With the huge protests going on in London what is your stance?
We used to live in Stroud for twenty years before moving here and Stroudies are those protesting on the Shell building.
They are having huge media coverage and people are talking about our children’s future as more important than our present day comfort.
I am proud of Stroud, who also voted Remain.
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I’m pro, but I still need to drive my Land rover, use my quad and chainsaws - all essential here.
Pro the cause but definitely anti how they are promoting it. All they do is put peoples backs up and make them deaf to the arguments. Especially when high profile " greens" like Emna Thompson fly all the way from LA to take part. Carbon footprint? And even if the UK got to zero carbon emissions by 2025-which is what they want-it’s a drop in the ocean while China, India , Russia and the US keep pumping out emissions at the same level.
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China makes all the stuff we used to make for ourselves - we simply moved the problems elsewhere.
And they’re investing massively in renewables.
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I have known since the 70s that we’re going to hell in a handcart.
It’s a key reason I could never have had kids.
When I was 30 I briefly thought “sod it” and started saving for a Harley Davidson.
But my sister’s kids now have kids.
As one who squeezed in just at the end of the boomer generation, own my home, have savings and a pension, I feel very sorry for the young.
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The UK’s disgusting right wing press says it all really.
We live in a post-Trump “reality”.
I have just seen pictures of the French police spraying pepper spray at short range into the faces of climate protestors.
Why am I not surprised?
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Mmm… I understand your concern (non-surprise) Jane…
Personally, I would not let the French Police get that near to me… I would have hot-footed it away, when requested to do so…
Brave people.
It is surprising how selective the gendarmerie are as to who they tackle.
Burn tyres on an international open route, ok mates, no problem.
Jane… what were the Gendarmes asking folk to do… was the March going where it was supposed to go… or overstepping… ???
I agree with you there Sue.
It’s good that the demonstrators are making the subject a talking point as there is no doubt that we all need to change our ways. However, it isn’t going to be either cheap or convenient to get to a zero carbon emissions position, and doing so by 2025 is simply impossible.
Having watched David Attenborough’s program on Thursday evening there is no doubt that we all need to make some changes. Perhaps we can all start by endeavouring to waste less food, not buying items that have been shipped by air, turning down our thermostats by a degree or two (especially on the water heater), turning off lights that aren’t needed, beefing up the insulation in our buildings, and considering how we can combine our journeys by non electric motorised transport. The incentive being that we would all save some money by doing this as well as helping to control climate change.
A rght wing UK journalist was in this context bemoaning Theresa May’s refusal to let Boris Johnson ever deploy the water cannon he bought when London mayor.
Somewhat ironic .,.
I support the aim but am not sure blocking streets/bridges is going to gain public support. On the basic point about climate change we all can and should do more and we shouldn’t wait for government to take the lead. To me it’s comparable to being overweight etc, we all know we should eat less, exercise more, cut down on the booze and stop smoking so similarly we should use less electricity and fuel and maybe even change what we eat and drink only consuming local products rather than those shipped from far flung countries.
You are so right… I aim for local stuff, but admit that I could do more… one simple rule I intend to really try and stick to… to buy what is in season… 
They were sitting down.
Jane… it is obvious I have not seen the reportage…
So, please tell me where they were sitting (other than on the ground), why they were sitting there and if they had been asked to move…
Cryptic comments do not help me to understand your somewhat anti-French-Police stance…
Listening to a discussion on bbc radio 4 this morning they were talking about the large amount of anti capitalists taking part in the demonstrations and that do they not realise that it will have to be capitalists money which will pay to correct any climate change damage with help from government subsidies.
Scenes you would expect to see in a South American dictatorship country.
It was on the BBC News.
They were sitting down in France.
It was meant to be a comparison between the way the UK police and the gendarmerie treat passive protestors.
As you well know, from my own experience, I do not trust the french police.
The way that strikers seem to get kid glove treatment from the gendarmerie shows just how partial they are.
I usually find myself in agreement with George Monbiot…
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