Greta Thunberg / Climate Change Summit (1 Viewer)

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
I’m literally torn on ER. I know that there needs to be urgent action on climate change (impossible to say how urgent) and am struggling to argue against methods to bring it to the country/parliaments attention....but I think two weeks blocking up London will garner as much negative reaction as positive

I’d like to see some positive ideas and solutions to go along side maybe one or two day similar protests. Encourage

...people to stop buying ‘made in China’ (and other high polluting nations) products if they are considered to be a major polluter

....the public to plant trees (more in inner city areas in particular)

...support other more shorter term energy solutions (even ones they may ordinarily argue against ie Nuclear)

...organisation of ‘walking to school’ groups during the summer months rather than parents driving

....organisation of country/seaside clean ups

....ultimately be clear with what they want and what they expect of the public and government

Just shouting ‘the worlds going to end’ will get attention and drive some behaviour changes but deliver a message of a realistic ‘how’ !

ps if I was the government I’d direct a significant proportion of international/foreign aid to eco/sustainability projects abroad and/or incentivise those trying to do something

I agree with most of these and they are practical solutions if indeed some are stop-gap solutions.

Stopping the 'made in China' thing would help in some cases but if we've got trade deals to buy goods from them can we really stop the imports, even if the demand isn't there?

Planting trees again is good and maybe that as some form of offsetting could be useful - 'trees not tariffs'. Using the foreign/international aid budget in this way as a kind of 'two for one'. Personally I think even a small part of the defence budget could be used in this manner as a preventative measure - the less land we ruin and the more opportunities people can have in their own country the less people will want/need to migrate elsewhere and tension and flashpoints will be reduced.

Also where to plant the trees - I understand the job the ones alongside roads do but they also cause a lot of problems and I think a rethink of these are needed in terms of different plants etc. Green walls are an option to soak up carbon and pollution from roads as an alternative, but I am slightly concerned that you are effectively covering the house in flammable cladding.

Moss is apparently way better than trees per sq m at soaking up both pollutants and water, but we spend a lot of time scraping it out of lawns etc.

We need green corridors (which would also help wildlife).

My family have been reasonably eco-friendly on the small things even since before I was born and I reckon in the past most families were - it's only in the last couple of generations with the advent of plastic it's got really bad. We've always taken our own woven bags to get shopping. We always walked to school (but not during the summer months - pointless as there was no school ;))

But while the US authorities refuse to accept or take seriously this issue and the US people won't adapt beyond their consumerism and throw away society while the Chinese and India wilfully ignore it so as not to harm their economies (and other developing nations like Brazil follow their lead) it's not going to matter.
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
I agree with most of these and they are practical solutions if indeed some are stop-gap solutions.

Stopping the 'made in China' thing would help in some cases but if we've got trade deals to buy goods from them can we really stop the imports, even if the demand isn't there?

Planting trees again is good and maybe that as some form of offsetting could be useful - 'trees not tariffs'. Using the foreign/international aid budget in this way as a kind of 'two for one'. Personally I think even a small part of the defence budget could be used in this manner as a preventative measure - the less land we ruin and the more opportunities people can have in their own country the less people will want/need to migrate elsewhere and tension and flashpoints will be reduced.

Also where to plant the trees - I understand the job the ones alongside roads do but they also cause a lot of problems and I think a rethink of these are needed in terms of different plants etc. Green walls are an option to soak up carbon and pollution from roads as an alternative, but I am slightly concerned that you are effectively covering the house in flammable cladding.

Moss is apparently way better than trees per sq m at soaking up both pollutants and water, but we spend a lot of time scraping it out of lawns etc.

We need green corridors (which would also help wildlife).

My family have been reasonably eco-friendly on the small things even since before I was born and I reckon in the past most families were - it's only in the last couple of generations with the advent of plastic it's got really bad. We've always taken our own woven bags to get shopping. We always walked to school (but not during the summer months - pointless as there was no school ;))

But while the US authorities refuse to accept or take seriously this issue and the US people won't adapt beyond their consumerism and throw away society while the Chinese and India wilfully ignore it so as not to harm their economies (and other developing nations like Brazil follow their lead) it's not going to matter.


I think rewilding is a fantastic idea. It's made an incredible difference to the wildlife wherever it's been tried. Apparently some Danish fella has just become a laird in Scotland and he's going to rewild the estate.
They've done it in a national park in the States, (think it's Yellowstone), with incredible results.
Don't think it's the answer to climate change but I think it would make the country a much nicer place.
 

Monners

Well-Known Member
Couldn’t give two fucks about climate change,It’s all left wing bollocks,Do as I say not as I do.
While Emma Thompson such a luvvie goes home to New York after the last protest in her £18,000 plane seat laughing at the idiots on the ground!!!
Are you Jeremy Clarskon by any chance?
 

fernandopartridge

Well-Known Member
I agree with most of these and they are practical solutions if indeed some are stop-gap solutions.

Stopping the 'made in China' thing would help in some cases but if we've got trade deals to buy goods from them can we really stop the imports, even if the demand isn't there?

Planting trees again is good and maybe that as some form of offsetting could be useful - 'trees not tariffs'. Using the foreign/international aid budget in this way as a kind of 'two for one'. Personally I think even a small part of the defence budget could be used in this manner as a preventative measure - the less land we ruin and the more opportunities people can have in their own country the less people will want/need to migrate elsewhere and tension and flashpoints will be reduced.

Also where to plant the trees - I understand the job the ones alongside roads do but they also cause a lot of problems and I think a rethink of these are needed in terms of different plants etc. Green walls are an option to soak up carbon and pollution from roads as an alternative, but I am slightly concerned that you are effectively covering the house in flammable cladding.

Moss is apparently way better than trees per sq m at soaking up both pollutants and water, but we spend a lot of time scraping it out of lawns etc.

We need green corridors (which would also help wildlife).

My family have been reasonably eco-friendly on the small things even since before I was born and I reckon in the past most families were - it's only in the last couple of generations with the advent of plastic it's got really bad. We've always taken our own woven bags to get shopping. We always walked to school (but not during the summer months - pointless as there was no school ;))

But while the US authorities refuse to accept or take seriously this issue and the US people won't adapt beyond their consumerism and throw away society while the Chinese and India wilfully ignore it so as not to harm their economies (and other developing nations like Brazil follow their lead) it's not going to matter.
Trade deals are not the driver, its rampant consumerism. We all buy too much crap.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
Mainly because of "cheap" manufacturing. It'll cost more to repair, than replace.

Not always though. Just the other week I tried to buy a new PCB control board for my washing machine only to be told that they’re not available for sale as a spare at any price (which I actually thought was illegal). Washing machine that’s otherwise perfectly OK in the bin because of a PCB, it’s ridiculous. If it had been a dry solder joint I’d have fixed it myself but one of the tracks was knackered so that was that. Then you get a new one with a the polystyrene and plastic wrapping to add to the waste plastic mountain.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
Not always though. Just the other week I tried to buy a new PCB control board for my washing machine only to be told that they’re not available for sale as a spare at any price (which I actually thought was illegal). Washing machine that’s otherwise perfectly OK in the bin because of a PCB, it’s ridiculous. If it had been a dry solder joint I’d have fixed it myself but one of the tracks was knackered so that was that. Then you get a new one with a the polystyrene and plastic wrapping to add to the waste plastic mountain.

Why would that be illegal? That happens a lot, where replacement parts aren't made anymore, so you need a complete new unit.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
Trade deals are not the driver, its rampant consumerism. We all buy too much crap.

I agree we do. But if we've set up trade deals where we agree to buy so much of a particular product could we get out of buying it or would there be penalties in the trade deal.

We could all change our spending habits overnight and not buy this stuff as individuals but for how long would the country be obligated to buy the stuff from China for example under a trade deal even if there was no demand?

Disclaimer: I know Brexit would probably get us out of most of them as they're EU deals, but I'm assuming we'd make a similar deal ourselves before any such consumer spending changes occurred.
 

skybluetony176

Well-Known Member
Why would that be illegal? That happens a lot, where replacement parts aren't made anymore, so you need a complete new unit.

I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure it’s law that manufactures have to have serviceable spares available for x number of years after a line goes out of manufacture. 10 years is the number I have in my head but as I say I could be wrong. If I’m right the washing machine was only about 5 years old so it definitely hadn’t been out of production for 10 years.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure it’s law that manufactures have to have serviceable spares available for x number of years after a line goes out of manufacture. 10 years is the number I have in my head but as I say I could be wrong. If I’m right the washing machine was only about 5 years old so it definitely hadn’t been out of production for 10 years.

Just tried Googling it, US law definitely states it apparently.
 

fellatio_Martinez

Well-Known Member
Not always though. Just the other week I tried to buy a new PCB control board for my washing machine only to be told that they’re not available for sale as a spare at any price (which I actually thought was illegal). Washing machine that’s otherwise perfectly OK in the bin because of a PCB, it’s ridiculous. If it had been a dry solder joint I’d have fixed it myself but one of the tracks was knackered so that was that. Then you get a new one with a the polystyrene and plastic wrapping to add to the waste plastic mountain.

Our washing machine conked out last year and I thought I'd open it up and remove the drum to use it as a firepit for the garden as I'd seen it done before.

It should be a simple process but I realised the drum had been welded into the plastic surroundings so it couldn't be removed unless I had some heavy duty equipment. I googled it and this is apparently a recent practice to stop people re-using parts.

Absolute bastards.

I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure it’s law that manufactures have to have serviceable spares available for x number of years after a line goes out of manufacture. 10 years is the number I have in my head but as I say I could be wrong. If I’m right the washing machine was only about 5 years old so it definitely hadn’t been out of production for 10 years.

It’s about to get a lot easier to repair old appliances in the EU
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
We've got one of those policies which cover appliances for spares and repairs.

Triggers broom had more original components on it than our washing machine
 

CCFCSteve

Well-Known Member
;)
I agree with most of these and they are practical solutions if indeed some are stop-gap solutions.

Stopping the 'made in China' thing would help in some cases but if we've got trade deals to buy goods from them can we really stop the imports, even if the demand isn't there?

Planting trees again is good and maybe that as some form of offsetting could be useful - 'trees not tariffs'. Using the foreign/international aid budget in this way as a kind of 'two for one'. Personally I think even a small part of the defence budget could be used in this manner as a preventative measure - the less land we ruin and the more opportunities people can have in their own country the less people will want/need to migrate elsewhere and tension and flashpoints will be reduced.

Also where to plant the trees - I understand the job the ones alongside roads do but they also cause a lot of problems and I think a rethink of these are needed in terms of different plants etc. Green walls are an option to soak up carbon and pollution from roads as an alternative, but I am slightly concerned that you are effectively covering the house in flammable cladding.

Moss is apparently way better than trees per sq m at soaking up both pollutants and water, but we spend a lot of time scraping it out of lawns etc.

We need green corridors (which would also help wildlife).

My family have been reasonably eco-friendly on the small things even since before I was born and I reckon in the past most families were - it's only in the last couple of generations with the advent of plastic it's got really bad. We've always taken our own woven bags to get shopping. We always walked to school (but not during the summer months - pointless as there was no school ;))

But while the US authorities refuse to accept or take seriously this issue and the US people won't adapt beyond their consumerism and throw away society while the Chinese and India wilfully ignore it so as not to harm their economies (and other developing nations like Brazil follow their lead) it's not going to matter.

They were just off the top of my head ;). I’m sure there’s far greater minds than mine that would come up with other ways. ER could then focus on at least one of these each protest to get a solution driven message across.

Agree with consumerism point, although this is an issue across the western world (not just US). Mentioned previously on this thread the attitude of just throwing away and buying a new one is crazy.

I’m not just blaming China (and developing countries) by the way, they are going through their own ‘industrial revolution’ so it’s difficult for us to dictate/argue as we’ve been through ours. Also they are manufacturing for the western worlds out of control consumerism linking back to the above point. I do think it makes sense for us to find ways to encourage developing nations to address climate change through foreign/development aid though
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
Regardless of your opinion on this "movement", there's been some brilliant memes and footage of absolute freaks to watch online :joyful:

giphy.gif
 

Nick

Administrator
Couple of dickheads dragged off the top of a tube train this morning for trying to hold people up going home from and going to work.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Couple of dickheads dragged off the top of a tube train this morning for trying to hold people up going home from and going to work.

That’s how disruptive protest works mate. You don’t get much change if no one is inconvenienced.

Doesn’t excuse a gang of blokes battering one guy though.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Hope he got a good kicking, targeting regular people using public transport to get to work to support a family, what did they expect? Surely they want people to use mass transit systems?

They want the government to take notice. They want people to be so disrupted that they ask the government for action too. This is standard non-violent protest stuff guys.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
Not something I would do but whats the alternative? See lots of people on social media saying there's other ways to raise awareness but that's not the issue. Is there really anyone who needs to be made aware that climate change is an issue? This was being talked about when I was at school in the 80s!

It's not about awareness its about lack of action. There's been years, if not decades, of talk, petitions, marches and other peaceful protests. All of which have been ignored.
 

Marty

Well-Known Member
They want the government to take notice. They want people to be so disrupted that they ask the government for action too. This is standard non-violent protest stuff guys.

Targeting the wrong people, just working class people trying to make a living being dictated too by the middle class , if you want change then block deliveries at Amazon, McDonald's, JLR, stop bankers getting to work etc, places that have huge carbon footprints, but fuck that, why do something useful when you can stop the Polish immigrant from getting to their minimum wage job.

I was supporting them, but after this latest stunt, they're quickly losing my support.
 

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
That’s how disruptive protest works mate. You don’t get much change if no one is inconvenienced.

Doesn’t excuse a gang of blokes battering one guy though.

Not usually a fan of people getting a kickin on the ground, but didn't feel that way about these cretins.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
if you want change then block deliveries at Amazon, McDonald's, JLR, stop bankers getting to work etc
Think they targeted Canning Town on the Jubilee Line and the DLR. The two services that run into the City of London.
 

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