Let me guess, you’re a Paramedic? No? Fireman?

Yes, well they should let those through – pretty stupid.

the protestors are living a life of leisure with nothing to do

And yet they choose to spend their free time on something they believe in that effects us all, particularly the poorest in society, the bastards.

I would not care if I was held up, it’s not like school, work, family would not understand why I was delayed. I can’t imagine being worked up enough to drag someone off the road. All those people will die off heart attacks before climate change effects them.

Not sure really, we are all talking about it at least. It was not an issue I was super aware of before. In a way its been more effective then all the XR protests as they have a clear demand.

Genuine question – how else are they meant to get heard? Polite protest outside downing street (300m away) will not even be reported.

Yeah it’s not job done. No idea why you would think this.

We might be heading in the right direction finally, but far too slowly and nowhere near the level that is required.

So you don’t want to breath cleaner air? You are happy to live surrounded by landfill? No problem with our polluted rivers and seas? Shall we just chop the last few trees down in the UK and be done with it?

I guess you don’t tidy up your own house because you neighbours don’t bother ?

. Unless you are suggesting some form of punishment has to be dished out to us for our historical emissions of course…but again how is that going to reduce CO2 emissions.

Why does it have to be a punishment ? There are so many little changes that will make sod all difference to our daily lives. Take a bar of soap vs Shower gel. The soap is cheaper, last longer, comes in compostable packaging, lighter so uses less CO2 to ship and uses up to 10 time less energy to produce. Shower gel exists entirely to have better product placement on a shelf.

Good overview here:
https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-which-countries-are-historically-responsible-for-climate-change

We in the UK don’t produce enough CO2 to make a significant difference

You might want to check the historic emissions, remember when we took over the world and mined it for all it was worth? Also does your 1% of CO2 emissions take into account that we have subcontracted nearly all of our production and pollution to other countries?

There are so many easy ways to reduce energy. It’s really not hard, we are incredibly wasteful.

And how you dealing with the economic collapse? The economy relies on energy

We need governments to create new markets and taxes that reward low carbon usage. The world will change fast, but it needs some leadership…

My point was that it is better than what we have now. So easy to pour scorn on every tiny bit of progress, because it is not 100% perfect. This line of thinking just let’s us all off the hook.

Also some one did reply it is not a good thing!

Of course the electrification of cars is a good thing, how are people still questioning this? We have many solutions for renewable power that are getting cheaper and cheaper, will it happen overnight? No. Will it be a million times better than the current fuel mix. Yes.

The thread is depressing, not the climate problems we face, but the scepticism and pessimism used to confront them

The £1 plant a tree schemes are problematic as they risk creating monocultures and are often far away from humans, so we loose the many secondary benefits of tree planting – its not just about carbon capture. Not all tree planting is equal, but honestly any is better than nothing – we need to replant the world.

I helped start a tree planting charity in my hometown a year and half ago, we have planted 15,000 feathers so far and have just had a grant to plant 1000 standard sized street trees in pavements. The formula for us so far has been simple, use council land (and some churches), apply for grants and get volunteers to plant and maintain. The largest scheme (10,500 trees) cost us around £3 a tree, but a huge amount of volunteer effort. We have also got 1 year old saplings from the woodland trust and TCV for free. We are growing these on at three micro nurseries we have created, to reduce costs further.

If you are under the age of 40 and don’t have the bank of mum and dad you have no chance in Brexit Britain. I think we will have 2012 style riots again next year, no way can we just keep writing whole sections of society off, while the rich get ever richer and think people will put up with it.

We have our own little Megan & Harry style drama in my family. My sister married a tanzanian, we flew out there for 3 weeks, my Dad paid for everything and walked her down the aisle, making a real effort with all the extended family (we stayed with them, without running water or electricity the whole time). He cashed in his pension early so the husband could come over to the UK and try and find work. He also lived with my Dad for a while. Despite this another of my sisters starting telling people my Dad was a racist. This is purely because he does speak the language of my sisters social media feeds. How about we judge people by their actions and not assume the worst all the time

Don’t you think that’s defining characters by their ethnicity?

None of the shows were about ethnicity really, at least I did not pick up on this at the time. They just happened to be all blacks casts, but it felt very universal. Fresh prince for example is all about class.

Until the last few years I would have said we were making great strides, but all these new divisive terms like Gammon, Karen, etc.. are doing more harm than good. If you are not fluent in social media lexicon, you are forever branded a racist.

As a child of the 90s we grew up watching sitcoms with all black casts (sister, sister, fresh prince, cosby show, hanging with mr cooper etc) and never thought anything about race, now a lot of American shows define their characters by their ethnicity, making endless jokes about differences.

Programmer here – just wondering why? Seems very young. I would take a look at processing if you are really set on it, much more creative. Personally my 6 year is hooked on chess, think this has a huge benefit and a lot more fun.

I am approaching 2 years of self employment, but completely invisible to furlough schemes. My girlfriend is zero hours at a school so no work during school lockdowns. Both our jobs have shifted from traditional secure PAYE jobs as a direct result of government policy or more likely inaction.

The idea that the self employed should be targeted to ‘pay back’ is completely deluded, most will not be able to.

Self employed, paying similar levels of tax as when I was employed, obviously also have more costs… Was not covered by furlough scheme.

Totally agree, but you don’t get paid in a zero hour contract if you don’t go in.

Sure but girlfriend and others are all on zero hour contracts, so not same choice teachers have. None of them have joined the union

It’s important to remember ‘closed’ schools are actually still open. My girlfriend is still expected to work, the teachers (rightly) have refused to work, but the Teaching Assistants have no union and take over for keyworkers kids.

Yup, turns out the unions did not like the pay freeze, the loss of holiday, the lack of testing, the lack of vacinnation priority and the complete contempt shown to teachers by this feckless government.

Maybe people planting trees understand the issues involved and plant accordingly ? Too many internet experts in this thread that are desperate to have you believe everything you could do is wrong. OP ignore this misanthropic attitude, you can improve things.

My carbon capture group has planted 5000 trees this month in our town and will plant another 10,000 by end of Feb.

I suggest you try and do the same.

School has asked parents to wear masks to pickup – around a quarter are not bothering. I frankly find this pathetic.

Small businesses having to step in to feed children as an act of charity, this country is a shadow of its former shelf. It’s pathetic.

At some point you have to accept, we’re being governed by feckless bastards…

well, yes clearly.

Of course I don’t think ‘winning PMQs’ will do that, finally having a competent opposition leader hopefully will.

Your divisive view of politics is so profoundly depressing and simplistic, but I guess it’s nice to think of everything in terms of good vs evil.

Apparently 1 in 4 in the UK believe aspects of QAnon

No way a quarter of the population has even heard of QAnon. They asked multiple very broad question e.g do you believe there is a network of child-abusing politicians and celebrities .. we all know this – Epstein.

The Guardian is sadly losing it’s way.

You are completely deluded if you think waging class warfare and restoring to stayed stereotypes will deliver a Labour government. Many on the left are simply shouting into their own tiny echo chamber. They really are their own worse enemy.

honestly Grum it sounds like you could do with a break from Social media.

It alienates many voters because they are also scum and they don’t like it being pointed out.

Actually many just want their politicians to aim a bit higher than name calling. It solves nothing and sets a pathetic example. Watch the US presidential debate tonight to see where we are heading.

Keir Starmer is mauling Boris Johnson every PMQs exposing his every failure, with pesky things like facts and experts – this is the way to do it

Rayner made a big mistake, this sort of language plays into the Tories hands and alienates many voters.

we should all be helping to feed kids that otherwise would go without, via our governmen

Yes of course, this is why we pay taxes. It’s a complete failure of government if the solution is for schools to feed children.

Because no one else is doing it well enough and they have the facilities/staff to do it?

But they don’t really do it do they? It’s a private company.