realistically, what will it take? (climate conference)

[sharoncarol43]

I think we are heading for petrol rationing, meat rationing, and without further developments in tidal power, electricity rationing.

Maybe not this week, but certainly in the near future.

Massive investment in public transport, and alternative energy supplies. Cultural changes regarding living closer to work, and buying local produce......

Nothing wrong with fuel/meat/fish rationing and general importation restriction. The human race will easily survive with less beef, but might not survive with more of it.

Sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar/wind/nucular fission/Geothermal/Hydraulic etc are obviously the way fwd. Technological advances in these areas will lessen the impact if it (ever) came to fuel rationing.

"Rationing" is an emotive word. Higher taxes, fines etc and legislative regulation are ways to control the destructive meat and fishing industries.

The oil industry needs to be wrapped up, replaced.
Deforestation without reforestation needs to be illegal.
Depleting water supplies from finite resources needs to be illegal. Importation needs to be regulated and viewed in terms of ecology rather than economy.

Cultural changes come because culture adapts to technological and environmental circumstances.

You cant force a cultural change but you can change certain physical environmental factors so you're looking at a Global legal system being implemented, maintained and enforced. You never know it may even extend to multinational tax-dodging.

population control. Religious leaders need to encourage contraception, not ban it.

we in the comfy developed parts of Europe can do our bit, but without serious involvement from China, India and the US (the biggest polluters) we are wasting our time and all going down together.

meat may well be grown in a lab in the future, or replaced by some other product which doesnt involve an animal with a central nervous system

also think it's possible that one day all surfaces will be covered by solar cells of some sort and energy will be free