Arrogance and ignorance.

[Wild-Woman]

Within earshot of me today (and they knew I was in the room), I heard someone say, 'I'm not doing all that stupid green stuff until China and the USA sign up. Why should I do anything until then. I don't care what these green people think, I'm living the way I want'.

I'm sure these comments were aimed directly at me. I bit my tongue hard because I didn't know how to reply to such ignorance.
What would you have said? Those comments made me so angry.

[DavyG]

If the person who made the comments knows you and your opinions on green issues, I think you did the right thing by not responding.

I'd say they were trying to bait you, by not taking the bait you spoiled their fun.

Personally I'd wait until they complain about their next energy bill and go for the, verbal, kill.

A dish best eaten cold, as they say Jules,

Dave

[Paul mabbott]

You can perhaps tranquilise yourself a little by recognising that the ignorance is probably the cause of the arrogance!

They're not necessarily getting at you, they're just stupid - there are plenty of such stupid people even on this site, sadly

[squishy]

thats the mentality of a 5 year old. how can these people not see that everyone has to do at least something. its stupid ignorance. and these are the people who act clueless and indignant when the world falls apart around them .

[NickCantle]

I feel about them the same way as they feel about the issue.

There will always be people like that and there's nothing we'll ever be able to do about it. You can pretend that they'll all come round but it will never happen.

That's what's stalling actions taken towards ecological change- it's a sad reality, but it's an actual reality, and it wont change!

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by squishy

thats the mentality of a 5 year old. how can these people not see that everyone has to do at least something. its stupid ignorance. and these are the people who act clueless and indignant when the world falls apart around them

Words of wisdom, 'squishy'. From one so young there's hope for the future World yet!

Jim

[rlchew]

"Arrogance and ignorance" .... spot on Jules and I think your lack of response to obvious baiting was the right approach.

There are billions of people on this planet of ours and I sometimes wonder if my little bit of saving energy, recycling, etc. makes a difference.

However, if we all did our little bit, including the USA, China and your baiters, then clearly an enormous difference could and would be made.

Waiting for someone else to start all that "stupid green stuff" will get us nowhere.

Think globally, act locally.

Richard

[KeenTeen17]

this is why mitigation of climate change is impossible. China and India are not going to want to give up their newfound economies and infrastructures just to save a few polar bears. They won't want to go back to being less economic developed countries. Who gave us the authority to decide that they should stop industrialising. We did the same thing in the 1750s and now the climate is suffering because of it. Now the Chinese are doing the same thing.they are entitled to do it - just because we now know its damaging the climate doesn't mean that they should stop we didn't.

This is why any mitigation of Co2 we do will have no effect in the long run. The best thing to do is to adapt and prepare for the effects of climate change

[squishy]

thanks jim, but like i've said before, my generation dont think enough about things like this.

[Mercadante]

China and India are going to (indeed do) want to stop climate change, because polar bears aren't the only things affected. The glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet, upon which the Ganges, Indus, Yellow, and Yangtze rivers, depend, are receding faster than any others in the world.

Of course they don't want to stop alone, or continue to live in poverty while we continue to enjoy more than our fair share. But that doesn't make anything impossible.