The cost of living... what can we do?

Talk is easy.

 

Starmer doesn't actually come across as the leader some how.
He seems too soft and the others behind him seem to be pushing him all the time.

 

Did they say fossil fuel free or did they say net zero? They are two very different things.

Net zero is just a term someone invented to appease those that care about the environment. It's a trick. Tools to achieve it include carbon capture and storage, which hasn't been achieved at any useful scale yet. The few projects that have done it on a small scale all required extensive building works and of course their ongoing operation, which probably produces more co2 than can be captured. Then there's the obvious question of where to store it. There's talk of pumping it under extreme pressure into depleted oil cavities under the sea bed.

Another key aspect of net zero involves offloading out emissions to somewhere else. For example, manufacturing less here and buying our stuff from other countries, so our emissions go down while in the countries that manufacture out stuff, they go up, but at least Britain has cut emissions so the politicians get to pat themselves on the back.

 

He did say fossil fuel free for all but emergencies (winter and still, cloudy days the rest of the year).

 

I think it's all a dream.
Nothing is going to stop what is going on now.
Better to just sit down and think of how we are going to tackle the problems it is going to create.

With out a nuclear war i can't see any reduction in world population any time soon.
So stop wittering on about it and, let's just adress the consequences.

 

And there lies the problem, they are so hell bent on reducing emissions nationally that we end up increasing them globally. Look at Norway, how was their renewable energy funded, what accounts for 66% of there exports and accounts for 20% of the country's GDP, Fossil Fuels. Do I see Norway as a role model to reducing emissions, no, they are cashing in. Look at the volume of food waste worldwide, its estimated to be nearly 1 billion tonnes annually and which continent produces the most waste per capita, Europe and North America at 92kg annually. India produces 50kg waste per capita and Russia is even less at 33kg.

 

The waste has to come from supermarkets sell by dates and probably restaurants.

 

Your correct John, the UK does not waste 92kg, that figure was based as a continent, Europe and North America combined. The UK is 77kg, Greece is one of the worst for food waste at over 100kg, the French also have a higher food waste than the UK. The main issue has been supermarkets rejecting food, presentation. It was an article I was reading about composting, scientists were saying, reducing food waste would have a more major impact on climate change than anything else we are currently doing.

 

The major supermarkets (and Lidl) over here have been running a system of cheaper, less-than-perfect fruit and veg for years. They also now do a 'leftovers' box of need-to-use-quick fresh produce. In this rural area, the local councils ran a scheme to give people a couple of chickens, with detailed instructions on their care and what they'll eat. (Mostly anything ). I wonder if they'll extend that scheme to providing a pig or two for those of us with enough land?
Between composting, chickens, cats and a comprehensive recycling scheme, our 'waste' waste amounts to a half-filled 20l bag per week.

 

There are some supermarkets that do the same over here too.
We too make almost zilch waste...I put both bins ,recyclable and black out for emptying once a month and even then they're only half full. The bin men have even congratulated us on our merger offerings!!