Protesting has gotten out of hand

[618 Syndicate]

I'm not going to get sucked into this debate as it invariably ends (or rather never ends) in acrimony.
But, something I saw during one of the Just Stop Oil protests that disrupted traffic on the M25 motorway.
A Glaswegian woman was somewhat annoyed that her travel plan had been disrupted and while she ''totally understood why the protesters were doing it'' (her words) it was unacceptable to her that she missed her flight to Glasgow and that now she would have to drive there. (The distance between London and Glasgow is less than 400 miles).
For as long as there are people who can't see why a distance of less than 400 miles should be travelled overland and not by air - there's going to be more protests.

No debate, and certainly not acrimony between you and I, but you didn't answer the question about what the point of these specific protests are, or address the lack of effectiveness from the focus being on the protestors as opposed to the protests.

 

[Caman96]

Who drives a mere 400 miles round trip when we are blessed with legs for walking. “How Dare You” ?

 

[Pinger]

No debate, and certainly not acrimony between you and I, but you didn't answer the question about what the point of these specific protests are, or address the lack of effectiveness from the focus being on the protestors as opposed to the protests.

I'm not sure that they are completely lacking in effectiveness. We are discussing them and it's their causes more than them that are being discussed - and driving debate.
For sure some want to play 'shoot the messenger' and there's plenty more willing to load their guns for them but the protestor's message cuts through anyway. Humans are too curious a species to not want to know 'what started it?'
In marketing the saying 'No such thing as bad publicity, all publicity is good' applies here. We're not expected to like it. It's supposed to make us feel uncomfortable, question our part in whatever is being protested and make us question ourselves as to what we can do better. The more running away from that there is, the more the protestors will feel the need to protest more. Ultimately, protests will never change the diehard support for the opposing cause. It isn't expected to. But it can influence those who haven't yet fully formed an opinion and that's where the worth of it lies.

 

[Keeper]

... According to the history I learned when in school, the Earth has had many temperature cycles in its history, including changing weather patterns, this is normal. But these individuals don't want to hear about facts, just the nonsense they are trying to promote. ...

Further, all planets have those same obliquity cycles. Fossil fuel use has nothing to do with solar dynamics. These kids are being played, and they don't seem to care. Tools.

 

[Cadillac Bob]

At the end of the day they “protesters” probably drove in a car or bus vehicle to get to each place! And it’s going to be some years before we all can afford and figure out a viable way to make/clean up our messes as humans at this point but as said find/do something to correct these things not go out shouting someone else’s speech you memorized ! I’m all for a cleaner earth who’s not? Because it’ll prolong all life not just a few but they truly don’t understand what they’re doing is not the way!

 

[Keeper]

... I’m all for a cleaner earth who’s not? ...

EPA says we have the cleanest air on record. It gets better every year, and has been doing so for 30+ years. We are well below the national standards, and we have some of the highest standards in the world. Who is spinning these kids up, and why?

Edit: also, lead was just recently banned from gasoline worldwide. We did it in mid-90's I think. The air should get even better.

 

[Cadillac Bob]

Yeah idk what to believe but more people does equate to more heat and everything that goes with being a human being these days. So that has to factor for something! These protesters should be going after big companies that pollution or “spill” into eco systems I know here in MI that they use way way too much salt on the roads and it’s effecting eco systems bye roads especially waterways are salter than ever! But in the end if we all make a small effort to be better towards this 1 and only blue n green marble WE ALL LIVE ON we’ll be that much better off than not.

 

[Tommy1234]

Yeah idk what to believe but more people does equate to more heat and everything that goes with being a human being these days. So that has to factor for something! These protesters should be going after big companies that pollution or “spill” into eco systems I know here in MI that they use way way too much salt on the roads and it’s effecting eco systems bye roads especially waterways are salter than ever! But in the end if we all make a small effort to be better towards this 1 and only blue n green marble WE ALL LIVE ON we’ll be that much better off than not.

Totally agree

 

[Caman96]

How Hurricanes Interact With Land And Helped Shape The US East Coast - Just In Weather

September 3 2019 I have had a lot of questions and comments recently with Hurricane Dorian slowly heading towards the eastern US. There is a range from fear of another Isabel for The Chesapeake Bay to the expectation that most storms miss the Mid Atlantic. My purpose here is a quick look at...

justinweather.com

1 Billion Years of Tectonic Plate Movement in 40 Seconds

This animated map shows the last billion years of Earth's tectonic plate movement in just 40 seconds.

www.visualcapitalist.com

The story of Snowball Earth

Ancient rocks suggest that ice entirely covered our planet on at least two occasions. This theory may help explain the rise of complex life that followed.

astronomy.com

And we’re worried about a few degrees in temperature. Hurricanes that literally shape continents. Ice encased Earth, shifting continents. This planet has and will see far, far worse, despite humans.

 

[Intragration]

I'm a natural contrarian, so like the OP I believe said, when I hear about how "evil petroleum is", and how we must all move to electric cars "for the environment", my natural inclination is to use more petroleum. Imagine how much more we would be using, how much dirtier it would be, if we were all still driving around in the carbureted, uncatalyzed vehicles of 50+ years ago. Vehicle emissions today, particularly automobiles and light trucks, are a pipsqueak compared to what they used to be.

In the end, I too care about the environment, just like everyone else. Who WANTS to live in an environment that's going to kill them? But that's not what's going on here. ALL fossil fuels are the result of carbon sequestration over millions of years. It's all carbon that has BEEN here in some form or another, and its form is merely being changed when we use it. It's called conservation of mass. What's notable is that the world was a MUCH harsher place prior to the Cambrian explosion. The increase in CO2 at the time led to massive increase in biodiversity, and that's where life (and therefore fossil fuels) come from. The truth is, there's basically nothing MORE natural, more organic, than fossil fuels. Something was here, its form changed, it changes when we use it, and it will be changed yet again in the future. It's zero-sum.

IMO, the MAIN reason for the protests (and the never-ending drumbeat over the environment, and electric cars) is because people have become SO comfortable, they want for SO little, that this is the biggest problem they can conjure up in their imaginations. I guess it's a relatively good problem to have, but it sure is annoying.