Insulate Britain

They would have made far more of an impression if they had taken some old properties and worked tirelessly to insulate them, then shown the benefits.
Only it is not nearly as simple as is claimed, insulating old properties successfully.

No I am not amongst these protesters and I don’t agree with their tactics, but I do defend their right to protest and definitely support the cause. Those who think U.K. building regs are anything more than feeble should think again. Much of Britain’s housing stock is poorly built / old/ inefficient, with more robust measures huge energy savings could be made, the governments efforts have fallen way short of what really is needed. However, action is needed in every corner of society -agriculture , land and water use, industry, transport, decarbonisation, none of these areas are being addressed by governments sufficiently to avoid disastrous consequences of climate change. I have been on climate protests, and think IB need to expand their horizons a bit, plus I think they are better ways of drawing attention to the total emergency. However, I do think they are genuine in their beliefs and aren’t just doing this for a bit of a jolly which some on here seem to believe.

I think the answer to these law breakers is to unglue them from the road then re-glue them to barriers by the side of the road where they can sit for as long as they wish, allowing the many thousands of people to resume their journey.

It’s preposterous that they are still getting away with these stupid antics.

I seem to remember reading something about Boris ordering some water canons when he was London Mayor but was stopped by I think, Theresa May. What a shame as they could have been utilised to deal with these idiots.

So, if you don't agree with their tactics, you must be a yoghurt pot washer.

Whatever you think of their tactics and their cause, water cannons are not the answer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=79PrfqkUhqs

I wonder if there was no media coverage would they still be there.
After all no publicity would really mess up the protest, or am I just being cynical ?????

MissAdventure a strange conclusion to make
don’t agree with tactics=yoghurt pot washer?
Evidence? Surely these don’t equate ? I was comparing those who slag off the protesters as rentamob lemmings who then go onto sanctify their own recycling efforts as if that is all that is needed to tackle the climate emergency. You don’t have to agree with the tactics of this particular group to realise a lot more needs to be done in all areasand understand protest groups are doing what they believe in.

Yes, I thought it was strange when you said it, too.

There's nothing feeble about the building regulations where we are vegansrock. We own a very old property, shop unit with a flat above, and are currently undertaking a lot of very expensive work to improve the insulation at the behest of our local council.

This includes a new heating system and internal wall insulation, and that means that the kitchen sink and units will have to be completely removed so the insulation can be fitted, and then replaced once work is completed.

Old properties are very difficult to bring up to spec as has already been mentioned and there's no funding available for a property that fails the EPC rating, only for properties that have the minimum requirement and need improving.

vegansrock There is a difference with doing what we can do to reduce, reuse and recycle, You may may be happy just recycling yoghourt pots. but most of us do far more than that.

But just what are these protesters doing to further their cause, beyond sitting in the road and causing excess emissions. Why have these groups only come into existence in the last year, when there have been concerted efforts to get people to insulate their houses for the last 30 years or more and building regs are updated almost annually to ensure houses have more and more insulation.

I am quite unapologetic about calling them 'rentamob'. although I have never suggested they are unwashed or jobless. Having a respectable 'middle class' background, like being a clergyman, or teacher doesn't stop one being part of a rentamob.

I earlier made a comparison with the Trussell Trust. Look at the way they have dominated the agenda in publicising how badly the welfare system works and look at how supermarkets, churches and other places have bins at their exits for customers to donate food to the Food banks and how much so many people give to them. Postives all the way down the line and government having to take notice of what they do.

Now look at ER and Insulate Britain. All they have done is bring discredit on their cause. I cannot imagine that a single person will have put a shred of insulation in their house as a result of their antics. On the contrary all they have done is cause cars to emit more emissions into the atmosphere.

They have not come up with any positive ideas about how their aims could be met and I would be very interested to know how well insulated their own homes are. As most of them are well educated how come they have only just realised the importance of insulation?

No, as far as I am concerned they are a useless rentmob.

I am sure you are all like me impressed by the commitment of our rentamob ecowarriors to their cause today.

They have called today's protest off - because it is raining!

Compare them with other truly committed protestors. CND and the Greenham Women. The members of these groups suffered through hardships of rain and cold weather and far more and unpleasant opposition than this little group of wimps.

They won the respect of people like me, who did not agree with them - and many others, which is more than this lot are doing.

IR tried to disrupt the M25 this morning junctions 28-29, they were cleared away within 30 minutes by Police.

Maybe the weather was a contributory factory?

They have called today's protest off - because it is raining!

It could have melted th glue so the protest would have been a bit pointless.

Perhaps they've gone off to B&Q to buy some loft insulation and are insulating some elderly person's loft at this very moment!

I'd have a bit of respect if they started a campaign to fund that.

Calistemon, Why an ‘elderly person’s loft’? Are you suggesting that old people are too old/stupid/misinformed that they won’t have an insulated loft? Rather a patronising and ageist assumption isn’t it?

I don’t agree with the methods they’re using, they are simply alienating people. I do agree with their aims, but we probably all do. Perhaps they’d do better to protest in Glasgow where we’ll have thousands of people flying into next week, causing massive pollution with all the planes, cars, etc but somehow I think the police would move them pretty quickly if they were demonstrating and causing problems for there. Cynical. Me?

not for there, just there

Perhaps they’d do better to protest in Glasgow oh I wish they would, but they'd be cleared before their hands touched the ground. Don't blame the police, they're following orders from above. The will isn't there to prevent the disruption around London, it's only affecting the public not bigwigs.

I was thinking that, too, about them protesting in Glasgow.

Yes, you’re right Rosie. The police would be told to move them pretty quickly if they were demonstrating in Glasgow next week. Any other time, fine, but not next week.

Kali2

Do you think that spraying the faces of demonstrators with ink (and it could have been anything else) is fair, or assault?

I think its assault. Its not right to break a law just because someone else dd.

I think if I was trying to get somewhere, like hospital or to a dying person's bedside, I'd probably assault someone stopping me.
It wouldn't be right, but it would be worth being in the wrong for.

MissAdventure

I think if I was trying to get somewhere, like hospital or to a dying person's bedside, I'd probably assault someone stopping me.
It wouldn't be right, but it would be worth being in the wrong for.

oh me too

Just amazed at people on here who were recently (quite rightly) fiercely vociferous on how hateful on-line language breeds breeds violence towards MPs are now suggesting assaulting protestors, gluing them protesters to railings, using water cannons on them and putting up laughing emojis at ink being thrown in their faces.

If anyone is rentamob it's flipping Gransnet.

It just goes to prove how their tactics are not furthering their cause, doesnt it, if they can rule up us usually mild mannered grannies?