Climate Change

[SpurMeUp]

This zhit is happening. What are the prospects for our grandchildren when the climate is getting hotter each year? Is it crazy to think that one day humans could make themselves, and of course many other species, extinct?

What I'd like to know is what can we do to change things? We need a Global Climate Change Manifesto, something that sets out global, national and individual aims to make a difference.

All the record temperatures around the world last year and in Australia now, shows its on. Now I would like to know more. What are the most important things we can do?

 

[AuroRaman]

The best thing one can do as an individual is to make daily food and lifestyle choices to counteract the harm we are causing to the planet. The stigma of living a sustainable lifestyle is rapidly decreasing, the more it evolves into mainstream thinking, the more accessible it becomes, rather than an ‘inconvenience’ and something annoying celebrities and tree-hugging hippy bricks do.

Of course, the above displeases shareholders in industries such as non-renewable energy and meat/dairy, which is why current climate change warnings and manifestos are swatted away with refusals to sign treaties and outright denial.

When you observe the countries and conglomerates doing so, it creates a visible pattern of forces opposed addressing the climate situation.


Sitting on my porcelain throne using Fapatalk

 

[Jordinho]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1087791343181680640

 

[the dza]

I don't think capitalism is equipped to fight climate change. Infact the consumption required to keep capitalism going strong makes climate change worse.

When you observe the countries and conglomerates doing so, it creates a visible pattern of forces opposed addressing the climate situation.

Agreed.

The best thing one can do as an individual is to make daily food and lifestyle choices to counteract the harm we are causing to the planet. The stigma of living a sustainable lifestyle is rapidly decreasing, the more it evolves into mainstream thinking, the more accessible it becomes, rather than an ‘inconvenience’ and something annoying celebrities and tree-hugging hippy bricks do.

Whilst any changes by the individual are a good thing, it is p1ssing in the wind until legislators act imo. A small example is the use of plastic bags, the legislation has worked to reduce the usage. People could have done this before, but they didn't.

In the USA, the left talk of a "green new deal" and it will probably take bold plans by the most powerful countries to address the problem.

In the end, I'm not optimistic that anything radical enough will be proposed until it's too late.

 

[glasgowspur]

It's very simple, over population.
It's unpalatable but true, every thing else is a smoke screen.

 

[the dza]

It's very simple, over population.
It's unpalatable but true, every thing else is a smoke screen.

Population is only a problem if everyone lives like we do in developed countries. I can't imagine a subsistence farmer with 4 kids has a larger carbon footprint than a single person in a western country.

Though if climate change continues as they predict, both our lifestyles and over-population will be solved by mother nature. Speaking for myself, I'm too weak-minded and lazy to make substantial changes to the way I live unless I'm forced to. And I like bacon.

So I apologise for us all drowning.

 

[Gutter Boy]

The best thing one can do as an individual is to make daily food and lifestyle choices to counteract the harm we are causing to the planet. The stigma of living a sustainable lifestyle is rapidly decreasing, the more it evolves into mainstream thinking, the more accessible it becomes, rather than an ‘inconvenience’ and something annoying celebrities and tree-hugging hippy bricks do.

Of course, the above displeases shareholders in industries such as non-renewable energy and meat/dairy, which is why current climate change warnings and manifestos are swatted away with refusals to sign treaties and outright denial.

When you observe the countries and conglomerates doing so, it creates a visible pattern of forces opposed addressing the climate situation.


Sitting on my porcelain throne using Fapatalk

I disagree. It's not personal responsibility. That's like keep giving people loads of poison, with small labels on it saying don't drink it. Just don't give them the poison in the first place

What needs to happen is more state intervention, which tackles producers rather than consumers. A few things I would do:

• Immediate ban on the sale of new diesel cars
  
• Immediate ban on the production or import of virgin plastic
  
• Stamp duty abolished for houses bought/sold with maximum appropriate solar panels
• Variable motorway speed limits - 80 mph for cars with a KERS-like system, 70 mph for petrol under 2l and diesel under 1.6l, 60 mph for the rest
• 28 hour maximum working week to decrease production (and consumption)
• Aim for 100% wind and solar by 2040, and learn lessons from Uruguay on how to get there
  

 

[glasgowspur]

Population is only a problem if everyone lives like we do in developed countries. I can't imagine a subsistence farmer with 4 kids has a larger carbon footprint than a single person in a western country.

Though if climate change continues as they predict, both our lifestyles and over-population will be solved by mother nature. Speaking for myself, I'm too weak-minded and lazy to make substantial changes to the way I live unless I'm forced to. And I like bacon.

So I apologise for us all drowning.

If the land the farmer lives on can support the family its not a problem.
It's not as simple as that though. Any piece of land will only support a finite amount of life, keep breeding and prolonging life artificially as we doing and that area will no longer have the resources to support any life.

I try and do my bit, but it's a bare minimum and tbh most of its worthless political posturing that I won't get involved in.

 

[AuroRaman]

I disagree. It's not personal responsibility. That's like keep giving people loads of poison, with small labels on it saying don't drink it. Just don't give them the poison in the first place

What needs to happen is more state intervention, which tackles producers rather than consumers. A few things I would do:

• Immediate ban on the sale of new diesel cars
  
• Immediate ban on the production or import of virgin plastic
  
• Stamp duty abolished for houses bought/sold with maximum appropriate solar panels
• Variable motorway speed limits - 80 mph for cars with a KERS-like system, 70 mph for petrol under 2l and diesel under 1.6l, 60 mph for the rest
• 28 hour maximum working week to decrease production (and consumption)
• Aim for 400% wind and solar by 2040, and learn lessons from Uruguay on how to get there

Of course it's not personal responsibility. It's a choice. You have a choice to make about whether you want to do your part and promote change or leave it to someone else and/or say 'this is how it's always been'.

Thankfully history has shown us that wholesale change in perception, legislation, law can be made from starting at grassroots level before passing through government. We can't underestimate the power we have as consumers and as a species. And it's not an attack on the consumer to say 'why don't you make changes individually?' It's how change occurs, history has shown that.

Edit: Not being flippant about your bullet-points and/or the need you and others have stated for legislation on a global level to be set in place.

 

[scaramanga]

I disagree. It's not personal responsibility. That's like keep giving people loads of poison, with small labels on it saying don't drink it. Just don't give them the poison in the first place

What needs to happen is more state intervention, which tackles producers rather than consumers. A few things I would do:

• Immediate ban on the sale of new diesel cars
  
• Immediate ban on the production or import of virgin plastic
  
• Stamp duty abolished for houses bought/sold with maximum appropriate solar panels
• Variable motorway speed limits - 80 mph for cars with a KERS-like system, 70 mph for petrol under 2l and diesel under 1.6l, 60 mph for the rest
• 28 hour maximum working week to decrease production (and consumption)
• Aim for 400% wind and solar by 2040, and learn lessons from Uruguay on how to get there

Which would almost immediately result in a change of government.

 

[Grays_1890]

Climate change is real and I am the least green person in the world but I work in an industry where its hugely apparent. You can not ignore it for much longer.

The last 100 years has been seen the biggest harm to the world than any time before it. Extracting every known element out of the earth which is glazed over. You hear the talk of Dubai "we are creating an alternative plan becuase there will be no oil left in 10 years" and people call it smart and don't blink to the fact that one of the earths natural resources has been pumped out off the earth with no consideration to the outcome. Adding to that the use of said oils and gasses creates even more issues on top of its extraction. And thats just one example.

We are killing the planet and at a rapid rate, its a shame to see, huge shame.

 

[Grays_1890]

It's very simple, over population.
It's unpalatable but true, every thing else is a smoke screen.

Its true, you don't solve the worlds issues by overloading selected parts of the world with more population that it can handle because the knock on is HUGE............

 

[scaramanga]

I don't think capitalism is equipped to fight climate change. Infact the consumption required to keep capitalism going strong makes climate change worse.



Agreed.



Whilst any changes by the individual are a good thing, it is p1ssing in the wind until legislators act imo. A small example is the use of plastic bags, the legislation has worked to reduce the usage. People could have done this before, but they didn't.

In the USA, the left talk of a "green new deal" and it will probably take bold plans by the most powerful countries to address the problem.

In the end, I'm not optimistic that anything radical enough will be proposed until it's too late.

Capitalism is perfectly equipped to combat climate change, the problem is that people are fighting the wrong fight. Those trying to make a change are trying to get everyone to wear hair shirts and then wonder why they face resistance.

Despite caring about the effects of global warming, I will often forget to take a carrier bag to the supermarket. So when I get to the till, I will pay the required amount (and it would have to be really high before it would stop me), take my shopping home and bin the bags.
I realise that needless air travel has a negative effect, but I'm fudged if I'm driving to Saudi Sportswashing Machine or getting a train there if I have to go. I'm not holidaying in the UK either for that matter.

Capitalism has the answer. The first person to invent an electric car that is the equal of a real car will be a very, very rich person indeed - the rewards are huge. The same goes for the person who manages to invent environment-friendly air travel. People are always going to want these things, nobody is going to be convinced to reduce their quality of life. That argument has to be about how we provide what people currently have (or better) without causing the damage that current methods will.

Look at LED lighting. Initially it was fudging terrible - took forever to light up, rarely gave enough light, was waaaay more expensive than a standard light bulb, rarely lasted even half as long, etc. Now we do work for a few lighting companies that replace traditional lighting with LEDs and they can't fulfil their order books. Once someone tips technology past the point of equivalence, people will move to it.

 

[Parklaner81]

I don't think capitalism is equipped to fight climate change. Infact the consumption required to keep capitalism going strong makes climate change worse.

Concepts like CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) should in theory have the potential to at least move things in the right direction under capitalism. The trouble is, it's largely a 'soft', lip-service type matter. (Much) greater pressure, or incentives, towards good behaviour should help things along, though I'm not for a second suggesting that it will be enough.

 

[Rorschach]

I don't think capitalism is equipped to fight climate change. Infact the consumption required to keep capitalism going strong makes climate change worse.



Agreed.



Whilst any changes by the individual are a good thing, it is p1ssing in the wind until legislators act imo. A small example is the use of plastic bags, the legislation has worked to reduce the usage. People could have done this before, but they didn't.

In the USA, the left talk of a "green new deal" and it will probably take bold plans by the most powerful countries to address the problem.

In the end, I'm not optimistic that anything radical enough will be proposed until it's too late.

I'm banking on this. We're in damage limitation mode now.

 

[scaramanga]

Concepts like CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) should in theory have the potential to at least move things in the right direction under capitalism. The trouble is, it's largely a 'soft', lip-service type matter. (Much) greater pressure, or incentives, towards good behaviour should help things along, though I'm not for a second suggesting that it will be enough.

I've done a fair bit of CSR work. The reason it's only lip service is that people don't really care much at all.

People want companies to be environmentally friendly but on the whole will care more about quality/price. Shareholders want increased wealth and that goes for pension pots too. People will virtue signal all over social media but when it comes to their own wallets, are less concerned.

 

[glasgowspur]

Capitalism is perfectly equipped to combat climate change, the problem is that people are fighting the wrong fight. Those trying to make a change are trying to get everyone to wear hair shirts and then wonder why they face resistance.

Despite caring about the effects of global warming, I will often forget to take a carrier bag to the supermarket. So when I get to the till, I will pay the required amount (and it would have to be really high before it would stop me), take my shopping home and bin the bags.
I realise that needless air travel has a negative effect, but I'm fudged if I'm driving to Saudi Sportswashing Machine or getting a train there if I have to go. I'm not holidaying in the UK either for that matter.

Capitalism has the answer. The first person to invent an electric car that is the equal of a real car will be a very, very rich person indeed - the rewards are huge. The same goes for the person who manages to invent environment-friendly air travel. People are always going to want these things, nobody is going to be convinced to reduce their quality of life. That argument has to be about how we provide what people currently have (or better) without causing the damage that current methods will.

Look at LED lighting. Initially it was fudging terrible - took forever to light up, rarely gave enough light, was waaaay more expensive than a standard light bulb, rarely lasted even half as long, etc. Now we do work for a few lighting companies that replace traditional lighting with LEDs and they can't fulfil their order books. Once someone tips technology past the point of equivalence, people will move to it.

Problem is you can make all the energy efficiency savings you want but at some point that will stop and if you have an increasing amount of people using it your energy usage is still going to go up.
The base problem is over population.

 

[scaramanga]

Problem is you can make all the energy efficiency savings you want but at some point that will stop and if you have an increasing amount of people using it your energy usage is still going to go up.
The base problem is over population.

Not if you change your source to a renewable one. But as I said, that has to meet current quality of life standards before it will be heavily adopted.

 

[Danishfurniturelover]

I am a vegan 5 times a week. This helps.

Investment from governments in technology and supporting the green economy will help.

Pulling out of the EU and trading with poorer nations so they can the afford to follow greener practises, this will help.

 

[Rorschach]

I am a vegan 5 times a week. This helps.

Investment from governments in technology and supporting the green economy will help.

Pulling out of the EU and trading with poorer nations so they can the afford to follow greener practises, this will help.

Going vegan helps but you don't have to go that far if you don't want. Just stopping or vastly reducing the amount of beef we eat would have a significant impact.

The EU does have lots of preferencetial deals with developing nations already for certain products as far as I know.

Also, everyone should learn to swim if you can't already. Especially if you live near the coast.