IPCC sixth report.

[spread-tee]

Even more immediate than that Mart, people could have decent well paid jobs quite quickly putting in place a green infrastructure as well as saving that money in the future, a lot of people would like to give up food banks and in work benefits.

BTB,

as you say if we just splurge a load of cash around without a holistic well thought out strategy we could increase consumption, it's obvious the whole of the economy needs to be part of the solution, it is a big ask. Caroline Lucas gets it I'm not sure how many others do.

Desp

[Mart]

Yep Desp, targeted spending could work wonders. There's an article today in the Guardian where the TUC are pointing out that:

Up to 660,000 jobs will be at serious risk if the UK continues to fall behind other countries in the amount it invests in green infrastructure and jobs, according to an alarming study published on Saturday.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... tment-lags

[Bugtownboy]

Aren’t we , effectively, on a war footing ?

OK, I don’t understand the details, where the money came from, why continental Europe managed to rebuild better, and crap architects destroyed so much of our cultural identity.

But, shouldn’t we be approaching this in a similar way to improve housing stock, rethink transport infrastructure, reconsider our possibility to have greater food production resilience.

We have to have less dependence on others for energy, although I appreciate and understand the benefits of a federated approach to, potentially, give greater security regarding safeguarding supply.

I’m not at all optimistic about our (U.K.) ability to really manage carbon reduction - too much smoke & mirrors and obfuscation.

There again, I’m as much to blame. I’m comfortable, nice lifestyle, why should I put myself out too much ?

[AE-NMidlands]

There again, I’m as much to blame. I’m comfortable, nice lifestyle, why should I put myself out too much ?

Got any children or Grandchildren?
I have, and I'm really embarrassed about what we are leaving them.
I am also embarrassed at how comfortable I am (now) and I am also appalled at our political "leaders" reneging on international aid commitments, and going for almost the most regressive tax they could find to get the extra money to fund the NHS and social care -the latter only in a year or two's time (In the meantime Council tax will go up - another regressive tax which hardly affects the rich.) Why not put it on income tax?
However, given their record of playing to the gallery and avoiding any difficult decision, I shouldn't have been surprised.
A

[Bugtownboy]

Absolutely. I suppose I was trying, lamely, at rhetoric / irony.

I accept the principle of social welfare and progressive taxation, but, I also believe in individual responsibility to minimise the impact of ones actions on others.

That’s a bit too idealistic in a messed up society, hence thinking the way I do. Wrong, but

[AE-NMidlands]

Absolutely. I suppose I was trying, lamely, at rhetoric / irony.

sorry, I missed that.

I accept the principle of social welfare and progressive taxation, but, I also believe in individual responsibility to minimise the impact of ones actions on others.

Unfortunately I am afraid that got lost with Thatcher's children. I was quite shocked at how, working in a utility/ once-nationalised industry the younger employees were only in it for the money, thought that they could fight their own corner and would always come out on top. Social/societal need or good didn't seem to come into it.

That’s a bit too idealistic in a messed up society, hence thinking the way I do. Wrong, but

I am hopeful that Greta's example will inspire her generation. I'm also grateful that some of the arrested XR activists are crusties like me, showing that some of us do care.
A

[AE-NMidlands]

Is this the right place for this? Generational conflict over climate crisis is a myth, UK study finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... tudy-finds

A fake generational war over the climate crisis has distorted public thinking and political strategy, when in fact older generations are just as worried about the issue as younger people, according to new research.

The idea that young people are ecowarriors, battling against selfish older generations is a common trope in representations of the environment movement. It has been stoked by instances including Time magazine naming Greta Thunberg their person of the year in 2019, for being a “standard bearer in a generational battle."

The stereotypes were further strengthened when generation Z, US singer Billie Eilish said: “Hopefully the adults and the old people start listening to us [about the climate crisis]. Old people are gonna die and don’t really care if we die, but we don’t wanna die yet.”

But a new UK study, Who Cares About Climate Change: Attitudes Across The Generations, has found that the generational divide over climate action is a myth, with almost no difference in views between generations on the importance of climate action, and all saying they are willing to make big sacrifices to achieve this.

In fact, the research found that older people are actually more likely than the young to feel that acting in environmentally conscious ways will make a difference, with twice as many baby boomers having boycotted a company in the last 12 months for environmental reasons than gen Z.
etc

It gives me some hope...
A

[spread-tee]

Lets hope all those generations are willing to pester our politicians into doing something, according to this report we are a long way from even begining to reduce our CO2 output.

https://unfccc.int/news/full-ndc-synthe ... ig-concern

As Greta says, so far it's all just blah blah blah.........

Desp

[AE-NMidlands]

Lets hope all those generations are willing to pester our politicians into doing something, according to this report we are a long way from even begining to reduce our CO2 output.

https://unfccc.int/news/full-ndc-synthe ... ig-concern

As Greta says, so far it's all just blah blah blah.........

Desp

and she is right. How have we responded to the fuel "shortage" in the UK? (which could be seen as a surrogate for carbon emissions)

Not urged people to use public transport, let alone announced investment in more cleaner buses on more routes
Not mentioned or promoted car-sharing
Not done anything to accelerate railway electrification and cut city-centre emissions, or increase train lengths for more capacity on the infrastructure that we do have
Never mentioned the need to reduce "stuff" in "use" with its embodied energy, or frequency of replacement or the current disposal arrrangements
Not done anything to ramp up electricity storage capacity (to reduce the use of gas for generation)
Not done anything about improving housing energy efficiency
Not been honest about the real price of energy and the implications / stupidity of pretending its price can be capped if we have to compete to buy it...

I despair that we shall ever get aywhere with the current lot of politicians and their perverted objectives
A

[spread-tee]

James Lovelock, thought provoking as always,

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... isis-earth

shame we didn't listen to him 40 years ago

Desp