Gotta love Extinction Rebellion

[Archied]

13 minutes ago, Unlucky Alf said:

Thatcher the milk snatcher sold all the crown jewels, Workers in each industry were given free shares to keep or cash in, Those who cashed in the big winners were the multi nationals, The CEOs of these mulits are friends and family of the Government, Billions upon billions has been syphoned off to those who already had a very healthy bank balance, We've been f ucked over by successive Governments since the 80s.

Now we have that blonde bint Truss saying it's not a bad thing for companies to make a profit, That's true it isn't, With profits you can re invest, Pay your workers a good wage, But to make vastly excessive profits is immoral, BP 5 billion Shell/Centrica 2/3 billion, A Saudi oil company 48 billion, And yet those in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are struggling to live, They have 2 choices well one really...petrol or food, A taxi driver needs petrol to earn money to buy food, If he can't afford the petrol then no food.

Here in the UK it's eating of heating for some, The UK Government had better be prepared for what's round the corner, I've seen this before with the Poll Tax Riots, If you pi$$ off your electorate you're in bother.

Governments...I've $hit em.    

Yep and swamp the masses with climate crisis in the media ,on the news ,net zero anyone ,after all that’s the most important issue and what wonderful humans they are for making it they’re and the counties focus ,do the big cop 20 whatever and we all ( not all ) fall for it and look where we least need to be looking ,,,,,AT THEM 

oh I see we are now getting weather warnings with threat to lives over the wrong kind of rain comming,

perspective ,,,,, theses ex reb loons don’t have and I’m guessing in many cases don’t want it

[BaaLocks]

22 hours ago, Leeds Ram said:

America's already put together a multi billion dollar package to reduce its carbon emissions and get it closer to the Paris agreement on emission standards so to say they won't isn't quite right. The big problems are China and emerging economies (I'd no longer put Russia in that bracket tbh) and how they manage to motivate growth whilst simultaneously reducing emissions. I'm not entirely sure how we can keep those things moving simultaneously, especially when changing our model of growth is an extremely costly thing to do. 

But you're not wrong in the fact that us alone changing how we create and use energy is not going to solve the problem that does stand before us. What we don't know is how we will manage the future, we can't contemplate technological breakthroughs in the next 50-100 years. To pretend we can in the way XR does is a mark of extreme arrogance, if you asked anyone in 1900 what 2000 would look like they'd all be remarkably incorrect. Does this mean we do nothing? no, but does it also mean the end is nigh? also no. 

 

For China, I go back to the earlier post that it's not their emissions as such that are the issue, it's the West using China as their cheap manufacturing base and then somehow asking them to reduce the emissions they create making the 'stuff' we have asked for.

But wrt your second paragraph it's absolutely true that we have no idea what the future would look like. To the points raised in another thread, if you had been told 30-40 years ago that you could carry all the information in the world in a small device in your pocket you would have been thought fanciful, if you had told our great grandparents that we would all have machines in our house to do the washing for us and keep our food both cold and frozen you would have got the same response. We are not living in the most rapidly advancing generation in history, every generation has done that in their own way.

So when you read articles like this, suggesting harvesting of energy via solar power and then transmitting back to Earth via laser beams you do have to suspend cyncicism and say why not. All the elements needed to achieve this today are in place, it just needs funding (with the obvious concerns about it being used for warfare purposes being dispelled as well). For those who don't want to click, basically the true power and energy of the sun is strongly dissipated as it goes through our atmosphere (though it might not have felt that way in the last week). So if we can harvest the energy the other side of our atmosphere and then pass it back through our atmosphere via a means that does not dissipate (laser) then we do have access to infinite levels of 100% carbon free energy. And, to repeat, all the technology is there today.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2021/03/29/space-lasers-the-truth/

[ariotofmyown]

12 hours ago, Stive Pesley said:

So the question really is - when DO you start believing the predictions and taking action? Because it feels like the answer is - not until there is literally no food, mass migration from the equator where the land has become uninhabitable, sea levels have risen and people's houses are underwater, the bees are all dead and there is no top soil left

Yep.

12 hours ago, Stive Pesley said:

Needless to say that's a very stupid answer

Doh.

[Stive Pesley]

For an island nation low on water reserves, but surrounded by (checks notes) the sea, you have to wonder why we only have one desalination plant in the UK

 

But I digress - it's heartening to read this morning that even those who I don't see myself particularly politically aligned with - all agree that successive governments have privatised things they shouldn't have and have endlessly funnelled public money into the tax havens of private corporations in return

Can we just stop voting for these corrupt maniacs please?

 

[BaaLocks]

2 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

Now we have that blonde bint Truss saying it's not a bad thing for companies to make a profit, That's true it isn't, With profits you can re invest

Sorry Alf, while I agree with everything else you write this is the lie that is being told to us about profits. Profits (call them EBITDA or whatever) are not the bit you re-invest into a company, they are the bits that you share out among shareholders. Profits, despite Thick Lizzy trying to tell us otherwise, are the cream that is left after all the other stuff is done.

So profits are not a dirty word if you are a private company, where your responsibility is to generate wealth for your shareholders (and if you follow the same model as countries like France that includes your employees). But for service industries profit is absolutely a dirty word because the very suggestion of it means that you have diverted funds that should be delivering that very service out of the company.

[maxjam]

19 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

For an island nation low on water reserves, but surrounded by (checks notes) the sea, you have to wonder why we only have one desalination plant in the UK

 

But I digress - it's heartening to read this morning that even those who I don't see myself particularly politically aligned with - all agree that successive governments have privatised things they shouldn't have and have endlessly funnelled public money into the tax havens of private corporations in return

Can we just stop voting for these corrupt maniacs please?

 

FWIW I have never voted in a General Election, I don't believe strongly enough in any of the mainstream parties.  It was a strategy that was working, less and less people were turning out to vote which would inevitably have led to a change imho... until Brexit came along and we all become hyperpartisan. 

Personally I have always thought countries (where possible but certainly applies to us) should be energy, food and water independent and have always been in favour of nationalizing the energy grid, but we have to remember why they were privatized in the first place and ensure that systems were in place to prevent them from falling into disrepair in the future.

Without venturing to much into the realm of politics we need to havea  serious conversation in this country about immigration and population growth and our ability to provide everyone with food, water and energy.  Not having built a single reservoir in 30 years despite seeing a 10m population increase is shocking - selling some off in the meantime is scandalous.  Farmers are being slowly suffocated financially and having the French and Chinese own much of our energy grid is detrimental to our national security. 

Unfortunately, the cost of digging ourselves out of this hole now and renationalizing everything will be crippling.  I'm just gonna wait until Klaus Schwab implements his Great Reset - we'll own nothing but be happy.  Not convinced about the bug eating though ? 

[ariotofmyown]

1 minute ago, maxjam said:

Not having built a single reservoir in 30 years despite seeing a 10m population increase is shocking - selling some off in the meantime is scandalous. 

Not really. We'll have no water to store soon!

Plus, we've just replaced reservoirs with billions of small plastic water bottles. Just make sure every tap has "not drinking water" on it.

[Ram-Alf]

52 minutes ago, Stive Pesley said:

 

Can we just stop voting for these corrupt maniacs please?

 

 

I have.

The electorate are feeling more apathy...imo towards the politicians than ever before, Governments are now getting into power with less and less from the voting public, If people believe they are here for us...then they've been hoodwinked, Duped, Conned, Kidded, Lied too with Uncle Tom Cobbley and all, MPs are told what to vote for or they are "whipped", There's a "cartel" in all political parties who drive through their agenda, If not your either sent to the back benches, Deselected or go Independent, Independents lose their funding of the big parties but still get their pay and pension.

I despair on how we've gotten to this point in Politics and now we have 160,000 tory members voting for the next PM, Politics has been broken for decades, Not even Gorilla Glue could fix it.  

 

Ooops...Political rant...sorry 

   

Edited August 15, 2022 by Unlucky Alf

[Leeds Ram]

19 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Something radical is going to have to happen for the Democrats not to get obliterated in November.

And 'd put money that Trump won't get back in.

60% of Republicans don't want him to stand and whereas they'd probably mostly vote for him in a general election, DeSantis will beat him for the nomination.

The bad news is DeSantis is scarier than Trump in many ways and will grab a load of those swing voters back that are done with Trump and his everlasting legal troubles.

I thought this was a good piece on what lies ahead.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/13/desantis-trump-republican-campaigns-rivals-2024 

There is talk of a 'Biden fightback' which may have an effect on the 'down-ticket' races. Not seen the schedule for Senate elections but for the house it's increasingly difficult to turn seats simply due to the amount of money involved. I actually agree with you on Desantis for the nomination, think he presents a more attractive brand of trumperism than even Trump does. But Primaries are notoriously rocky and I'd imagine this will be no different. 

[Bob The Badger]

3 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

Here in the UK it's eating of heating for some, The UK Government had better be prepared for what's round the corner, I've seen this before with the Poll Tax Riots, If you pi$$ off your electorate you're in bother.

Governments...I've $hit em.    

I've been thinking for a while now that the Tory leadership is a poison chalice.

The knock on effects of all this over the coming months will be horrendous.

[BaaLocks]

6 minutes ago, Bob The Badger said:

I've been thinking for a while now that the Tory leadership is a poison chalice.

Me too, since 1979....

[Archied]

5 hours ago, Stive Pesley said:

For an island nation low on water reserves, but surrounded by (checks notes) the sea, you have to wonder why we only have one desalination plant in the UK

 

But I digress - it's heartening to read this morning that even those who I don't see myself particularly politically aligned with - all agree that successive governments have privatised things they shouldn't have and have endlessly funnelled public money into the tax havens of private corporations in return

Can we just stop voting for these corrupt maniacs please?

 

From what I understand Desalination is quite an expensive and energy consuming process great if you desperately need to do it but this country has enough rainfall to never or next to never struggle for water , it’s down to storage ( reservoirs) and investment in proper pipes and mains running around the country, why expend energy producing water we not only have plenty of but quite often too much of falling naturally and for free from the sky ,

this stuff is where I get really cheesed of with ext reb and the likes , they usually are the same people who campaign against reservoirs and such things , same with housing shortages ,often people calling for us to accept refugees and immigrants are those who campaign against homes being built near them , don’t get me wrong , I can often fall into the same trap without thinking but am able to check myself when I’m being a knob ,,, as ballocks said earlier we are ok to have China do the manufacturing we proudly claim to have low emissions by not doing anymore , you only need slightly scratch the surface of the claptrap being spouted by those at the top to see it’s a con

Edited August 15, 2022 by Archied

[Boycie]

1 hour ago, Archied said:

From what I understand Desalination is quite an expensive and energy consuming process great if you desperately need to do it but this country has enough rainfall to never or next to never struggle for water , it’s down to storage ( reservoirs) and investment in proper pipes and mains running around the country, why expend energy producing water we not only have plenty of but quite often too much of falling naturally and for free from the sky ,

this stuff is where I get really cheesed of with ext reb and the likes , they usually are the same people who campaign against reservoirs and such things , same with housing shortages ,often people calling for us to accept refugees and immigrants are those who campaign against homes being built near them , don’t get me wrong , I can often fall into the same trap without thinking but am able to check myself when I’m being a knob ,,, as ballocks said earlier we are ok to have China do the manufacturing we proudly claim to have low emissions by not doing anymore , you only need slightly scratch the surface of the claptrap being spouted by those at the top to see it’s a con

Yeap, the nimbys will be protesting about flooding their dog walks.  The wildlife brigade will be moaning about drowning moles when they fill it.  The environmentalists will be moaning about the diggers and lorry’s spewing carbon into the atmosphere when they build it, and the  rest will be moaning about they should be fixing the leaks first then they wouldn’t need the bloody res in the first place.

The water companies will be asking for government help to build it too.  A few questions will be asked in parliament for a few favour’s in return and as soon as the next general election takes place it’ll be scrapped.

And breathe 

 

[I am Ram]

Its pointless debating this amongst the working class imho, unless the rich and famous practice what they preach, whatever their political persuasions, i will recycle, do my bit and enjoy my life, guilt free of whatever may or may not come.

[Archied]

Just got caught in the rain walking the dogs ,seemed like wet rain rain of the ordinary kind not the wrong kind ,,, pleased to report despite the weather warnings no lives were lost

[Boycie]

38 minutes ago, Archied said:

Just got caught in the rain walking the dogs ,seemed like wet rain rain of the ordinary kind not the wrong kind ,,, pleased to report despite the weather warnings no lives were lost

Was it acid rain? ?

[Archied]

1 hour ago, Boycie said:

Was it acid rain? ?

Will let you know when I’m done trippin’ 

[Ram-Alf]

13 hours ago, Archied said:

Just got caught in the rain walking the dogs ,seemed like wet rain rain of the ordinary kind not the wrong kind ,,, pleased to report despite the weather warnings no lives were lost

We had a right downpour yesterday...it lasted around 3mins and dried as it hit the pavement 

[Archied]

On the news tonight on tv one of the lead reports were the usual weather woman out with a film crew in london reporting on a big puddle 

FFS ,

for years upon years the underpass near us floods a bit when we have heavy downpours , the road at my next door neighbour s always gets a massive puddle ( until he kicks up a fuss and gets them to come and clear the drain , im sitting in the garden now after the rain , it’s cool for the time of year and the skys cloudy and grey in true English fashion yet still reading and hearing threat to lives amber warnings ,,

net zero my arxe 

[Ram-Alf]

13 hours ago, Archied said:

On the news tonight on tv one of the lead reports were the usual weather woman out with a film crew in london reporting on a big puddle 

FFS ,

for years upon years the underpass near us floods a bit when we have heavy downpours , the road at my next door neighbour s always gets a massive puddle ( until he kicks up a fuss and gets them to come and clear the drain , im sitting in the garden now after the rain , it’s cool for the time of year and the skys cloudy and grey in true English fashion yet still reading and hearing threat to lives amber warnings ,,

net zero my arxe 

It was absolutely raining Cats n Dogs here last night...I went out and damn me I stepped into a Poodle.

 

I'll get me Cat....here's the...O