Climate change protesters anyone else think they are hypocritical? AIBU

Isn't it ironic that we are currently celebrating man landing on the moon?
How much damage has been caused by these rockets cutting through the natural layers?
Not to mention the financial cost of all these space antics.
(Head down awaiting the flack!)

Their aim, as I understand it, is to be allowed to form a panel which will speak directly with the government.

Gonegirl You seem to equate not supporting the actions of XR as not caring about climate change - that is not the case. I think the majority of us care a great deal but don't agree with the methods XR use.

Do you really think the government will change policy just because people parked a pink boat on a bridge or sat in a bath in the middle of a road?

the Dutch are doing it

No one is going to stop flying. Governments can put pressure on industry to develop non-destructive aeroplane fuel.

Yeah. Let them stop. Let governments slip back to doing what they were before. Who cares if the planet is destroyed beyond saving in the next eleven years? Why should we give the proverbial? We won't be here, or if we are it won't concern us will it?

Why should us oldies care about a planet that belongs to our children and grandchildren? So long as we recycle our plastic trays, we are doing our bit.

Sod the lot of it.

The policewoman could hardly have sat down could she?

My grin was in response to easybee's post.

Should there not be an onus on the "influencers" who spearhead and lecture the rest of us to lead by example. So I'm going to mention the sainted Emma again and say perhaps you could promote your next whatever project by video link instead of flying there. I've seen Oscar winners who couldn't be at the ceremony to pick up their going do the necessary in such a way. It simply isn't good enough to say "if I could fly clean I would" God that's a classic if ever there was one or "I've planted a few trees". As for the idiots who flew in for the lecture on climate change or whatever, I mean wtf you couldn't make it up! Or the young man who was an organiser of the London demos who stated "flying should only be for emergencies" 'cept he was all over the place on his Instagram on his own personal "emergencies" skiing, beach holidays in the Maldives and the like An end to the buffoonery please or no one's going to listen, it's as Ian Martin states "sick and tired of being lectured by bossy middle class people" Lead by example for heaven's sake!

As for the man who missed those vital last moments with his dying father, how would we feel if that was one of us and we were desperately trying to be by the side of a loved one at such a time

I saw a photograph of two of them seated comfortably on a red sofa, dumped in a road, while a policewoman stood behind.
Clearly not gentlemen.

We have to start somewhere, governments are dragging their feet and people just seem to shrug their shoulders. These protests are a good way of bringing the problem to the forefront and it gets my backing. If I had my way I would have 20 mile limit in all towns and permit parking for residences only in a two mile radius around schools. Harsh, yes, but needed, if not for our generation then certainly for the next.

Amen!

and the mass disruption on the streets will intensify _until they get what they want_"

I thought we lived in a democracy.

Ian Martin writes in "The Times" today:

"Younger voters tend to be deeply concerned about global warming. They blame climate change on the alleged self-absorption of a consumerist older generation greedy for more GDP growth than the poor old planet can handle. The radicals want immediate action against cars, planes and gas boilers. And they are convinced they are unimpeachably right.

There is a snag. The evidence of recent years is that bossy middle-class people lecturing their supposed inferiors (educationally and economically) is not going well. Will most voters like what comes next on the green front? To deliver on the government's pledge to take Britain carbon neutral by 2050, consumers must be told soon by their betters about the expensive replacement of millions of gas boilers, about compulsory and ineffective induction hobs in the kitchen and potentially punitive taxation on petrol and flying.

Extinction Rebellion says that even the 2050 target is woefully insufficient. Britain must go carbon neutral by 2025: growth must effectively end; and the mass disruption on the streets will intensify until they get what they want."

Of course punitive taxation on petrol and flying isn't going to affect the Emma Thompsons of this world (sorry I know we aren't supposed to mention her) or the the enormous number of private jets that flew into Davos to listen to David Attenborough's speech on the environment, oh the irony just the average family who take their annual holiday abroad.

The article further goes on to state:

"Anyone seeking to do to the economy what Extinction Rebellion plans to do should surely put it in a party manifesto to be scrutinised by the media and voters"

"While the public is receptive to generalised ideas of protecting the planet there will be nothing like a majority of voters for a slate of policies to ban flying and economic growth when British emissions have fallen sharply and new economies are pumping out so much more"

An XR representative was interviewed on Bristol radio this morning and said the man held up by the protest and not reaching his father before he died was "collateral damage"

Interviewer: "and that is acceptable?"

XR rep. "Yes"

ok.

Not quite the point I was making....

Never mind.

I suppose they are the least of OUR worries, because the appointment wasn't ours.
The man dying wasn't one of OUR men...

I wonder if the odd missed appointment and the pain of finding alternative routes, could be the least of our worries.

Oh, I hope I'm wrong.

But Monica, what makes you think they don't want an economical collapse? Because I'm beginning to wonder, after hearing the article on the Today programme earlier this week, and watching the BBC programme.

I don't mean the majority of the protestors. I mean the senior people behind it all.

Let's wait and see what October 7th brings.

pinkquartz I tend to agree with you. There demands are so extreme and I have yet to see a properly reviewed policy paper from them that shows how this can be done without a complete economic and social collapse.

And, as I have said, they are just jumping on a band wagon other people got moving.

Terribull yes, it was mentioned but no harm in it being repeated.
The incident was reported on the local news and on of the ER protestors who had blocked the M32 was interviewed in the studio. He was 'kind of regretful but not very, imo, that a man failed to reach his dying father'.

I think what they are after is that governments are more in favour of halting it. Some people will pay more attention if it is a question of legal sanctions than voluntary ones. Whether the effects are more towards annoying people enough to put them off or are persuasive enough to make them listen or if they just balance each other out is yet to be seen.

I have had a row about this with a friend. I think the ER are going to cause almost the opposite effect that is needed.
Yes they are getting publicity but all the people adversely affected are not going to go home and think that they had best try and save the environment.... I think they will just feel annoyed.

I also think that the ER need to impact on those who do the worst and those with power and money.

Do your friends and family feel more like saving the planet or less?