Climate protests in London

[whole diary]

[TaplowGreen]

Following all the outrage here on personal safety and disruption to daily life, I would welcome suggestions of how to achieve rather more change in direction than has been achieved in the last thirty years, without the disruption/danger.

The following is a useful reference for international / historical comparison of GHG^▸ (Greenhouse gas) emissions. (There is also loads of other interesting stuff on the same site).


https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Here are a few peaceful suggestions.
Lobby, petition, and march in favour of more and larger wind farms.
Ditto in favour of changes to the building regulations to require new homes to be zero carbon.
Protest against any more oil and gas exploration.
Argue against any and all new construction of gas burning power plants.
Argue against all new road building.
And of course set a good example by not driving or flying, and by minimising use of fuel in the home.

And a few less peaceful but probably more effective actions.
Disrupt air travel by blocking roads to airports, leaving fake bombs in airports, drone flying.
Try to close down coal burning power stations by disrupting rail access thereto.
Publicly shame NIMBYs who argue against renewable energy infrastructure.
Publicly shame and blockade or disrupt energy wasting organisations.

Broadgage is getting a bit radical...………….could Extinction Rebellion be overtaken by Extinction Buffet? 

[SandTEngineer]

Now look TG.  Thats the second time in one topic that I've had to clear up a mess...

[Bmblbzzz]

Following all the outrage here on personal safety and disruption to daily life, I would welcome suggestions of how to achieve rather more change in direction than has been achieved in the last thirty years, without the disruption/danger.

The following is a useful reference for international / historical comparison of GHG^▸ (Greenhouse gas) emissions. (There is also loads of other interesting stuff on the same site).


https://ourworldindata.org/co2-and-other-greenhouse-gas-emissions

There is a good argument that XR^▸ (Crossrail) should pick their targets with more care, and that their celebrity supporters should realise that they damage their casue by jetting around the world to 'star' in protests. Greta Thunberg, notably, came by train.

As my fellow Bristolian says in his latest piece at Marble Arch:

From this moment despair ends and tactics begin.

The same line quoted, I think by another Bristol entity a few decades back on the cover of an L.P. by "The Pop Group".

The enlargement of my musical repertoire never ceases. And anyone claiming to be inspired by both Debussy and Funkadelic can't be that bad!

[SandTEngineer]

You missed a bit...

Lobby, petition, and march in favour of more and larger wind farms (especially in the home counties)

Anywhere with enough wind.

Westminster then.......

[TaplowGreen]

Now look TG.  Thats the second time in one topic that I've had to clear up a mess...

......just watch out for the refreshment trolley being pushed through the train with a chap glued to it. Make sure you say hello! 🙂

[broadgage]

I am indeed a bit radical, but also realistic.

Despite the urgency of climate change, I do not feel that eliminating fossil fuel use in just a few years is realistic for reasons already given.
It certainly could not be done in a democracy, and probably not in a dictatorship.

I can think of more modest actions that would substantially reduce carbon emissions, but even these would be a considerable challenge.

Double the tax on road fuel to reduce use, not easy to introduce. Remember the fuel price protests?
Subject aviation to the same tax as road fuel.
Reduce speed limits to say 60MPH on motorways and 40 MPH on rural roads. Very unpopular.
Increase VAT^▸ (Value Added Tax) to 20% on coal, oil, and gas.
Change the planning rules to automatically approve wind turbines and solar panels.

Introduce a second, much higher rate of VAT. This to be levied not on "luxuries" as in the past, but on all goods that are needlessly wasteful of energy or other resources. Including.

Disposable batteries.
Electric lamps with an efficiency of less than 150 lumens per watt.
Electrical/electronic appliances that use more one watt on standby.
TV sets and PCs that use more than 100 watts.
Motor vehicles that use more than one gallon per 100 miles.
Anything disposable for which re-usable alternatives are readily available.
For unavoidably disposable goods, higher vat rate UNLESS made from 95% recycled materials.
Air fares on routes also served by railways.

Now consider how many of those measures would be acceptable to a majority of the electorate ?

IME^▸ (in my experience), most of the populace DO care about climate change, but WONT accept any measures that significantly affect THEM.

[Western Pathfinder]

It's people like you what cause unrest !...😁

[eXPassenger]

I am indeed a bit radical, but also realistic.
….

So true.

[Red Squirrel]

IME^▸ (in my experience), most of the populace DO care about climate change, but WONT accept any measures that significantly affect THEM.

Arguably that's where the problem with our democracy lies: we want the moon on a stick, and are furious with our politicians when they say we can't have it.

[eXPassenger]

IME^▸ (in my experience), most of the populace DO care about climate change, but WONT accept any measures that significantly affect THEM.

Arguably that's where the problem with our democracy lies: we want the moon on a stick, and are furious with our politicians when they say we can't have it.

No.  The politicians promise it to get elected and then we get angry when they cannot deliver it.

[Red Squirrel]

IME^▸ (in my experience), most of the populace DO care about climate change, but WONT accept any measures that significantly affect THEM.

Arguably that's where the problem with our democracy lies: we want the moon on a stick, and are furious with our politicians when they say we can't have it.

No.  The politicians promise it to get elected and then we get angry when they cannot deliver it.

That's a fair point. But if two candidates put themselves up, one offering the moon on a stick and the other just a stick, which one's most likely to get elected?

[Timmer]

That's a fair point. But if two candidates put themselves up, one offering the moon on a stick and the other just a stick, which one's most likely to get elected?

Sad to say I think we've reached the stage where almost no one believes what politicians/candidates say anymore and that is not a good place for a country to be in.

[TaplowGreen]

IME^▸ (in my experience), most of the populace DO care about climate change, but WONT accept any measures that significantly affect THEM.

Arguably that's where the problem with our democracy lies: we want the moon on a stick, and are furious with our politicians when they say we can't have it.

No.  The politicians promise it to get elected and then we get angry when they cannot deliver it.

That's a fair point. But if two candidates put themselves up, one offering the moon on a stick and the other just a stick, which one's most likely to get elected?

The one who explains how the moon is going to be paid for.

[Red Squirrel]

The one who explains how the moon is going to be paid for.

...and that's the fundamental misconception underlying the neoliberal consensus, for:

The moon belongs to everyone
The best things in life are free

[broadgage]

Extinction rebellion have announced plans to close Heathrow for a day later this month, and then for 10 days next month, unless the planned expansion of Heathrow is cancelled.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48470623