How concerned are you about climate change?

atypical_boro said:
The thing is, most people don't want to stop driving, so whilst they're better than what we have, they're not the magic bullet either. The debate will rumble on. If everyone really wanted to contribute they'd all stop driving, this is what I mean about the damage being done, driving is just too ingrained in our culture now, the genie is out of the bottle. Most people would rather see the planet burn (eventually) than stop driving and flying entirely. And I say this as a car owner (even though I don't drive it, it doesn't matter who drives it).
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They're not, not yet anyway ... people (in my view thanks mostly to big oil propaganda) seem to want a perfect solution to a problem or they are not interested. EVs are new, they are developing, they need to improve and they already have a lot ... they have more to go, but for a technology to do that they need early adopters.
 
exiledinboro said:
I’m probably not making my point well

We need to change our habits rather than carry on but in less polluting forms of transport

There used to be arguments that we should make all public transport free. There needs to be a massive change to make a difference
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For me, amazing, cheap/free public transport using electric vehicles, charged through green energy is the dream
 
Subbuteo_171 said:
If tomorrow everyone in the U.K. stopped driving, eating meat, travelling on anything other than foot, all power stations were closed down and we relied upon renewables, took every other action available - it would not make a jot of difference. 65 million people, not a jot.

It needs a global solution with the needs of the planet put before nations, multi-nationals, the rich, the powerful. This will never happen, mankind will end up destroying the planet.

There’s nothing to be done. So I don’t worry too much about it.
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It might not make much difference to the global problems.

It would certainly make a significant difference to the state of the environment in our own country though. COVID proved that, air quality in our cities improved significantly due to fewer cars on the road and it had a positive impact on nature too.

Then you could probably add cleaner rivers and beaches, less noise pollution etc.

Doing all those things might not have much impact on global climate change, but there are a massive range of other environmental benefits to doing them.

Plus as has been said by others there is something to be said to setting an example and sharing lessons learnt (and relevant developments in technology) with other countries.

Agree it needs a global solution but that needs leadership. We're (don't laugh) supposed to be a global leader. Just because it's hard doesn't mean we as a country shouldn't be trying.
 
I'm concerned, bought an EV and a Hybrid, largely for tax/ cost reasons but I'm very happy they're better for the environment, even if just as an early adopter it helps drag other people away from fossil fuels then even better. Bought a new house (not near any water), which has a few solar panels and is well insulated, and the next step is more panels and a battery and I would be more than happy to outlay on that, even if I only got my money back in 5-10 years and was even after that.

My concern is I think we're passed the point of no return, in so far as things will take 10-20 years to sort out and get greener, but by then it will be too late anyway and the climate will run away with itself. Obviously, we have no control over developing nations and have zero right to tell them not to use cheap fuel, as our entire nation was largely developed in the same way through coal and cheap steel production, we paved the way to this mess, literally.

We need to start the process of preparing for rising sea levels, and need to get people moved away from vulnerable areas as it's going to take 50-100 years to build the houses and infrastructure to accommodate that.

We need to go to renewable energy though, and to EV's etc, regardless as to what anyone thinks, as we have next to no oil and gas of our own, and developing nations will increase demand for it, as it runs out, so we're ****ed on that in two ways. Also, all the cheaper oil and gas fields have been bled dry, all that is left is the harder-to-reach areas, which will inevitably cost more.

Sure, the climate has changed over time (usually takes thousands of years), and we were daft to not think it wouldn't (ignorance isn't bliss) but there's zero doubt that we're massively responsible for the recent rapid recent increase in temperature. It's directly related to CO2 which we've been a massive cause of, and we had the tech to really slow down the problem decades ago, which would have saved us in so many ways, especially for the future.

We need to be building as many flood and sea defences, as much as we're building renewable energy. The flood and seas defences will ultimately be money down the drain, literally, but it would buy time, which we're going to need.

It's mad that there are housing developments being built near sea level, and additional infrastructure to support that. It's also mad that people buy the existing neighbouring houses as prices in such places will end up worth nothing. The house will be underwater, and there's next to zero value in land underwater. Fair enough people might only plan to live in them for 10-30 years, but who do they think is going to buy them off them, in 30 years etc?

It's mad that for the last 20 years, we've been building houses based on 1 in 100-year storm events, when future storms are going to be much more common, and much worse (as are the periods of drought, which then amplify the problems a normal storm would cause).

It's mad that we allow any development near existing watercourses, which would prevent the existing watercourses from being widened, or we do daft things like widen in some areas, but have no interest in looking at where the future pinch points for water would be.
 
alvez_49 said:
Also angry that 'Green' energy actually tends to be a misleading pile of **** like the very specific expensive oil that goes in wind turbines every year, the lithium ore mined to make EVs (and the fact it's running out sharply) etc..
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The oil in gas turbines is extremely expensive too, and they're only ~50% efficient. So 50% of that gas that we don't own is getting wasted.

Winds biggest problem is we seem so inssistent in building it offshore, where construction is difficult, when we could be building them onshore where it's easy. We're chosing peoples views over peoples lives.

The demand and development for EV's and Lithium has forced the market and science to look at better alternatives, so the tech will come, and it will only get better and better, and greener and greener. You need to start somewhere to open the door for tech. You can't start at the end and work your way back etc.

First time EV's were taken seriously was from around 2010 and were 2 miles per kWh, now they're up to 6 miles per kWh, 3x more efficient in ~13 years. EV's used to charge at 7 kWh, now they can charge at 350kWh. At 350kW (peak) charging a 50kW battery would take around 15 minutes to charge to full and that could be a 250 mile range car. Effectively ~5-10 minutes for most "refuels", where it was 100x worse 13 years ago.

Same thing happened with ICE cars, they started off **** and extremely inefficient, but then the graph of diminishing returns kicked in about the late 90's, and we got to a point where they could not be made any more efficient. That was until the hybrid option came and they had an electric battery/ motor added. Hybrids then basically developed themselves out of a use though, as EV's became much more viable long term.
 
Subbuteo_171 said:
Agree. Will Putin, Xi, Modi, Biden, Starmer and those who follow them in years to come give up their nations’ agendas and work together for the good of the planet? That’s what I can’t see happening, try and convince the redneck loons in the states about the climate emergency. It ain’t happening.
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They won't be around forever. Certainly not 1 and 4. I guess I just can't share your relentlessly negative view. People can try to make a difference. Look at Australia. The previous government was probfossil fuels and did as much as it could to promote them and stifle renewables. When the public realised how much solar energy the country had, they just ignored the government. Things can change. When big companies realise the energy savings in things like EV fleets, investing in solar etc, they'll do it regardless of the government
 
exiledinboro said:
Agree. People can still have cars and have personal freedoms, and exemptions for people who need them, but there has to be a huge push to change habits

One of the disappointing stories this week was the trial for the 4 day week which would have reduced rush hour traffic as you generally go to work earlier and leave later on the 4 day week and it would remove people's use of transport by 1 day per person
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But what happens if they travel twice the distance on their extra day off?

I have no concerns at all, primarily because the issue will never be trully addressed so why worry about it on a personal level??
 
Subbuteo_171 said:
Just to be clear - we have made changes and do some things such as drive fewer miles, eat less meat etc my view is regardless of what I do unless the vast majority (if not all) make significant changes then I don’t worry about it.
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I wasn't really implying you as individual were or weren't doing anything. I think most people do bits and it's probably worth doing.

Agree though that individuals alone changing habits is going to make very little difference. Definitely something about understanding our sphere of influence/control and as you say, not unduly stressing about things that are beyond that.
 
Somewhat concerned though believe it's lack of Gov leadership of many nations & almost backhanders by invested interests ( fossil fuel producers) that has limited moves to tackle it.

Me, small hatchback diesel, insulation, low energy use, recycling, half flush bog, reduced water use, still have grass 'lawns' front & back.. very limited air travel though if more time I'd fancy a few trips..
 
Centralscrutinizer said:
I'd be surprised if many were 👀
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No, true. I mean is that the future for shipping? We know it's a none starter for small vehicles as batteries work fine for them but larger weight and larger range vehicles? As innefficient as it is as a fuel source its weight, or lack thereof, must help when we are talking ship sizes
 
the solution is to stop buying, selling and worshipping SHITTE

(sent from my shitte phone made all over the poxy world.........)
 
I do think we are changing the climate and making it hotter.

In the last 17 years I have flown only once, so I would guess my carbon footprint is less than the UK average, but because I have a petrol car probably above average globally. My gas and electric consumption are below the UK average. I also make things last a long time comapred with your average UK person.

A bigger challenge for me is the rise of AI - it could be in 10 years time, humans start to become the pets of the robots and that worries me more. Robots are probably less sensitive to climate change too.
 
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