To be stressed by climate change

www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2019/02/28/nasa-says-earth-is-greener-today-than-20-years-ago-thanks-to-china-india/#8afeb646e135

Satellite pictures show that earth is greener today than 20 years ago thanks to India and China’s massive tree planting programmes

And: I followed a white van home this evening. We stopped at the traffic lights at the edge of a village and out of the window of the van came a crisp packet and an empty plastic bottle. Being a coward I did not jump out and tackle White Van Man and the lights turned green at that moment anyway.

apoplectic (sp)

McDonald's have introduced paper straws for their drinks (are they served in non-recyclable cups with plastic tops?) and apparently there is an online petition, so far signed by about 46,000 people, to bring back the plastic straw!

How can progress be made with people like that? One woman interviewed was quite apopletic - she said it's against people's rights to decide for them that they should use paper straws!

It would also help if most of us decided to eat less meat.

Don’t forget that we are also responsible for the pollution in other parts of the world.
We are the ones buying plastic tat. And cheap clothing made by poor people who have no choice. It’s their rivers and lakes that we are poisoning.
Pay, more and buy less.

Some good news:

www.goodnewsnetwork.org/worlds-largest-vertical-farm-near-nyc-needs-less-water-and-no-pesticides/

It seems that the answer lies in the soil
Climate change being fuelled by soil damage - report www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48043134

I don’t think Population is the biggest problem, and if we try to cut down on it, it would change society in ways not intended. For example, the economy in all developed nations and those aspiring to become developed, is based on constantly increasing the buying and selling of goods. If the population and/or production is cut significantly, there will no longer be the money to provide for education and welfare, or pensions at the level we have today, let alone increase it. There would have to be a marked change in the way we live and it would require families ( who would be more likely to include unemployed or part timers), to look after their own sick and aged including financially. Unless imposed on the population, it would be the community minded who would have fewer children and vice versa. At the moment in the UK the population is more or less stable but it is changing in make up - googling statistics of population growth shows distinctive trends. I say this without judgement - even without immigration, the population will become significantly more culturally mixed purely due to family size based on current trends. So be it, this is inevitable to some extent whatever happens.
Definitely, giving up meat would make a huge difference, growing our own veg and pulses perhaps with the help of modern technologies such as hydrophonics would make us more self sufficient even in urban areas ( but obviously not completely so). Maybe people who can will go back to keeping a goat which has a lower gas effect!) and some chickens. We need to stop being a throw away society., and revert to some of the ‘old fashioned’ ways of living and passing time without giving up all the benefits of modern society, become more community minded and helping our neighbours because there will not be the money ( already it is running out) for social workers and nurses to step in. In many ways it would resemble our childhoods but with some mod cons. The use of luxury yachts and anything that causes pollution, for leisure alone should be severely taxed and/or restricted (don’t despair if you have loved ones far away, the technology to visit them without harming the atmosphere is bound to come soon).
And by the way, in ten years time we may be in a mini ice age - due to a lack of sun spots.
And for those who blame China for pollution, note that they have assigned 60,000 troops to start planting trees!

And if the story is true - Jeremy Corbyn!

Yes, and Nicola Sturgeon!

Callistemon, don't you think that the answer is to put in place politicians who regard the extinction emergency as if it were a war emergency?

We need a Churchillian response to the extinction emergency and bit players like Greta Thunberg or Caroline Lucas are part of the necessary emergency response.

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Huge research in carbon capture technology?
Not primarily an SNP point. I'd be pleased to see any politician just stand up and admit it's a crisis instead of ignoring it!

What will she base Scottish economy on if she gains independence?

Not oil.

I've more faith in the fact that Nicola Sturgeon has stood up and declared an all-out climate crisis.

And??

We all have to do two things - our small bit and supporting campaigns

Goodness, have these people only just woken up?

Is no-one else a member of Greenpeace and/or listened to their messages over the years?

Unfortunately, it's not all black and white as Greta tells it and there is no quick fix sadly - there are so many nuances and so much to work on. I am interested in those young people who want to study, to research and to make a difference through their scientific discoveries.

What do we do in the meantime? What does anyone do when the lights go out in 2025? Are we all going to wear clothing that has been sustainably resourced?

What are the answers?
Greta has the questions but someone has to find the answers.

And I smile somewhat ruefully when David Attenborough gets on his high horse to tell us all what we should or should not be doing, whilst making his substantial living from jetting round the world to exotic locations.
I do like him and enjoy his programmes bsut I know exactly what you mean, Luckygirl

The tv networks seem awash with celebrities (I do not count Sir D amongst them, nor one or two other serious presenters such as Liz Bonnin, Chris Packham etc) who are swanning around the world telling us all about places we will never visit and having a lovely time doing so. An aside to camera about the problems of climate change and they're away - licence to travel.

Surely no-one is seriously saying we can rely on Malthus' theory about disease and war being the prime controllers of population? Four horsemen of the apocalypse?
I've more faith in the fact that Nicola Sturgeon has stood up and declared an all-out climate crisis.
About time other politicians did the same.
Faith in Trump anyone?

We all have to do two things - our small bit and supporting campaigns. Both are important.

I don't get stressed about it. I do my small bit as best I can, but I do not feel I can take the enormity of the problem upon myself.

And I smile somewhat ruefully when David Attenborough gets on his high horse to tell us all what we should or should not be doing, whilst making his substantial living from jetting round the world to exotic locations.

If we really wanted to make a difference then vastly reducing the number of flights available and breaking up the aviation industry would be the way to go - but who is going to do that?

Why don’t supermarkets provide / sell paper bags like Primark? Don’t they use paper carriers in US food stores?

I thought they make bio fuel out of maize.

There is no one answer. The Extinction Rebellion folks and the dogmatic and naïve Greta Thunberg mean well but haven't a clue about reality. And governments are just paying lip service by fawning over her with no intention of doing anything. Stop using fossil fuels? What about all the hardwood forests being chopped down to produce biofuel? That's just one example. Every action has a consequence and no matter how well meaning you are you could be making things worse. The reality is that we need to consume less of everything from food to energy and stop having so many children.

I don't think that focusing solely on population numbers would be the complete solution.

A wealthy western couple with one child (or even none) and a wasteful, extravagant lifestyle including excessive air travel, high meat consumption, polluting vehicles etc etc are doing more damage than a very poor family of six subsisting in a third world country.