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@cycleclinic
Out in the shires life looks different. Regardless of how clear the messages maybe and how much in the news it is it is still preaching to the converted. The green lobby always has. Pulling the climate peril card no matter how valid simply does not open eyes. Brexit anyone. Until the environmental lobby starts talking language people understand little can change. The language should be how environmentally sound policies will save money not cost it.
Building regulations are one of those things if changed would have a very profound effect on cement and concrete usage. Cement and concrete account for 5% of co2 emmisions or something like that. There are new materials technologies that can help too.
Yet the UK is reducing it co2 emissions. Remember there is only do much change the public will take. No amount of climate peril will alter that, especially when no one can see it.
The 1.5 degree temp rise we must keep below is somewhat if an arbitrary figure. So the 12 years till we can't stop that rise from happening. That number will changes as models improve, it may get longer or maybe that boat has sailed. The point being the peril does not speed up our ability to change the pace of change. That will happen for economic reasons either because new technologies offer lower cost of government tax the cost of emmisions to change behaviour. Sitting in the streets does not do much in my view to make those changes happen. Only one mp has been elected on an environmental platform in the u.k. I don't see more coming do you? Locally the handful of green councilors in babergh are out numbered by Tories. Environmental policies outside the capital and Brighton barely register. In Sudbury the residents of cross street oppose the council plan to remove parking bays as the cars parked act as a pinch point causing traffic jams and elevated NO2 levels in the adjacent houses. There has been alot in the news about nitrous oxide pollution but residents can't bare walking 50m to the carpark up the road.
Travel to Malta, a Small island. Everyone drives, well gets stuck in traffic and they are all choking because of it. Yet car sales go up. There are more cars than people there and the busses can't move either.
So when I say minds are not being changed I mean it. If there is progress with the public its glacial in fact the glaciers are melting faster.