Insulate Britain protests

[Blumf]

The UK is one of the world's most nature-depleted countries - in the bottom 10% globally and last among the G7 group of nations, new data shows.

It has an average of about half its biodiversity left, far below the global average of 75%, a study has found.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58859105

I'm not sure how worthwhile getting upset about a thousand plus years of environmental shaping that has gone on in the British isles is. We're not going to re-forest the whole place any time soon, so we're never going to approach even 75% original form.

This, on the other hand, is worth paying attention to:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/06/fossil-fuel-industry-subsidies-of-11m-dollars-a-minute-imf-finds

Fossil fuel industry gets subsidies of $11m a minute, IMF finds

The fossil fuel industry benefits from subsidies of $11m every minute, according to analysis by the International Monetary Fund.

The IMF found the production and burning of coal, oil and gas was subsidised by $5.9tn in 2020, with not a single country pricing all its fuels sufficiently to reflect their full supply and environmental costs. Experts said the subsidies were "adding fuel to the fire" of the climate crisis, at a time when rapid reductions in carbon emissions were urgently needed.

[Fambo Number Mive]

Insulate Britain are back protesting after a 11 day pause, they are blocking roads leading to the M25 today and blocked roads in central London yesterday.

A very Partridge quote from Jeremy Kite, leader of Dartford Borough Council

Quite frankly, some of these people, rather than gluing themselves to a road, it's time they glued themselves to a job or glued themselves to something productive, or glued themselves to something which took our community and our country forward

[mrfridge]

Has this been mentioned yet? Staggering on multiple levels:

https://twitter.com/clarehymer/status/1452948034220867595?s=21.

[gilbertharding]

Has this been mentioned yet? Staggering on multiple levels:

https://twitter.com/clarehymer/status/1452948034220867595?s=21.

As you say, staggering on many levels - perhaps the most spectacular level on which it is staggering is that the radio station is promoting it as if this proves they've won the argument. And, when I looked yesterday, most of the replies strongly to agreed with them (this has changed now).

[Buelligan]

Hah, god, thanks for linking that - just such a fucking delight.  Loved it, made me laugh like an owl.

[Fambo Number Mive]

It's troubling that so many people (although none on here, thankfully) seem to think that it was ok for that SUV parent to drive their car into the Insulate Britain protestors. The Sun have  apparently even done a photoshoot with her. I hope she will be arrested and charged.

Some idiot walked up and down the line of Insulate Britain protestors covering their faces with ink today. Hope he gets arrested and charged as well.

Whatever you think of their tactics, it's worrying how many people seem to enjoy people attacking peaceful protestors.

[gilbertharding]

Reminds me of those people you used to hear saying that "Well, if everyone was vegetarian, they'd have to kill all the cows, sheep, pigs etc. How do you feel about that?"


Matey has a tiny point (not that he knows it) - there is a discussion about exactly how sustainable timber is as a construction material. I mean, massive conifer plantations are pretty shit. But there's no debate that its carbon footprint is better than concrete and steel - even if we still need concrete and steel we should use less.

[Cuellar]

Also, crucial point, you can't grow concrete

[Fambo Number Mive]

Also, crucial point, you can't grow concrete

Now people tell me. Been watering my concrete seeds for days!

[JaDanketies]

The embarrassing man was on Jeremy Kyle's talk radio explaining that concrete expands when you make it, hence it 'growing'.

Which is obviously a total non-sequitur in the context of 'timber is sustainable because you can grow it'. It's like replying "Duh you can grow expanding foam too." I am vicariously embarrassed for all of the TalkRadio listeners who tell their children that because concrete expands, it is a sustainable building material in the same way as timber, which grows when you plant it.

[lipsink]

It's only a matter of time before one of the Insulate Britain Protestors get seriously injured. But there'll probably be no outcry or "We need to watch our language" amongst the TalkRadio/Jeremy Vine/Richard Madeley crowd because they're not a Tory MP. If anything it'll be the protestor's fault and more reason for them to stop.

[Wonderful Butternut]

Has this been mentioned yet? Staggering on multiple levels:

https://twitter.com/clarehymer/status/1452948034220867595?s=21.

That's... incredible.

[jobotic]

Yep.

Running over or assaulting environmental protesters is admirable.

Criticising MPs for voting to allow water companies to pump raw shit into our rivers is abuse.

[greenman]

It's troubling that so many people (although none on here, thankfully) seem to think that it was ok for that SUV parent to drive their car into the Insulate Britain protestors. The Sun have  apparently even done a photoshoot with her. I hope she will be arrested and charged.

Some idiot walked up and down the line of Insulate Britain protestors covering their faces with ink today. Hope he gets arrested and charged as well.

Whatever you think of their tactics, it's worrying how many people seem to enjoy people attacking peaceful protestors.

You could argue I spose that being behind the wheels tends to reveal the inner sociopathy of modern society more than anything else.

[studpuppet]

Also, crucial point, you can't grow concrete

Well, actually...

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-020-0595-z

[Cuellar]

I might have been charitable and assumed the guy was talking about that, until I saw the other video where he talks about how he obviously meant 'grow' in a metaphorical sense, like the economy 'grows', so because concrete expands (does it?) it 'grows', so he was right actually.

[Buelligan]

Absolutely demented.

[Fambo Number Mive]

It's only a matter of time before one of the Insulate Britain Protestors get seriously injured. But there'll probably be no outcry or "We need to watch our language" amongst the TalkRadio/Jeremy Vine/Richard Madeley crowd because they're not a Tory MP. If anything it'll be the protestor's fault and more reason for them to stop.

It's very worrying how protesting in general is becoming more and more demonised in this country, stirred up by wealthy people in the right-wing media. I think some people partly get angry at protestors because they feel guilty deep down at not opposing the government's destructive nature. And some people get angry at any criticism of the current

The protests have shown how bad public transport is outside London. The mother who pushed her SUV into the Insulate Britain protestors was I think travelling from Thurrock to Dartford. Only 11.4 miles yet it takes over 2 hours by train each way, with two changes each way. Why isn't there an easy public transport link that reduces the need for people to use a car?

[Shit Good Nose]

Now people tell me. Been watering my concrete seeds for days!

At least you've got a lovely driveway out of it.

[gilbertharding]

Thurrock to Dartford. Only 11.4 miles yet it takes over 2 hours by train each way, with two changes each way.

Google maps reckons it's a 12 mile (75 minute) bike ride - but it suggests getting the ferry from Tilbury to Gravesend. I wonder if they know that you can call the Dartford Crossing authority and get a free lift across the Thames with your bike.

[JesusAndYourBush]

It's troubling that so many people (although none on here, thankfully) seem to think that it was ok for that SUV parent to drive their car into the Insulate Britain protestors.

She just nudged them a few inches.  They should be inconveniencing politicians and big corporations, not pissing off ordinary people just going about their daily life, those are the sorts of people they want on their side.

[Fambo Number Mive]

I have a lot of sympathy with your latter statement but I imagine having your back nudged by an SUV, even at walking pace, would be very painful. I also wince when I see Insulate Britain protestors being dragged along the road by drivers trying to get them onto the pavement, that must be very painful as well.

[chveik]

Has this been mentioned yet? Staggering on multiple levels:

https://twitter.com/clarehymer/status/1452948034220867595?s=21.

holy shit. fair play to cameron for keeping his calm

[JesusAndYourBush]

That talksport clip is beyond parody.  Who's the presenter?  I recognise the voice but haven't listened to the station in around a decade apart from the occasional listen to Ian Collins (and I never knew what some of them looked like in any case).

I have a lot of sympathy with your latter statement but I imagine having your back nudged by an SUV, even at walking pace, would be very painful. I also wince when I see Insulate Britain protestors being dragged along the road by drivers trying to get them onto the pavement, that must be very painful as well.

Maybe she'd have got them to move without having to bump into them if she'd sat there revving her engine, shouting through the window that it was all going on their 'carbon footprint' not hers, but probably not.

[Kankurette]

It's troubling that so many people (although none on here, thankfully) seem to think that it was ok for that SUV parent to drive their car into the Insulate Britain protestors. The Sun have  apparently even done a photoshoot with her. I hope she will be arrested and charged.

Some idiot walked up and down the line of Insulate Britain protestors covering their faces with ink today. Hope he gets arrested and charged as well.

Whatever you think of their tactics, it's worrying how many people seem to enjoy people attacking peaceful protestors.

I'm not happy that a woman ended up paralysed because she couldn't get to hospital in time because of them, but no, running people over is not fucking OK. Mumsnet think she's a hero, natch.

It's very worrying how protesting in general is becoming more and more demonised in this country, stirred up by wealthy people in the right-wing media. I think some people partly get angry at protestors because they feel guilty deep down at not opposing the government's destructive nature. And some people get angry at any criticism of the current

The protests have shown how bad public transport is outside London. The mother who pushed her SUV into the Insulate Britain protestors was I think travelling from Thurrock to Dartford. Only 11.4 miles yet it takes over 2 hours by train each way, with two changes each way. Why isn't there an easy public transport link that reduces the need for people to use a car?

Unless it's about protecting statues or trying to stop people getting vaccinated, in which case, go ahead.

[Zetetic]

I'm not happy that a woman ended up paralysed

If anyone's wondering what the hell this is about, I think it's to do with an unverified claim made by an LBC caller that someone decided to sit for six hours in traffic with their mother following a stroke.

[chveik]

yeah i wish people would remain a bit skeptical regarding this clickbait stuff

[Kankurette]

So is it actually true that a woman tried to get to hospital and ended up stuck in a traffic jam, had a massive stroke and got paralysed, or is it just hearsay?

[Buelligan]

Normally including a link to a respectable source is the way forward for this sort of thing.  Helps keep our tiny corner of the virtual universe a teensy bit saner (in a good way).

[Zetetic]

or is it just hearsay?

I've no idea.

The caller claimed he was driving his mother. He hadn't had a stroke, so I don't know why he couldn't see the hard shoulder.

No details about the journey other than it "should have been a 30-45 minute run".