well, I have worked in the logistics business for 25 years. so more practice than theory. 
Ask Amazon how many drivers they have running around burning fuel all day, every dayâŚtheyâll soon be the biggest transportation fleet in the world (usurpring UPS)
My view is that there isnât, but thats lots of us believe there is. We think strong climate action is a great idea as long as (Alberta/companies/etc) pay the costs, but recoil rather quickly at the implications of the necessary costs flowing through to consumers. So, the Liberal rhetoric combined with spending programs is quite a popular combination, but the carbon tax isnât, long before it can really start bending the curve.
It is also highly regional, with areas that face low adjustment costs (Quebec, cheap electricity) being quite enthusiastic, and those with high adjustment costs (Alberta, oil and gas) being strongly opposed. Most places arenât seeing real costs and consequences yet (our frost here is now a month late), although Semmy in BC might have a very different view after the horrific summer heat waves.
To be fair, if you are a climate policy voter (which I am), your choices were:
i) the same Liberal government, finally bringing their homework to school, saying this time it was going to be good. Really, we really mean it this time.
ii) the Conservatives, with a leader saying he wanted to take it very seriously, and a huge chunk of his party saying âno we donâtâ
iii) the NDP, who had the worst rated climate policy of any party, because it was the same tired old ideas, excessive regulation while making sure not one union job would be lost, so that every independent evaluation said it would be be the furthest off target while being the most expensiveâŚ
and
iv) the Green Party, who decided to set themselves on fire right before the most easily anticipated election in a generation, driving themselves to the brink of insolvencyâŚbecause of a dispute over Israel-Palestine(!).
plus, I had the option v) the Blocâs âgreen equalizationâ plan which would see Quebec get more money for already having lots of hydroelectricity, for no clear reason other than money to Quebec is always a good thing, ben oui?
It is the same everywhere I guess. People are (superficially) in support of doing something but donât really want to put any skin in the game. To an extent, the governments are also in that bracket. If they commit, itâll be messy and re-election is always around the corner.
Which is why education is the key. Not only of schoolchildren but of adults; we all need to realise that the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term pain.
I completely agree but the levels of âeducationâ required are quite staggering. For example, even within the âeducatedâ community there is a significant percentage that do not believe in climate change and/or global warming. That view point simmers beneath the surface and all you have to have is a stretch of cool weather between May and October in the South of England and the âall this global warming stuff is nonsenseâ statements come out - and not in jest. Then there is the âwhy should I careâ group and also people that donât know they have to care. Beyond but still connected, is the vastly different socio-economic categories within the UK. The time required to reach everyone is another factorâŚ
My wish would be for governments to govern and to do so consistently - but my faith in that happening is limited. There has to be a cross party pact that ring fences certain policies to insulate them from being changed with every other government or by the winds of economic (mis)fortune. Iâm sure we will go in that direction (eventually) but isnât that 20-30 years late?
100% but how?
I looked at a Yougov poll the other day which had over 40% of contributors not having a clue what COP 26 was. That is staggering if you scale that across the wider population.
Itâs no wonder we vote the likes of Trump and Boris into office.
Also worth noting that if weâre not careful environmental policies will only increase the poverty gap.
I dont want to appear to be picking on Johnson on this but from my perspective itâs more about highlighting where attitudes need to change. Apparently he chose to fly because of time constraints.
We need to go beyond that attitude now. Better time management or simply prioritise environment over the other option.
Who paid for the private jet?
Certainly not Johnson. 
people pay him to play tennis with him. I suppose thatâs a form of extreme comedy.
The cynic in me would say, the selection this year was the lesser of evils.
Had OâToole and the PCâs had more time to prepare, they would have won this elections hands-down. But the Libs were campaigning on social media before the election was even announced.
This was one more sample of Trudeauâs bullshit that I just cannot take anymore. The timing was poor, the message was poor and heâs just going to shovel more of our money towards a policy that he really doesnât want to support. Heâs a puppet for big business, and in this country that means resource extraction. oil, potash, lumber and grain exports. This country needs someone who will slow the exporting of raw materials, and instead create the industry of manufacturing of finished materials which will keep the citizens employed in good paying jobs and have more control over the markets. Especially in steel, we ship so much ore overseas and pay someone else to manufacture what we have to buy back. itâs a sham.
I think it was a bit more than that to be honest. But as said, it doesnât take away from the fact that her feelings were and still are genuine.
So other than agreeing to end deforestation and phasing out of coal has anything else been agreed at COP26?
Nothing unless Iâve missed it. Best buy some shares in sun block, sand bags and air conditioning systems suppliers then.
Also thereâs no way of policing whats been agreed. Say Brazil decides that it doesnât like the agreement in 2 years time whatâs to stop them reneging on it? COP26 appears to have as much teeth as a 93 year old boxer.
Hereâs a summary from the first five days
Sometimes simply being the social conscience is enough and more powerful.
A comparison I would make is Rashford and JK Rowling. Rashford took a stand on issue he was passionate about and had personal experience. He kept at whatâs right or wrong at a human level. He was careful not to get drawn about other areas. He was careful to know his limitations (quoting others). They tried to dismiss his input, as he was just a footballer. But they failed. If he argued on politicians playing field he would have been easy to dismiss.
Contrast that with say JK Rowling. She has been drawn into various political issues. From abortions to gender, from eating disorders to Brexit. She has donated literally hundreds of millions into charities, done immense good, but she is attacked on both the left and the right. Despite all the good charitable work she is vilified by some and exposes her self to criticism. Her political views on one subject means her views are dismissed on another. Her message carryâs less weight.
Greta gets dismissed as she is just a teenager. She is an extraordinary girl but she canât be an expert on everything. The environment and climate change is too big an issue, too complex involving many fields. On face value say banning plastics is a good thing, but the environmental impact can be negative given food waste that would otherwise occur. Things are not black and white.
Unless you are careful (as per examples above or even if you are in the politician eg Corbyn) critics will use every chink in armour to dismiss and attack you. Itâs the world we live in. To her every politician is the enemy even those that are on the left and progressive. Last month she was taking pot shots at Jacinda Ardern and saying she canât think of single politician that impresses her. Which is an OK view to hold as someone basically raging against the machine. At the same time she acts within it. An unelected person, who speaks at the UN. She in many ways acts like a politician, she at times engages on that playing field. As I described giving speeches that go beyond her personal expertise or insight (as a politician would).
James Lovelock (my favourite scientist) said that humans are too dumb to save themselves from climate change. That democracy is at odds with change of scale required. Thats really the message Greta puts across many a time. An ecoauthoritarianism.
Some argue the opposite. More democracy is required. That majority support green views and more democracy can work better for the climate. At times this is the message she provides.
No one expects all the answers from a teenager. At the same time. The more and more you start transitioning from a moral authority to being a climate/political expert the less and less people will accept you telling them you are wrong, you have failed, when no practical alternatives are given.
Well, Iâd insulate your house as a priority. Once the gulf stream stops bringing all that warm Caribbean air to your shores, the Welsh climate should be somewhat similar to southern Labrador. That will be warmer than it once was, but colder than it has been in Wales for a long time.
Climate models show the summers will be warmer, winters colder for much of Western Europe.
Is that the biggest problem, I would hazard that winters would be longer (i.e extending into autumn and spring). This would cause havok if true (at least for some time as we are just not used to it). A real catastrophy for the UK rail system that can not handle leaves falling, leaves falling and ice HELP!
I just donât know about length of winter/summer seasons. Seems likely, given the more abrupt transitions of the North American climate, but just speculation on my part. However, our winters here are clearly shortening (first frost was November 5, where the traditional range is in first ten days of October) and becoming less intense - the Spring freshet (high water runoff from Spring thaw) is nowhere near the volume that it once was, because we see in-winter thaws and resultant flows to a much greater degree. Flow duration curves on rivers have shifted significantly in the span of 40 years.