Is there the political will to do anything on climate change?

[lazythursday]

There's a sometimes surprising amount of political will at local level in my experience.People in quite senior positions who really get it - and often in quite a radical way, not just the 'green growth' type narrative.

And I'm guessing that must also exist in some parts of our national institutions, civil service etc. But the whole nexus of national media and politicians seems to be so far behind. So lacking in understanding of the science and the possible pathways ahead.

 

[hash tag]

Looks like their is no will to change

Sunak says not one leader at Cop28 criticised UK’s petrol car ban delay

Prime minister defends Britain’s climate record at UN summit and urges countries to decarbonise

www.theguardian.com

 

[magneze]

Sunak doesn't realise why though.

 

[teqniq]

No:

Cop28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels

Exclusive: UAE’s Sultan Al Jaber says phase-out of coal, oil and gas would take world ‘back into caves’

www.theguardian.com

and the mere fact that Cop28 is being held in the UAE is a complete travesty.

 

[Rob Ray]

The leader of a petrostate used the giant climate change jamboree he paid for to promote his main product?? Whoever could have seen that coming.

 

[Dystopiary]

Assad's there too. They're trolling us. Still liberals will continue to delude themselves that this might somehow do some good.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Political will! Forget that, it's all about money and lining pockets, especially while the oil lasts.
I heard a while ago that the oil in the middle east will not last much longer, so they are filling
their boots while they can.

Places like the UAE will be among the first to become uninhabitable due to climate change, so 'while they can' may not be for long.

Of course all the oil men have homes and passports in London or wherever else and will leave their countries to burn without a backward glance when it comes to that.

 

[hash tag]

Is there a political will poses the thread title.
Look no further

Tory donor’s firm paid for Sunak’s £16,000 one-way helicopter trip to Leeds

Journey was paid for by The Phoenix Partnership, which has won £135m of contracts from NHS and government

www.theguardian.com

 

[story]

While birthday cards like this are being designed, signed off, marketed, bought and given to people, nothing fundamental is going to be done about the problem.

 

[Artaxerxes]

While birthday cards like this are being designed, signed off, marketed, bought and given to people, nothing fundamental is going to be done about the problem.

View attachment 407726

Fucking. Hell.

 

[8ball]

While birthday cards like this are being designed, signed off, marketed, bought and given to people, nothing fundamental is going to be done about the problem.

View attachment 407726

Depends who the card is being given to, I suppose.

 

[hash tag]

That is unless that card is saying it's not the bears fault he has lost his home and will have nowhere to live for much longer.
It is not the bears fault his habit is being destroyed?

 

[8ball]

That is unless that card is saying it's not the bears fault he has lost his home and will have nowhere to live for much longer.
It is not the bears fault his habit is being destroyed?

Polar bears never live to 40 in the wild, so I don't think they'd be getting that card.

 

[PTK]

While birthday cards like this are being designed, signed off, marketed, bought and given to people, nothing fundamental is going to be done about the problem.

View attachment 407726

Polar bears never live to 40 in the wild, so I don't think they'd be getting that card.

It could be that the card is means that global warming is the fault of earlier generations, and not that of the under-40s

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Polar bears never live to 40 in the wild, so I don't think they'd be getting that card.

If we don't address climate change, it'll may be humans that don't live to 40 in the wild.

 

[lazythursday]

I really want to know what the punchline inside the card is now

 

[story]

Depends who the card is being given to, I suppose.

Because no one under 40 is responsible in any way? And everyone over 40 is blameless?

It could be that the card is means that global warming is the fault of earlier generations, and not that of the under-40s

Yes that's the message but it's bollocks isn't it?
Every person over 40 is culpable and everyone under 40 is blameless? That's nonsense imo. So no one under the age of 40 needs to take measures, be thoughtful, press their government? And every person over 40 has caused the problem?

Seems to me that while such binary thinking exists there's no chance we take collective responsibility and collectively take steps to slow down this catastrophe.

 

[story]

I really want to know what the punchline inside the card is now

Damn. Don't know why I didn't look.

 

[8ball]

Because no one under 40 is responsible in any way? And everyone over 40 is blameless?

Yes, that's exactly right.

 

[8ball]

Damn. Don't know why I didn't look.

It might still be there tomorrow - don't leave us on tenterhooks!

 

[story]

Yes, that's exactly right.

I realise that under forties haven't been around long enough to make the problem but are you saying that everyone under forty is completely blameless? Even those who are mining bitcoin, driving stupid cars etc?

The current situation isn't their fault because it predates their existence. But does that let them off any blame, if they're contributing to the problem?

I think that kind of thinking is at least partly contributing to the inertia and lack of action. If everyone under 40 says "not my fault" , then I can also say "not my fault" because my personal.contribution to the problem is vanishingly small.

I'm not saying under-40s are equally responsible or anything like it. But it seems to me that so long as this attitude of "not me guv" is being celebrated like on this card, then we're not going to halt it slow down the problem.

Which is where I started.

 

[danny la rouge]

It’s not a generation thing, it’s a class thing. Capital is the problem, not “older people”.

 

[SpookyFrank]

While birthday cards like this are being designed, signed off, marketed, bought and given to people, nothing fundamental is going to be done about the problem.

View attachment 407726

Do they do a 65 today, global warming IS your fault card?

 

[redsquirrel]

It’s not a generation thing, it’s a class thing. Capital is the problem, not “older people”.

This. It really is not complex

 

[hash tag]

Polar bears never live to 40 in the wild, so I don't think they'd be getting that card.

A 40th birthday card highlighting a climate change issue?

It’s not a generation thing, it’s a class thing. Capital is the problem, not “older people”.

Previous generations were quite good at things like mining and burning coal or using paint for of lead or arsenic in wallpaper. They weren't all good.

 

[8ball]

I realise that under forties haven't been around long enough to make the problem but are you saying that everyone under forty is completely blameless? Even those who are mining bitcoin, driving stupid cars etc?

The current situation isn't their fault because it predates their existence. But does that let them off any blame, if they're contributing to the problem?

I think that kind of thinking is at least partly contributing to the inertia and lack of action. If everyone under 40 says "not my fault" , then I can also say "not my fault" because my personal.contribution to the problem is vanishingly small.

I'm not saying under-40s are equally responsible or anything like it. But it seems to me that so long as this attitude of "not me guv" is being celebrated like on this card, then we're not going to halt it slow down the problem.

Which is where I started.

I think before any of this theorising it might be an idea to see what the punchline is in the card.

My guess is it’s some eye-wateringly bad age-related pun and nothing related to any opinions on climate change.

 

[iona]

Just looked for the card online and this is the inside apparently

 

[PTK]

Do they do a 65 today, global warming IS your fault card?

As somone of around that age, I hope that they do! I blame my parents.

 

[hash tag]

Is there a political will asks the thread title.
Ans: No, if Zac Goldsmith, environmental campaigner is anything to go by

Zac Goldsmith: Peer and ex-London mayor hopeful handed interim driving ban

The Conservative peer and former London mayoral hopeful admits four speeding offences.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Almor]

Exactly. Some recycling uses heaps amount of energy.
A question I had a while back was do you leave the cap on a plastic bottle when you send it for recycling. This was prompted by something that an expert said in the guardian. In reply to the same question, the "expert" said yes, leave bottle caps on and Jenny Jones ( who I would side with ) said no, definitely leave the cap off. I sent the same email to them both.
The point is on such a miniscule level people cannot agree so there is no chance of an agreement on a bigger level.
Fwiw. We should try and avoid plastics, or should we?

Recycling and climate change are different issues though?

Every bit of persistent/non-biodegradable plastic in landfill is carbon that's not ending up in the atmosphere for quite a while (apart from the energy used to make, and transport it)

Switching from glass containers to plastic and chucking them away would probably be better for climate change than recycling glass and plastics since they're lighter to transport and lock up some of the carbon used, and wouldn't need the energy used in processing them for recycling.

Be terrible for other environmental issues though...

I don't think that there's the political will to tackle either issue adequately