We face a climate crisis. That crisis is by far the most important issue we face. It is about nothing less than the future of life here on earth. And the Guardian reports this morning that:
The government's own advisers have declared themselves shocked that the UK has no proper plans for protecting people from heatwaves, flash flooding and other impacts of the climate crisis.
The Committee on Climate Change said the UK's climate crisis preparations were being run like Dad's Army and left the population at real risk, adding that funding for programmes to tackle problems resulting from global heating had been cut.
The CCC's annual progress reports, published on Wednesday, also found that just one of the 25 emissions-cutting policies it said were vital in 2018 had been delivered in full. Lord Deben, who chairs the committee, said ministers could be sued in court if the failure to act continued.
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Humanity has constantly been warned we are 10 years from disaster. The UN said it in 1989, 2001, this great blog even did so here:
https://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2008/08/01/100-months-to-save-the-world/
When will people learn and do something about it?
Although most people I’ve spoken to are aware of the projected effects of climate change, very few seem prepared to make even minimal changes in their lifestyles in order to minimise its effects. Not just in the UK – through much of Europe, in the USA, in China and India, it’s growth and ‘improving incomes’ that remain the major imperatives. And if at the base this is still the preferred route, who can ask governments to act against the perceptions of their citizens? There is no supranational organisation that would be prepared to do so – certainly the EU have their fingers in their ears and are shouting ‘we can’t hear you!’ at the activists whose disruptions are seen as against the short-term interests of local populations.
Perhaps we need a major disaster to jolt people into reality? Because the reality is that even before 2030, climate changes will be irreversible; they probably already are. The only saving grace is that some life-forms will survive the impending Great Extinction – and may later evolve into less hubristic intelligences.
Mankind won’t be one of them. Look around you to see why.
You may be right
I think that it’s always good to retain a sense of proportion. It looks like the climate might be moving 300km north over a period of a few decades if temperatures continue to rise. So Yorkshire needs to plan for the sorts of things you get in the Home Counties, that sort of thing.
On a scale of absurdity that falls off the edge
Just guessing, but perhaps the ones “in power” think that position & money will protect them. As for “the rest” with respect to those “in power”, the rest have never ever counted. If that seems a bit cynical, take a look at recent polls with respect to members of the erm…. “conservative party” – quite happy to flush the UK down the toilet in pusuit of Brexit. Tells you everything you need to know.
I heard today that Government had paid for research into charging electric vehicles via radio waves.
This sounds like going electric on the cheap to me – a ‘couldn’t be arsed’ attitude to electric vehicle support infrastructure. All the jobs that could be created by creating physical charging points around the country.
I don’t like the thought of the airwaves being full of electrical charge.
PSR
I’m assuming you are referring to this research programme, which seems like a good thing to my inexpert eyes: uk government research wireless car charging
It would seem to me that the programme is trying to ensure that the right physical infrastructure is built rather than ‘can’t be bothered’.
I’ve done a little research as charging (both is terms of where and how and length of distance between charges) is what is currently stopping me from changing to electric.
Wifi charging of cars already exists in small ways
I do not have a problem with the idea, at all
I have a problem with one ton electric cars
We need light electric vehicles