To be stressed by climate change

I'm stressed about it and joined several 'climate change' Facebook groups last night.

I cannot understand why the big companies are not regulated and held accountable for their actions, many of which are increasing our global emissions.

My friend lives in California, where a company we all know, drain all of their water and sell it in plastic bottles, causing drought conditions. Since they have been doing this the forest fires have in increased in size and frequency.
In 2017 she had to drive through the falling ashes of the forest fires to get to work, it was either side of the highway and I was terrified for her. In 2018 she could actually see the forest fire from her back garden.

I am sorry I can't do very much to reduce my carbon footprint, but I've dusted off my bike today. Will my knees take me where I need to go I wonder!

Like others I do what I can and am mindful of treating our planet with the respect that it deserves. However, I believe that long term the planet will take care of itself as it has been doing since the beginning of time. Part of that process might result in the extinction of humankind. Who knows.

I do agree that the historical perspective might be important. In Henry 2nd’s reign grapes were grown near Hadrians Wall and much wine was made. In biblical times the floods, droughts and plagues were attributed to God as a punishment for wrongdoing. In Victorian times, frost fairs took place on the frozen Thames in London. I think the present protesters are born of, as Jeremy Warner says ‘ an advanced economy and middle class privilege’ - they nip into Waitrose for food and a bottle of wine and then back to sit on the bridge and scribble all over buildings and the road - they should be required to clean it up. Perhaps a good thunderstorm is needed - back home they will go in their 4x4’s and jet off on holiday. Sorry if I sound cynical but I am.

Of course we must be aware of it & we must do what we reasonably can. There are small steps we can all take to improve things but until there is a worldwide agreement it will just be a drop in the open.
However these morons stopping normal everyday life going on in London are doing nothing to help the cause at all- far the opposite. How many extra police hours, court hours etc. are being wasted & how much is it all costing?
I'd send the water canons in & disburse the whole lot of them. How many of them have jobs that they can just stay in town all the time & how many are we paying for if they are on benefits?
It's time we stopped the whole daft rigmarole- if they want to protest do it by legal means & don't block up our beautiful capital city!

Climate Change is one of the few things that I am not stressed about . I think I do as mush as I can at the minute and I am always looking at new / old ways of doing things to save resources .

Is there any point in getting 'stressed'?
We can all do our level best not to pollute the earth more but getting stressed is counter-productive.

Does protesting move us any further forward; is it productive or just more hot air?

I am more impressed by scientists who are finding ways to capture and store the carbon dioxide and turn it into stone, the scientists who are working to try to find a solution to the plastic problem that pollutes our rivers and oceans and by those who are working to try to save our marine life in the meantime.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-43789527

I try to have faith that these scientists will find solutions to these current problems and work with governments and big businesses to start to clean up our planet with help from us all.

I do everything that I can, but cannot allow myself to "stress" about it.

I think every living thing is now subjected to some degree of stress due to our dying environment - But at the same time it offers infinite beauty to be taken in from that which has yet to be destroyed completely - I've no idea what the future has in store environmentally, so each day I take frequent breaks to appreciate nature and have meaningful discussions with others - I don't consider my efforts to create less waste useless and I don't beat myself up over what I do to contribute to our decline - If anyone benefits from the destruction that climate change brings about by way of weather related events I guess it would be the corporations that market the construction matererials that are needed to rebuild after storms blow through -- and stock holders? Anyone else benefit from it?

I do read Piers Corbyn who says it’s cyclical but am aware we might be the cause.
There are many changes we could make but it won’t be easy.
It’s true there are large countries that could do far more and there are far far too many of us on this planet. Just considering the UK, when I was born there were 44 million of us and now there’s at least 20 million more.
If you listen to the business news it’s always about growth. Capitalism relies on us buying more and more. For organisations they need us to spend more and if we don’t its bad news.
I can’t say I’ve consiously tried to reuse and reduce but as I prefer antique furniture very little in my house has been bought new. So inadvertently I think I may have helped.

I agree that the problem is the planet has too many people. If they all stopped breeding like rabbits there wouldn't be a problem and if children's allowance was limited to the first two children then perhaps people might change! That would also help with the welfare payments problem.

You only have to read other topics and threads on Gransnet to see that quite a few Gransnetters strongly believe that if they (due to their much vaunted 'hard work') can afford to do something, then there is no reason on earth why they shouldn't do it. As far as they are concerned, that's all there is to it. End of!

Not entirely sure I understand your post, MamaCaz

Not sure getting the allowance is what motivates people to have children Ducky or that removing it would stop them.

The urge to have a family is very strong. I don’t suppose there are many on GN who would say “I would willingly give up having grandchildren in order to save the planet” even those who are worried about the planet their grandchildren will inherit.

It doesn't stress me - obviously I do the recycling to the best of my abilities, but as previously said, unless the US, China and India do their bit, our contributions make almost no difference.
And this old planet of ours has remarkable ways of correcting and adapting, so Stress? No...

A few months ago I read that it is predicted that we will have a mini ice age starting in 2030. Do you remember the tv series about Kibworth and what happened when the UK and lresumably the rest of the world, had one year of almost no sun? The earth barely got above freezing even in mid summer.
This is not an excuse to do nothing about global warming because if the earth is already badly deforested and in a mess, a mini ice age will make it worse, but it is something to consider in the equation of what to do over the next ten years.
I believe in the Gaia theory that the earth has a way of regulating itself, but that doesn’t mean that humanity will all be saved - perhaps a part of earth’s self regulation is to destroy large portions of mankind and what they have done to the earth! . I sincerely hope that if there has to be mass suffering the soper rich on their get away islands etc will get their fair share. . We need to get back to basics but not, hopefully, at the expense of modern technology, rather use it to help everyone share the earth's resources equitably.
www.iflscience.com/environment/we-could-be-heading-mini-ice-age-2030/

Sorry for typos I missed when I checked!

I am saddened and I guess stressed by it all. I listen to science podcasts in the evening, and it seems all I hear about now is frog species going extinct, coral reef bleaching, whale pods declining in population.

I do fear for our planet, although I know that some climate change is cyclical, there is so much damage caused by humans that is irreversible. I can only do my little bit and hope that it is cumulative.

I also fear a loss of connection to the earth; farming in a smaller scale, harvesting nature in a replenishable manner, paying attention to seasons and nature. I honestly think future generations would starve since they have no knowledge of gardening and animal husbandry.

I know we are not able to change the world, but the UK is often in the forefront of reform and what we do here may be an example to other nations. I wonder how long it will be before stupid Trump gets told about climate change etc.? I suppose it is all Russian propaganda and fake news to him, living in his rich little bubble.
Attenborough's wonderful film did not mention population. A decade ago we all worried about the growth of population in third world countries, It is not just girls who need to be educated. Contraception costs money and people there cannot always afford it.
When I travel by plane I always plant at least one tree when I get back, not only in my own garden but in my son's. Just try and do your bit for the sake of the earth.

By the way, how many of you remember that China once had a policy of "Only one child per couple"? They all wanted a boy and baby girls were left on mountain sides etc. Many years later as the boys grew up they could not find girls to marry, and trekked from village to village looking for a bride. Population control doesn't always work.

I DO agree with you Happiyogi. I watched it too and the thought that when my oldest grandchild who is 5 now but will be only 27 when the earth is even hotter terrified me. People who say we are in a natural cycle haven't obviously seen the cores of ice which scientists have extracted. They show the composition of the earth's atmosphere for millions of years but the change which has occurred in these cores since the Industrial Revolution is evidence of the harm we are doing by using fossil fuels. It is irrefutable and I think last night's programme should be watched by everyone.

Craftycat

It is only by the London demonstrators and also the schoolchildren's protests all over the world makes ordinary people wake up and see WHY they are demonstrating. Sitting on your backside achieves nothing, Think of the suffragettes. You wold not be able to vote if those brace women had not demonstrated for their cause.

Our generation has been so fortunate. There is a real danger now to the future of our grandchildren's generation.

Worldwide the danger is climate change and the breakdown of peaceful co-operation between nations.

The poison of brexit in the UK is just a nasty symptom of that breakdown. But fortunately we still have (just enough) time to stop both these disasters.

Sorry for typos!!!

Oh Varian you just had to mention Brexit.
This problem makes that political blip seem to be of no importance at all. I’d better add IMO!

Mini moon you are correct, the forests are most important , they must be reinstated.
I can’t begin to list the things that I don’t buy because palm oil appears in the list of ingredients.
Well I suppose I should, then contact the manufacturer to tell them why they have lost a sale. If we all did that it would have an impact.

go Foxygran!, I will be there next week because I care about the world that my grandchildren will inherit. Those of you who think it is unreasonable or criticise the demonstrations -watch David Attenborough's programme on climate change that was on last night! What grans can do can buy less, buy quality things and make them last, eat less red meat and dairy, don't waste food, try walking or cycling, have good house insulation and switch to a renewable energy supplier. The USA and China emit more carbon because they have larger populations, in China they manufacture much of what we buy. China has been in the forefront of solar panel technology. If everyone in the UK made those changes it would make a massive difference.