news & politics:discussion

[steviewevie]

They still can't play more than 3 sets of tennis...but they can do the tour de France now.

[lost]

Ed Balls and George Osbornes podcast has dropped. First episode on the HS2 decision amongst other things:

 

[squirrelarmy]

38 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

It would actually make a sizeable difference. Most wealthy countries make more plastic and unrecycleable waste in one week of December than they do in the rest of the year (that takes all the production CO2 etc into account as well).

Baby Jesus would be proud.

There’s a manufacturing city in China dedicated to making disposable cheap plastic xmas tat which is all destined for landfill. 
 

Don’t buy tat. Support your local alcohol producers instead. 

[Nobody Interesting]

2 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

They still can't play more than 3 sets of tennis...but they can do the tour de France now.

and who makes up the majority of the committee members that decide such things?

Men.

[fraybentos1]

53 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

This is the thing that annoys me the most. Pointless crap that may provide very temporary enjoyment and is then quickly forgotten about. First thing I'd do is stop production of such.

Maybe some people think that hosting a 5 day music festival in a Somerset farm where 200k people travel to including artists from around the world in private jets and helicopters, only for the entire city to be pulled down on the Monday is a bad thing for the environment?

Shall we ban Glastonbury?

People are always gonna want to keep what they like and get rid of what they don’t use. 

[Skip997]

2 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

Maybe some people think that hosting a 5 day music festival in a Somerset farm where 200k people travel to including artists from around the world in private jets and helicopters, only for the entire city to be pulled down on the Monday is a bad thing for the environment?

Shall we ban Glastonbury?

People are always gonna want to keep what they like and get rid of what they don’t use. 

It would be interesting to know Glastonbury's net GHG emissions.

[steviewevie]

8 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

The majority of countries did not do votes for women (suffrage) until after WW2.

Even with suffrage the UK was dragged kicking and screaming to equal votes and it took 10 years of yet motre protest to actually get near it (1928)

Nice peaceful moderate protests...the disruptive violent stuff delayed things. (Devil's advocating here ..or trolling ..)

[Skip997]

7 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

It would be interesting to know Glastonbury's net GHG emissions.

Apparently:

Quote

When comparing the emissions of 200,000 revellers to the amount they would emit if they weren’t spending time on a farm in Somerset, Glastonbury saves around 1,278 tonnes of emissions.

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/glastonbury-festival-environment-carbon-emmissions-b2105742.html

[steviewevie]

8 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

It would be interesting to know Glastonbury's net GHG emissions.

Similar to China's?

[fraybentos1]

Just now, Skip997 said:

Apparently:

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/glastonbury-festival-environment-carbon-emmissions-b2105742.html

I guess I’ve never thought of it that way. 200k people not using their cars for 5 days or whatever. 
 

celebs get flown in on helicopters tho…

[lost]

3 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

Apparently:

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/glastonbury-festival-environment-carbon-emmissions-b2105742.html

Planting trees is the biggest middle class cop out ever. A significant number of them don't make it to maturity. 

I believe the Grand Prix also using this justification to prove flying all those teams and cars around the world is carbon neutral.

Edited September 15, 2023 by lost

[Skip997]

Just now, lost said:

Planting trees is the biggest middle class cop out ever. A significant number of them don't make it to maturity. 

I agree.

Not only do a significant number not survive, but trees don't become a net carbon sink until they reach a certain age, prior to that they emit more C02 than they absorb.

[squirrelarmy]

What trees are being planted on these schemes? My work contributes towards 1000s of trees being planted every year. They’ll all be cut down again within 10 years. 

[Rufus Gwertigan]

2 minutes ago, squirrelarmy said:

What trees are being planted on these schemes? My work contributes towards 1000s of trees being planted every year. They’ll all be cut down again within 10 years. 

Birch and Scots Pine mainly.

[Crazyfool01]

[squirrelarmy]

6 minutes ago, Rufus Gwertigan said:

Birch and Scots Pine mainly.

So trees that are likely to be planted anyway due to the demands of the timber industry. Someone can get a certificate to say they’re doing good even though they’re not doing anything other than paying for a piece of well being. 

[Rufus Gwertigan]

1 minute ago, squirrelarmy said:

So trees that are likely to be planted anyway due to the demands of the timber industry. Someone can get a certificate to say they’re doing good even though they’re not doing anything other than paying for a piece of well being. 

Your heavy carbon like oak are just too slow growing for most companies. I was reading an article that a farmer in Scotland wants to plant a carbon plantation but with a lifespan of 30 years. The locals are up in arms saying he needs to plant oak but they take 50 to 100 years to mature.

[fraybentos1]

8 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

It’s misleading tho, cause that statement presumably refers to powering the fest once it has started- what about the set up, take down, 200k people getting there, people flying in from around the globe (punters and artists). I could go on. 
 

They defo try more than other fests but I think it gives a false idea. As I say, celebs get helicoptered in and out. 

[steviewevie]

10 minutes ago, Crazyfool01 said:

impressive. Now just need everyone to cycle there.

[lost]

2 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

It’s misleading tho, cause that statement presumably refers to powering the fest once it has started- what about the set up, take down, 200k people getting there, people flying in from around the globe (punters and artists). I could go on. 
 

They defo try more than other fests but I think it gives a false idea. As I say, celebs get helicoptered in and out. 

Also a relatively expensive middle class pursuit hence adding a cost to make the whole weekend "green" is really nothing to the people who go there.

Same as those of us who own Teslas and nice houses with offroad parking/charging points thinking ULEZ is a fantastic idea.

[Skip997]

6 minutes ago, fraybentos1 said:

They defo try more than other fests but I think it gives a false idea. As I say, celebs get helicoptered in and out. 

More than most other fests.

Shambala are way ahead

[steviewevie]

3 minutes ago, lost said:

Also a relatively expensive middle class pursuit hence adding a cost to make the whole weekend "green" is really nothing to the people who go there.

 

is it adding a cost?

[lost]

3 minutes ago, steviewevie said:

is it adding a cost?

Well turn that question around. If it isn't then the pursuits that are not claiming to be green are paying more than they need to which clearly doesn't sound right at all.

Ryan Air can just plant some trees, bring the cost of their tickets down and everyone can have carbon neutral weekends on the cotsa del sol.

Edited September 15, 2023 by lost

[steviewevie]

2 minutes ago, lost said:

Well turn that question around. If it isn't then the pursuits that are not claiming to be green are paying more than they need to which clearly doesn't sound right at all.

Ryan Air can just plant some trees, bring the cost of their tickets down and everyone can have carbon neutral weekends on the cotsa del sol.

I just wonder if getting electricity from renewables is actually adding a cost to Glastonbury ticket...renewables cost has come right down relative to fossil fuels.

[steviewevie]

Energy policy | Glastonbury Festival (glastonburyfestivals.co.uk)

Also, Glastonbury has always been mostly seen as a middle class thing...even when it was cheap...