UK to end hydrocarbon-fuelled cars in 2040

[Andres125sx]

Reading some posts people may get the idea only when the rest of the world has finished emitting CO2, Nox, particles, etc. their governments should do something to stop theirs. With that mentality, nobody will ever do something, as the whole world will wait for the rest to do something


There are people who do what must be done when they notice it independently of what the rest is doing, and there are people who do what the rest do, when the rest do it, and the way the rest do it. There have always been leaders and followers, it´s human nature

[Greg Locock]

An oft quoted observation is that if Australia were to cease emitting CO2 entirely, within 3 months India and China would have more than made up the difference. Incidentally of the largest CO2 emitters which has been the most successful at reducing CO2 emissions in the past 10 years?

[Greg Locock]

Sadly for all the little optimists the Chinese have their own agenda

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-enviro ... 8-20159213

[Just_a_fan]

One leads from the front.

If one wants China etc. to decarbonise power production, one does it by setting an example.

You can take the US foreign policy route of threatening and bullying, but you'll find China doesn't take to being bullied.

Or one can just say "f**k it, it's not my problem mate".

Of course, there is also "the journey of a 1000miles starts with a single step"...

[Big Tea]

Sadly for all the little optimists the Chinese have their own agenda

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-enviro ... 8-20159213

It is pointless suspending or canceling the construction pf power plants, people want and need electricity so they are not going to go along with it. Put your self in their position.
The only way is to replace it with something else.

[Greg Locock]

You are talking in riddles. Other countries are deactivating coal powered power stations.

[Big Tea]

You are talking in riddles. Other countries are deactivating coal powered power stations.

But they are not stopping producing electricity, just shifting to another source.

[Tommy Cookers]

so that governments here can feel good about themselves we have been spending money that we haven't got ....
for generation replacing much coal burning with wood burning
for heating replacing much gas and oil burning with wood burning
this has increased the particulate levels in the UK's air
but notionally reduced the CO2 levels in the world's air
we might think that some UK children and old people will die so that some Indian and Chinese children and old people will live

[Just_a_fan]

we might think that some UK children and old people will die so that some Indian and Chinese children and old people will live

Goes around, comes around. The UK (and others) have done well and grown fat on the short lives of others.

Just say "I don't like change!" and be done with it.

[Greg Locock]

I don't like illogical approaches to problems. Not that I actually think that CO2 is a problem.

[Andres125sx]

I don´t like pointing fingers as an excuse

What´s better?

a) China, India, and several other countries pollute while some other countries reduce its emissions

b) China, India, and several other countries pollute while some other countries use them as an excuse to not reduce its own emissions even if they´re able to


Obviously the better option would be c), all countries in the world reduce its emissions, but since we can´t change other countries politics, we must stick to a) or b) so, what do you think is the better option?

[AJI]

I don´t like pointing fingers as an excuse

What´s better?

a) China, India, and several other countries pollute while some other countries reduce its emissions

b) China, India, and several other countries pollute while some other countries use them as an excuse to not reduce its own emissions even if they´re able to


Obviously the better option would be c), all countries in the world reduce its emissions, but since we can´t change other countries politics, we must stick to a) or b) so, what do you think is the better option?

It's the modern day version of the cold war.

Step 1
A slow and steady build up in an effort to outperform your rivals

Step 2
The realisation of mutually assured destruction

Step 3
The slow and steady undoing of decades of work to try and prevent mutually assured destruction

[strad]

How about we hold all countries to the same standards we want to impose on ourselves?
To put it another way.
Why should we be happy to hurt ourselves while they party at our expense?
What's good for the goose ought to be good for the gander.

[Just_a_fan]

Because that means no one changes, obviously. It works well if you have a Trump style protectionist attitude.

<Start of politics removed>

[Andres125sx]

How about we hold all countries to the same standards we want to impose on ourselves?

Great, and we should finish with hungry children in the world too. Any idea about how to do any of the two?

To put it another way.
Why should we be happy to hurt ourselves while they party at our expense?
What's good for the goose ought to be good for the gander.

Define hurt.

Do you consider economy as the only important factor in human life?

Do you think health is not important so we can keep breathing toxic fumes and assuming severe and abundant respiratory diseases into cities?

Do you think climate change is false and we should do nothing to stop or at least reduce emissions? If affirmative, you obviously don´t live in Spain, here the change has been so obvious in only 2-3 decades nobody with a brain negate climate change


Basically I´ll ask you the same, why should we be happy to continue hurting ourselves as we´ve been doing for more than a century when we know how to solve or at least reduce the problem?

To put it another way.
What´s the reason you focus on the country with less concerns about this when the rest of the world is slowly adapting to the change?