Are you concerned about the destruction of the natural world and climate change?

I personally think that we are already beyond the point of no return and everything now will be a delaying tactic. Even if we can do something about it I don't think the human race has the capacity to do it. We are hardwired to compete with each other at the expense of whatever gets in our way and that's all there is to it.

Well climate change may not concern you at the moment,but it is presently affecting millions on the planet. The Syrian war started when after 5 years of continous drought, (with the last two years being the worst recorded there), thousands of people flocked from the countryside they could no longer survive in to the Cities. And this created the crisis that directly led to the war, which is still ongoing. The reverberations of which are still being felt around the world 10 years later. Falling crop yields due to climate change will and are causing more of the same world wide.

The more people on the planet the greater effect on the environment and biodiversity etc. Changes to the environment like cutting down trees for farm use etc has an effect on the climate. Yes developed countries might have done the most damage to the climate but billions upon billions of people on the planet certainly doesn't help the situation.

But the unfortunate truth is humans have been killing/sacrificing each other due to crop failure for hundreds of years. Its nothing new. Not trying to downplay a humanitarian disaster like the Syrian war but we need certain levels of perspective as well.

Irish society in general doesn't give two hoots about climate change or taking real and lasting decisions to make an impact. Yes we'll say that it concerns us and do low impact things like a bit more recycling etc to make us feel warm and fuzzy that we're doing some thing, but there's zero appetite for any drastic measures.

The budget is coming up soon and you can be guaranteed opposition politicians will start harping on about carbon taxes etc. Furthermore we don't have a single public transport project of any significance under construction in this country which is just laughable really. And any that do get discussed get mired in politics and NIMBYism. Meanwhile we have numerous roads projects under construction and being planned. Tokenism is the order of the day in Ireland and much of society is happy with that.

Sure they have since time immemorial, but not on the scale present in todays world....and with the capabilities to affect far larger nrs of people.

I used to, but now ive come to the realization that climate change will be used to blame everything on and increase prices and taxes.

Its scaring the bejaysus out of young people too.

I know a few people whos kids are full on depressed about it.

At this point i cant filter out what is real and what is just more internet bluster or money making scare mongering.

Im sure some is the truth, but im afraid i just dont take any notice of the media anymore, due to being unable to tell what is the truth and what is for dramatic effect, so im out.

I just give up worrying about climate change. Of course i'll be good to the environment, but i wont fret if i have the odd lapse, and i certainly will be p1ssed off when i have top pay more either in taxes or other climate money grabs.

Why are they having loads of children if they are poor ? Hardly makes their situation any better. Famine ,disease and more poverty is all that it leads to.

One thing they need is to be better educated for starters.

Oh wow, 1.5°C and really low levels of atmospheric CO2 historically, I'm so scared.... not.

Yes, absolutely. It is by a distance my main concern in life. What else even matters? People having big conversations on boards about multiculturalism, or government events or a united Ireland. All of it is going to be completely irrelevant if we don't solve this.

And it would be depressing enough if we were all out trying, but many people can't face a bleak reality, instead demeaning themselves with nonsensical responses like saying they want everyone in the world to die because of Paul Murphy and transgenders, or people used to think the world was flat so why would we believe any facts.

I have a job and am paying money into a pension, but I wonder should I bother with either of those things. Maybe I should drop out and become a full time activist or try to influence the political process? I don't really know where to start with that.

Part of the problem of convincing a population they need to change is evidence of an actual plan and the actions that go with it. All we get is Ryan making alarmist declarations. I notice that the Guardian today is wall to wall climate disaster. It ends up as just another way of frightening people.

I'd like to see some indicators, even in this budget, as to what it is we need to do and how much it’s going to cost us. All we got so far is a road map of sorts with some vague aspirations. it's not that there's a lack of urgency to it , it's that there's a lack of what it means to an ordinary person. Until we get to that point it will be people stridently demanding changes but nobody knowing what they look like.

How would that work, given that it is in so many things that we use? The oil itself is not the problem, it's the cultivation practices. Let's not forget that the cultivation also gives people livelihoods.

Once the government of the day can sell the €3-€4bn price tag it'll get going.

I understand that,well obviously many do survive considering the out of control human population.

Lack of contraception is probably more the issue then having loads of kids due to mortality rates.

https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/8-things-know-about-palm-oil

Most of the issues come from Opposition keenness to exploit such spending as waste. We managed to get a ten year health care plan into effect to broad agreement, maybe transport and the environment need the same treatment.

The problem is humanity will only really do something when they are either up to their necks in water, being chased down the road by a land dwelling polar bear or having to watch their kids go to war with the neighbours for drinking water.

And from past experience of the OP I just know one of his solutions is to cut our national herd and it was something that Ryan this morning shyed away from outright saying.

Cutting Ireland national herd does nothing bar screw one our only true indigenous industry.

Of course the employees of the likes of google, facefook, mickiesoft, linkedin, intel, etc and our younger more hip generations will try and outdo themselves to come across as with it and gladly shove their lesser country relatives under the bus. Farming to some is so yesterday and besides we are world's biggest technology hub or whatever we want to term our dependency on FDI these days.

Well lads and lassies the agri business won't up sticks and leave, but your employers are just one tax decision away from running to the next low tax, double dutch enabler. And don't ever be so deluded to think otherwise.

Yes agriculture is a huge creator of greenhouse gases and in certain cases huge environmental damage, but one has to look at this on a global scale.

Ireland should be encouraged to rear cattle and sheep, rather than hamstring us because as sure as fook the slack will be taken up by feedlots in US/Canada or massive ranches in South America on cleared rainforest.

It is truly mind boggling how some will lecture Irish farming whilst chomping on stuff imported from half way around the world.

Ever wondered about those greens and environmentalists eating quinoa and guzzling almond milk as opposed to eating beef/lamb and drinking cows milk.

Will have they ever thought that quinoa farming has resulted in damage in South America or 80% of the worlds almonds are produced in drought stricken California.

Australia used to use the Murray Darling river system to transfer wheat and wool to Adelaide, but not it is used to irrigate crops such as cotton, rice, almonds, citrus, vines. I am not sure if even reaches the sea anymore much like the Colorado river in the US.

If you want to see how fooked the world can be look up Cubbie station in southern Queensland which has a water licences for 460GL (the equivalent of 184,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools) and, in a good year, can grow 200 square kilometres of cotton.

And when it went into receivership the Aussie government refused to buy so it could control the water usage, but let it be sold to a Chinese textile giant.

I believe the world is more than capable of feeding itself but the amount of food wastage in Western world is unbelievable.

And that wastage has to be grown or reared somewhere.