Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

[wornish]

Article on Sky news claims the majority of Brits are unwilling to change their lifestyle to fight climate change.

https://news.sky.com/story/majority-...finds-11709486

[Walti]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Trying to do my bit... I'm doing all of the above! (as well as a little more!)

[Jim Ford]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Of course 'Brits' won't take action. Like very other human on the Planet they can only think of the short term.

It's the same with the prediction that insects could die out within a century. If you say that insects are dying out to people, probably 7 out of 10 will say 'good riddance - nasty creepy crawlies', ignoring that insects are at or near the bottom of the pyramid that sustains life, including our own!

I'm _very_ pessimistic about the future of the planet as we know it now.

Jim

[TimP]

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Most people are inherently selfish and will only do what is in their own interests, or that of immediate family.

Diet is very personal to most of us so asking people to stop eating McDonald's burgers, their Sunday roast or Friday night curry is a non-starter in the short term at least, even though a change of diet might improve our health.

I certainly avoid flying wherever possible; not just for environmental reasons but because the advent of budget airlines, small seats, overcrowded aeroplanes and present security restrictions have made flying a miserable experience for all of us. I really hate it to be honest but sometimes it has to be done.

However I feel there is general resentment to making personal sacrifices when we see massive wastage of corporate energy all around us, for example High Street shops propping doors wide open in winter; and when successive governments have made it their business to get us off of public transport and onto the roads. Having finally realised their mistake government is taxing us for doing what government wanted!

There is also resentment that we were encouraged to buy diesel cars to save the planet and are now being penalised for using them.

Public transport is far too expensive for many people and often doesn't go where we want to. I need to travel to Devizes for a job shortly. Being a reasonable sized town I tried to book a rail ticket there only to see a message saying "Destination not found". Slightly puzzled I Googled 'Devizes Railway Station' and found it was closed to passenger traffic in 1964 but there are plans to reopen it 'at some point'.

As for the loss of creepy crawlies I think Jim is absolutely right; many people would see this as a good thing. Just look at what happens when a perfectly harmless spider is spotted in the house.

[TimP]

[Jim Ford]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Diet. I forgot to rant about that.
<snip>
I was sold the idea that life would get better! Rubbish!

Yes, but apart from that, what's wrong with modern life?

Jim

[chorleyjeff]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Of course 'Brits' won't take action. Like very other human on the Planet they can only think of the short term.

It's the same with the prediction that insects could die out within a century. If you say that insects are dying out to people, probably 7 out of 10 will say 'good riddance - nasty creepy crawlies', ignoring that insects are at or near the bottom of the pyramid that sustains life, including our own!

I'm _very_ pessimistic about the future of the planet as we know it now.

Jim

Of course, in the long term, the planet will die regardless of human activity - if any. It is just a question of time.

[TimP]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Yes, but apart from that, what's wrong with modern life?

Jim

[TimP]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Of course, in the long term, the planet will die regardless of human activity - if any. It is just a question of time.

Is it something we all should be preparing for, like now?

[Jax]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Is it something we all should be preparing for, like now?

Yes, of course ! Just make sure your life insurance covers total planetary destruction

Jax

[chorleyjeff]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Depends how old you are.
Remember polio ? Friends with withered legs and in iron lungs ?
Remember smog so thick that we were breathing muck ?
Remember one coal fire to heat a house ?
Remember talking about whether to whitewash house windows for when hydrogen bombs landed ?
Remember talking about how far you had to be from a hydrogen bomb explosion to live.?
Remember being beaten at school for not being able to recite a poem ?
Remember all those men ( mostly) worn out by manual labour who died in their 60s ?
I could go on and on.
Life in the Uk has never been better by any objective measure.
My grandparents thought being tenant farmers milking cows twice a day for 365 days a year and not having mains water, sewers, electricity or gas was just how it was. Maybe if the sun was shining when they had their two hours rest on Sunday afternoon life seemed OK The rest of the time it was just continuous hard work providing just enough money to survive. And that was typical of life for most people before WW1.
Think yourself lucky to be living here now.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Yes, but apart from that, what's wrong with modern life?

Jim

Quite a lot I would say. The impregnability of big business and incompetence of successive governments has a lot to do with it.

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Life in the Uk has never been better by any objective measure.

Think yourself lucky to be living here now.

Agreed, but there is massive frustration caused by the impregnability of big business and the incompetence of successive governments.

Being expected to wait two hours to speak to a human being who barely understands your language is just one such example.

[Jax]

Re: Will Brits Take Action To Fight Climate Change

Depends how old you are.
Remember polio ? Friends with withered legs and in iron lungs ?
Remember smog so thick that we were breathing muck ?
Remember one coal fire to heat a house ?
Remember talking about whether to whitewash house windows for when hydrogen bombs landed ?
Remember talking about how far you had to be from a hydrogen bomb explosion to live.?
Remember being beaten at school for not being able to recite a poem ?
Remember all those men ( mostly) worn out by manual labour who died in their 60s ?
I could go on and on.
Life in the Uk has never been better by any objective measure.
My grandparents thought being tenant farmers milking cows twice a day for 365 days a year and not having mains water, sewers, electricity or gas was just how it was. Maybe if the sun was shining when they had their two hours rest on Sunday afternoon life seemed OK The rest of the time it was just continuous hard work providing just enough money to survive. And that was typical of life for most people before WW1.
Think yourself lucky to be living here now.

Nope, sorry, I can't remember any of those, in fact I can't remember life before WW2 let alone WW1.


Jax