Who knew? I didn’t!

Does that mean you believe a defeatist attitude should be adopted? The U.K. accepts that global warming is real, we are taking steps to try to do something about it....that is the correct course to take. I’m a British citizen and taxpayer...I approve this action.

@Marionville I would approve if there was any evidence it will do more than impoverish British citizens...but all this action does is hand a competitive advantage to foreign manufacturers who still access cheap dirty energy.- far dirtier than any UK power station that has been closed.

No -one is even talking about addressing the root cause of global warming, which is the exponential growth of the human population

@ShadowAmicus I agree that a limit to our procreating ever more humans needs to be addressed, but we do not agree on the need to cut back on the burning of fossil fuels, evidently. Fossil fuels are not infinite and will run out eventually anyway, and new technologies must be tried now, without delay, there have to be visionary leaders who will make the hard choices for us. Making ourselves poorer in the short term may save our planet for the long term. The politics of living for today and making as much money as you can is what we have to change. Our priorities have been very wrong for too long.

@Marionville I am not arguing to continue burning fossil fuels - but for a small country to do this unilaterally is economic stupidity- any change should be by unilateral agreement; real, useful, monitored targets - not some wishy washy good intentions agreement like Paris

@ShadowAmicus The UK are not acting unilaterally...they are acting in accord with the other responsible nations who signed up to the Paris and previous Climate Treaties. It’s just a pity that Trump is a climate denier and has decided to withdraw from this accord. This is bound to influence other polluting countries to follow suit.

@Marionville Not China, Not USA, Not India - thats almost half the world population. Paris agreement is a good intentions palliative - not specific achievable measurable targets for each country with a penalty for not achieving. Influence and talk is worthless without real verifiable action across the globe - but each country knows that making these changes will damage their economy

@ShadowAmicus How do you save the planet from killing itself off then? We have to try to make these other polluting countries see that it’s in their interest to stop polluting too. Being rich economically will not matter a jot if we do so at such a high cost to our environment...we have got to start having different priorities.

@Marionville You could shut down the whole UK and kill off every person in the country - and it would have virtually no impact on global warming or plastic pollution or species extinction. The 70 million UK residents are an insignificant part of the problem
And since the main polluters across the rest of the world so far show little inclination to change any unilateral action by the uk is pointless - apart from the economic suicide inflicted on the UK populace.
Dont do nothing - get the world to act together in a targeted measurable way

@ShadowAmicus How exactly? By electing different political parties...ones who push for the world to act together...but I can’t see too many of them around here. Individual people have more power to effect change than they think, we need to lobby and elect people who care about the future of the planet...in all countries, but I have a feeling that most people are more concerned about the cost of saving the planet ....they think it’s a good idea, but if it’s going to cost them money in extra taxation they don’t want to know.

@Marionville sadly - I think you are right = people will happily forego a plastic bag for groceries, but tell them that gas or electricity will be turned off a few hours a day to reduce usage, or that certain foodstuffs will no longer be imported, or holiday flights will be taxed heavily - there will be an outcry.
Nothing can change until every country is committed to change - so nothing will change till the time for change has passed

@Krowmagnum Too late? By what standard? What constitutes "too late" ? Who gets to decide what needs to be done to save the world?
It's all a scam to try and control the populace one way or the other.. Chicken little cries the sky is falling.. you have to follow my lead or the world will come to an end.. Fuck that bull shit.. Our climate has been changing for millions/billions of years without any man made interference what so ever.. Now Al Gore wants to make a few bucks with some radical claims of global warming, just like they did before claiming global cooling??? Sorry.. not falling for it again.. The evidence dosen't lie.. The stats are still the same..

@Krowmagnum Because you have no valid response. You know I'm right, and can't bring any valid evidence to dispute it... Thanks for not wasting any of our time.

@Krowmagnum Oh, yeaaaah... You're so desperate, you have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make yourself feel better.... Kudos there, genius.

@Captain_Feelgood It is a simple fact that the earth is getting warmer, if it was not the polar ice caps would not be melting away - the reason for it is disputable - the action that may stop it or delay it is controversial. The temperature fluctuations in the past have caused ice ages and hot ages along with mass migration and extinctions of many species - the problem now is the rate of temperature change, which is much greater than has been known in past temperature change events.
Will it lead to the end of humans - probably not
Will it cause major problems - certainly will - given that major cities around the world are built on coastlines or tidal rivers a modest rise of sea levels will lead to many of these cities and coastal towns having to be abandoned.

@ShadowAmicus I agree, but the Arctic caps are shrinking while the Antarctic is growing. The claim that humans are causing it is the problem. The so called specialists were claiming we were causing global cooling not that long ago.. It's all turned into a political tool to force people to do crap they don't need to, or other stuff they do need to but for the wrong reason. The dishonesty is what's so aggravating.