Climate Change Protests - will they make a difference?

They are pretty much all white and all the ones I have heard are very middle class. They are causing great hardship to millions of other humans who are just as interested and informed about climate change as they are but need to work!!!

One day would have been ok. All week is bloody ridiculous self indulgent virtue signalling look at me face book nonsense.

They re not all white
They are not all in cosy professions - many are retired, self employed, students etc
It’s MUCH MORE SELFISH to
use up the planets resources, poison the oceans and destroy habitats and species and expect to go on living our cosy wasteful lifestyles without a thought for future generations than to take part in a protest.

I pity the poor folk on zero hours contracts who are unable to get to work and won’t get paid.

Of course the white middle class protesters on a jolly will be in professions that pay their holidays and sick days.

Selfish selfish selfish

Thank you River but I feel that some people jump to so many conclusions and forget that there are many reasons why someone might NEED to use a car rather than walking or cycling. Me not being able to drive would negatively impact on so many other peoples lives other than my own .

Of course the bigger picture is that if my DGC could get into a school close to home then they would not need to be driven backwards and forwards everyday.

"Save your pennies for a few weeks if you really can't afford a taxi."

How insensitive! You obviously can afford taxi prices, some can't. Not much point when you need a taxi now not in a few weeks.

I never drive into central London, don't drive anywhere where there is decent public transport, and use buses a lot. They're brilliant! You really shouldn't be so quick to assume you're so much better than the rest of us.

gilly I don't think you have to justify your use of a car!

I don't need a car because of where I live, London Transport is great, and I don't have to ferry family members here and there.

No cheap public transport around here either Maggiemaybe in fact it is outrageously expensive.

I wish I could ride a bike gonegirl I really do but my MS prevents me from doing so. I can walk okay these days (touch wood) but just can't manage the turning actions of pedalling.

Anyway besides that I'm really not sure how I could go about my daily life without the use of my car. I do school runs 3 times a week in 2 different towns, I pick up and drop off my DD's baby at least once, often twice a week, I look after my dad at the opposite side of town to where I live, travel to work in yet another town and do various hospital appointments for myself, DH and my dad too.

Btw - warning. Travelling on London buses is horrific.

No it's not - it's fab!

I have just ridden my bike into town and back, breathing all the filthy fumes you lot put out in your sodding cars. Anyone else doing that little bit to help the environment? Or are you all going shopping/gym/all other short journeys, in your cars?

Who's this you lot and you all? I don't drive, never have. And you think travelling on London buses is horrific? Can you explain why? We have an hourly bus service to our nearest town, three miles away (so we're not exactly way out in the country). The single fare is £3.20. Sometimes it doesn't turn up. The last bus back
leaves at 7pm. We've no station. What I wouldn't give for a frequent, cheap bus service!

Who cares if they are "annoyed". The protestors are pretty annoyed about wild animals losing their God given environments.

Btw - warning. Travelling on London buses is horrific.

About time London streets were given over for a wile to non-motorists. Who said car drivers should have it their way all the time?

Save your pennies for a few weeks if you really can't afford a taxi.

Two weeks is a few days when you compare it to forever.

Yes well. I have just ridden my bike into town and back, breathing all the filthy fumes you lot put out in your sodding cars. Anyone else doing that little bit to help the environment? Or are you all going shopping/gym/all other short journeys, in your cars?

My grandsons go a really good (LA) school in London, and guess what? Yep! it's next to a busy London road. grrr.

Observations from various posts on here.
It's not "just a few days" it will be the full 2 weeks if they have their way. It's not just commuters inconvenienced. The arrogance of saying taxis are a viable alternative for getting to hospital appointments, are the protestors going to chip in for those that can't afford one?

And finally this quote from one of the leaders.
Extinction Rebellion co-founder Dr Gail Bradbrook has warned that the group's tactics could escalate "if our demands are not met".
She said: "More people are joining us all the time. We're having a fantastic time here."
So pleased they are enjoying themselves, shame they're creating misery for others.

It is all too easy to leave it to our politicians, but that will not get us anywhere.

IMO we all need to start by recycling, using as little energy as possible and trying to do something about the mountain of packaging that cannot be recycled that meets us every time we shop.

We probably all need to pick the things we can do to help - it is such a varied problem that we can't all be experts on every aspect of it.

Protesting may just make some people thing about an issue that they have happily ignored until now, but will probably just annoy them instead.

I'd like to see putting big tariffs on Chinese goods by governments and the public boycotting Chinese goods to make the Chinese government to cut their emissions. But I suppose that's pie in the sky as its impact on socio economic would be big and because the inconveniences would be too much to bare by the public!

David Attenborough is presenting his concerns tonight on the BBC. I'll be watching that.

Our business sends at least two vans up to inner London every day. There are no electric powered vehicles big enough at the moment.

Due to the new ULEZ we have had to purchase two new vehicles earlier than planned, so two perfectly good vehicles 2 and 3 years old have to be sold at a loss. The car companies are making a fortune!!!!

I have just purchased a new car for myself, tried to buy an electric one, then looked at hybrids which are extremely expensive. In the end opted for a petrol with eco engine technology (whatever that is it).

If the Governments are serious they need to put pressure on car /van /lorry manufacturing to up their games now.

Oh dear...….."there is no need to preach !

I am not "nit picking" Anja I am simply stating my opinions as I (as far as I know) still have a right to do on these forums.

...and there is need to preach that my grandchildren will suffer in the long term. I already know that very well. As I have said previously I already try very hard at doing my bit for the planet. I very rarely fly (perhaps 10-12 times in 57 years...so not too bad) I very rarely travel any great distance by road either. I do hope you can say the same.

The technology is here now. It’s just a matter of upgrading the infrastructure.

Government Report on impact of rising sea levels in the UK

I imagine future heating will be by electricity. Hopefully nuclear powered

On this we can agree Gonegirl although a nuclear power station cannot be built in a hurry. I would also envisage that the same protesters will be out in force to protest against nuclear power too.

Thank you for providing the link about electric vehicles. There is nothing there that I haven't already read. The current wave of vehicles are not a viable replacement as yet (but I am sure the technology will come..... eventually). There is no way that we could carry out an outright ban on petrol and diesel until the replacements are a like for like (mileage) replacement and the prices are more favourable. There are millions of people like me who live in flats or terraced homes with no off street parking. where would we charge our vehicles ? I run an SME where our lads travel between jobs. They would spend more time stopped than started if we were forced to use an electric vehicle. As I said the technology will come but its still quite a way off yet.

It’s not often I find myself agreeing with you Gonegirk but I’m right up there with you now.

Of course this is aimed at governments and a few days collateral damage to commuters is nothing compared with what is facing future generations. Commuters will soon ‘get over it’.

gilly stop nit picking, it’s the bigger picture and it’s your grandchildren who will have to live in this future world. Have you any idea what rising sea levels, increasing storms, hurricane, flooding, etc will do to them?

If you live on the coast now then .......