climate change is being sidelined from the massive funding and attention needed, when climate change is much more globally and permanently dangerous than either of these things and we’re going to need to tackle it head on as soon as we can.

@ListeningQuietly

My impression is that these soon to be new adults think that climate change is a bit old hat, real but over stated. Your impression could not be more wrong among those who have an iota of science knowledge

ER are lurking
Greta is waiting
2020 was a blip
the young are FURIOUS at how we have kicked the can down the road

Sorry what is ER? I don't have a LOA.

ER = extinction rebellion

I agree with several other PP that climate change should concern us far more. It's a far greater threat to humanity, and indeed all life.
Though I think they're both linked. Mother Nature is understandably very peed off with humans. Covid was caused by those horrific and cruel wet markets. Humans can't continue to violate nature and non-human life, and expect no consequences. If this hasn't woken humanity up, then I think something far worse is to come. I take no delight in saying this. I'm not a misanthrope. I care about people immensely. For the sake of humans and moreover every other species, it's far beyond time for homosapiens to wake up, before it's too late

I teach kids about climate change. They do care, actually. They are, however, much more pessimistic about our ability to deal with it than I was at their age.

I was worried in seeing the title of this thread, and am now relieved to see that most PPs have fully realised that climate change is a much bigger threat to most of us than COVID19.

So the consensus of those replying is that they will continue to be worried about climate change, of course those that are not worried may be less likely to read this thread or if they do read it may feel inhibited about commenting, we will get a better picture next summer when the holiday jets start flying again.

I find it absolutely mind-boggling that anyone might actually have been more worried about Covid than the climate.
Seriously?!
And I say that as someone whose close relative died of Covid earlier this year.
The heating climate is the greatest threat to not just human life on the planet, but thousands of species which have done nothing to deserve their demise.

@MasterGland

I teach kids about climate change. They do care, actually. They are, however, much more pessimistic about our ability to deal with it than I was at their age.

This is obviously totally anecdotal but when climate change came up with my university students they did care, many of them passionately, but much like older adults they mostly thought that the things that should be done were the things that didn't affect them personally, e.g. they were mostly in favour of much higher taxes on driving except the ones who commuted to university by car who felt very strongly that that would be unfair because they had to drive...

Probably. Many people seem to perversely want a pending apocalypse to shriek about. But climate change is an inevitable cycle of planet Earth and nothing to fear. Humans have lived through much more drastic swings in temperature and sea levels. We will survive this as well. I just feel sorry for the children who are being told that civilisation will collapse and the world will become uninhabitable and kill them before they ever have a chance to become parents themselves. Cult survivors raised from birth with a date the world will end have all stated how much that psychologically damaged them. This is no different in my opinion.
We’ve already seen the “end of world” date by which we “must” do x or y to avert “world ending climate change” moved forward numerous times by these apocalyptic activists. If you research the history of the climate change movement you’ll find that this has been going on for decades. In 1968, the UN said we have until 2000 to save the planet. Then in 2006, it was said we have ten years to save the planet. Then in 2017 experts said we have three years to save the planet by 2020. We got to 2020 and now these same experts say we have a decade to save the planet by 2030; although some are now saying we have until 2050.

It’s always the shrieking line

Well, we are twenty years past the first end of the world prediction and ? Still here. And the environment is cleaner and greener than it was in 2000.

My particular bugbear is people who had their own children a couple of decades ago claiming they wouldn't do it now because of climate change - it's really easy to sacrifice things in theory when you've already had what you wanted...

I felt similarly about a lot of the MC XR protesters. One of the most vocal people I know about saving the planet is a young MC 20 something who has had years of multiple ski trips, and holidays abroad since childhood, a gap year travelling and a few months in Vietnam to take a break from the stressful job they had had for a few months. (So they've had the privilege of travelling the world already) Uses public transport but asks mum or dad to drop to the station in the car.

It's difficult because a lot of people are saying the small things aren't making a difference ,(recycling, buying reusable items instead of single use etc) A lot of the changes are a cost to time, comfort and money. A lot of the more sustainable or non plastic alternatives to "the standard" are 2 or 3 times the price. Using public transport often takes far longer than using a car and involves more planning. Even things that we pay for themselves over time eg reusable nappies or san pro is more expensive to pay for at the time (a moon cup might be £20 v buying a pack of san pro for £1-2)
Even going on holiday in the uk is often as expensive or nearly as expensive as a cheap break in the sun abroad, and with the risk of the weather being awful.

The planet will be just fine no matter how bad Climate Change gets
human civilsation and our recognisable ecosystem will collapse though

re children
eat American child has a carbon footprint 1000 times larger than a sub Saharan African

therefore reducing consumption in rich countries is key

You ask like we were all terrified of climate change before. I never was and always have valued convienence first.

If anything corona has made me even less concerned. Now my biggest worry is how fast a government can strip personal movements and freedom rights, so when allowed I will travel as my budget allows, consume what I wish, when I wish, actually enjoy my life cos the government can change that, literally at the drop of a hat.

@AdultHumanFemale

I find it absolutely mind-boggling that anyone might actually have been more worried about Covid than the climate. Seriously?! And I say that as someone whose close relative died of Covid earlier this year. The heating climate is the greatest threat to not just human life on the planet, but thousands of species which have done nothing to deserve their demise.

Realistically no one reading this thread is likely to die or be seriously ill because of climate change & whilst I would not want to needlessly damage the natural world I can't help wondering just how many different types of slugs etc we actually need.