Panic about other people panicking. Get in before they do. Buy more than you'll ever need of anything you can afford. Borrow to get what you can't afford. Supermarkets need your money now. Not in a couple of months' time!
I do object to the new laws that seek to curtail even further the legal right to protest. That seems legally unnecessary - just political grandstanding to be seen to be doing something. There are laws already that could be used to at least reduce the disruption from a few misguided individuals.
I completely agree raisingirl. For once I agree with Boris (not something I expected to write), when he said the same about another proposal for a new law, although I don't remember the subject of the proposal. If the laws already on the statute book are applied properly there are more than enough to cover most eventualities. When you see police holding back traffic, instead of removing protesters who are causing an obstruction, it would appear much of the problem is with those at the top of the various police forces.
The other proposal he rejected was making public sexual harassment a crime. It's 'just wolf-whistling' apparently 😡 Shows exactly where his priorities lie.
Can anyone quote posts discussing the merits of state insulating all social housing? I missed that discussion.
I only ask because someone said that it took such direct action to talk about it. Well I seem to have missed the discussion on here that the direct action triggered. All I have seen is more general discussion on democracy, relative merits of direct action and how we're all for action on climate change.
My hypothesis is these direct action groups that targets people without link to the stated aims of the activists doesn't trigger awareness and discussion of the matter let alone moving the government on with action. That as such are doing more harm than good. I would even go further and question whether disruption could be their end goal or aim rather than affecting change. I don't know either way but the spectacular way nobody on here is discussing the matter only the action is telling about effectiveness.
I started it on P38 with my opinion of the insulate spokesperson. We weren't discussing the merits of insulating housing. Who could argue with that? No discussion necessary.
Someone upthread said something about protest getting people talking about it. It hasn't here and there are things to discuss regarding their aims. It's not as simple as just social housing because there's less of it now. There's the matter of whether it's the right priority. Or would a state funded insulation just end up making money for big companies ripping off the state. People in poverty are likely to be renting privately even owning their own house. If you can't insulate your home and are on benefits or simply struggling then you should be as eligible as those in social housing to get fully state funded insulation IMHO. So I actually think they aren't even right in their aims, not nuanced enough IMHO. So I reckon there's enough to talk about the insulation issue, not just the wider issues of democracy and how to get outcomes in speeding up state action on climate change. However this isn't being triggered by the protests.
What value is ineffective and counterproductive protests and disruption especially when unrelated to what they're carrying out direct action against?
With unions flying pickets and other strike actions where other unions strike purely in support of other unions is aiui no longer legal. Even Labour governments didn't overturn such legislation. Why isn't similar actions in non union protests not treated similarly? I think that there's similarity in that modern climate change activism seems to m attack one activity to raise issues with an unrelated activities.
People in poverty are likely to be renting privately even owning their own house.
Quite true. Statistically, the people most likely to be in fuel poverty are owner occupiers and least likely are those in social rented accommodation. That's Government statistics, which have a slightly odd way of working it out these days.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
@NorthernJoe. Things are never as simple as we think: health, warmth and food in the belly and decent housing for the electorate should be the priorities of any decent government. Are there any decent governments on the planet?
There have been grants available for both cavity wall insulation and loft insulation via our local authority, I think in conjunction with energy companies, for a number of years. We are owner occupiers and had our house done about 6 or 7 years ago at absolutely no cost to ourselves. We were not on any benefits or state pension. Our son had his fixer upper done last year so it is still going on and I assume that all social housing stock in our area is done. I have to confess I haven't read up on Insulate Britain's demands so I might have a simplistic view, but on the face of it they appear to be protesting about something that is already being actioned. If private houses are not insulated then that is surely the fault of the owner. Are there many people who would refuse something for free? Perhaps there are. I appreciate it's difficult to legislate for everyone but maybe private rented properties should be legislated to have a minimum standard of insulation in the same way they do with gas and electric especially if there is no cost to the landlord. As I said, possibly a simplistic view of the situation as I know social housing in some areas is as bad if not worse than some of the worst private rented houses and that some houses are not suitable for cavity wall insulation. What more can we do though as individuals? We recycle everything we can, we insulate and we don't waste our gas, electricity and water. We don't take unnecessary journeys and are unlikely to fly anywhere more than once a year. We don't have a diesel car and can't afford a new or even a used electric one but wouldn't anyway we are yet to be convinced of the ecological cost of production and disposal of the batteries. Do we go out and protest that other people aren't doing what we are doing. Do those people even care? If not what is the point? Do we lobby our MP (Esther😁) to do more, but do more what? What is it that needs to be done? Lots of people bang on about it but no-one actually comes up with anything tangible. It's too big a problem for the Shaun in the street who is already doing everything he can so the vast majority are probably like me and bury their heads about the bigger picture.
Posts
Supermarkets need your money now. Not in a couple of months' time!
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I only ask because someone said that it took such direct action to talk about it. Well I seem to have missed the discussion on here that the direct action triggered. All I have seen is more general discussion on democracy, relative merits of direct action and how we're all for action on climate change.
My hypothesis is these direct action groups that targets people without link to the stated aims of the activists doesn't trigger awareness and discussion of the matter let alone moving the government on with action. That as such are doing more harm than good. I would even go further and question whether disruption could be their end goal or aim rather than affecting change. I don't know either way but the spectacular way nobody on here is discussing the matter only the action is telling about effectiveness.
What value is ineffective and counterproductive protests and disruption especially when unrelated to what they're carrying out direct action against?
With unions flying pickets and other strike actions where other unions strike purely in support of other unions is aiui no longer legal. Even Labour governments didn't overturn such legislation. Why isn't similar actions in non union protests not treated similarly? I think that there's similarity in that modern climate change activism seems to m attack one activity to raise issues with an unrelated activities.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
I appreciate it's difficult to legislate for everyone but maybe private rented properties should be legislated to have a minimum standard of insulation in the same way they do with gas and electric especially if there is no cost to the landlord.
As I said, possibly a simplistic view of the situation as I know social housing in some areas is as bad if not worse than some of the worst private rented houses and that some houses are not suitable for cavity wall insulation.
What more can we do though as individuals? We recycle everything we can, we insulate and we don't waste our gas, electricity and water. We don't take unnecessary journeys and are unlikely to fly anywhere more than once a year. We don't have a diesel car and can't afford a new or even a used electric one but wouldn't anyway we are yet to be convinced of the ecological cost of production and disposal of the batteries. Do we go out and protest that other people aren't doing what we are doing. Do those people even care? If not what is the point? Do we lobby our MP (Esther😁) to do more,
but do more what?
What is it that needs to be done? Lots of people bang on about it but no-one actually comes up with anything tangible. It's too big a problem for the Shaun in the street who is already doing everything he can so the vast majority are probably like me and bury their heads about the bigger picture.