stickyI’m sure on one level ‘we’ are all bored (or even terrified) about all this.
I doubt if there are any ‘deniers’ on here, but maybe some people more (or less) optimistic than ’the average’ due to ‘hope’ or actual understanding/knowledge.
It’s fascinating/depressing that (most) governments (and the BBC) are (at last) fairly sure ‘it’s real’ and ‘something must be done’ and there’s no need to ‘balance’ science with scepticism anymore.
The UKGov/Boris seem scandalously complacent about only setting targets and relying on the market and individuals to deal with it all.
It’s understandable that people don’t want to be worse off and even more so that those who feel/are ‘poor’ want/expect more.
As ‘we’ know, even getting people to imagine that fewer cars/less traffic might actually be better for most (not just in a climate context) is hard/impossible.
For the Govs (inc SG), more/bigger cars isn’t a problem - as long as they are electric - and, maybe, people use them less - say 20%…
Covid changed everything, for a short while, but then ‘back to normal’ as fast as possible. Some changes in work patterns - the possibilities of, and now desire for, WFH (for some) plus realisations that ‘I don’t want to do that job anymore - at least not for THAT money’.
What’s to be done/what can be expected?
Can’t see me getting rid of the gas boiler any time soon. A completely free heat pump installation might change that, IF it was actually as useful/convenient/reliable.
(Recent talk of the possibility of hydrogen instead of fossil gas - any chance of that?)
But ‘better answers’ would be district heating - no sign of that being compulsory, even for new housing developments (or ban on flood plains or MUCH better insulation standards).
Not ready to give up milk/cheese, partly because the vegetable ‘milks’ are not great.
Meanwhile UKGov seems content to damage UKFarming with misguided expectations of cheaper food from elsewhere - have they seen the increase in shipping costs?
As always, energy - its provision and cost - is a big issue.
Not much emphasis on reducing demand.
More concern about the stability of fossil fuel supply than accelerating the “transition” to renewables.
Nuclear is firmly back on the agenda (not forgetting that even people like George Monbiot think it’s necessary). Even ignoring the radioactive waste problem, (industry says ‘not a problem, gets turned into glass and buried’), is the cost of nuclear electricity ‘value for money’?
I don’t really expect to be alive in 2050, but I certainly hope the lives of my grandchildren are generally pleasant and secure.
Before then I want there to be an obvious trajectory towards the elimination of the danger of ‘runaway climate change’.
Meanwhile I don’t want to be cold or hungry.
More importantly I want that to be the case for others - plus good health and wellbeing.
Rational changes in energy and food production plus adequate housing might be good places to expect improvement.
More trees (probably) good, not convinced artificial/industrial carbon capture likely/possible and potentially dangerous to rely on the development of such technologies.
Where are we with tidal, large scale battery storage and other ‘maybes’?
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