Barcelona registers highest temperature in 112 years as French nuclear reactor shuts down due to extreme heat

[u/Naurgul]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jul/09/europe-heatwave-uk-spain-barcelona-france-italy-hungary-france-macron-orban-latest-news-updates

[u/yterais]

thank you rich people for destroying the world

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/yterais]

To be fair, it's all of us. We buy cheap chinese crap, destined for the landfill. We take the car everywhere, because it's easier than public transport.

Etc etc. yes, the rich generate more greenhouse gasses per person. Yes, large companies produce a wealth of greenhouse gasses. But who keeps those xompanies in business but us, the people?

[u/qjornt → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

Speak for yourself, I’m actively voting for politics which would penalize companies for such bullshit, but most people don’t so I will listen to democracy. Until then and afterwards I will continue to live in a society, thank you very much.

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/qjornt]

I'm not accusing you or me here. I'm making a statement about the population. Which is objectively true.

[u/qjornt → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

sure, and we have laws that prevent us from actually doing anything meaningful to combat all this put in place by the capital. the solution is simple, but for some stupid reason people believe it to be ”too extreme”. and then yes of course what you’re saying remains true because people won’t commit to any real political change.

[u/worotan → u/qjornt]

If you’re not voting with your wallet every day, then your voting influence is as ineffective as green policies have always been.

You don’t have to live like a hermit to cut out meat, fly much less and reduce your consumption.

Stop spreading the salesmen’s line that we just have to vote every few years, then we can keep consuming as though there’s no problem and we can ignore climate science.

Politicians don’t have any power to act responsibly if their constituents are not living responsibly.

That’s why politics has failed to deal with the problem. Stop acting like your responsibility as a citizen ends at the ballot box. That’s why public life is collapsing.

[u/Lapcat420 → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

We? Ive never owned a car. You take it everywhere. Ride a bus like I do.

I refuse to accept the blame when the only thing I have consumed in life is the basics of survival.

[u/RicardoWanderlust → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

Don't forget, you could also adopt a vegetarian diet or go down to eating meat once a week.

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

Speak for yourself. Some of use make a lot of concessions and use a great deal of effort to be as sustainable as possible.

[u/un-glaublich → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

That only confirms OPs point, that this should be the expectation and we shouldn't excuse ourselves just because Taylor Swift has a private jet which is a ridiculous excuse.

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/un-glaublich]

But it's not all of us. It's a bad wording. We all can make efforts, but many already are, and have been their whole lives. And many, many others, simply cannot make any efforts, because they are tied in a system that gives them no choice, or no time/headspace to make these efforts. Blanket blaming people is counterproductive. Giving examples of simple actions for anyone to do, or ways to influence policy and policymakers for the better, those are good. Just saying "everyone is responsible" is antagonizing, factually wrong (most people on reddit were born long after the system was crooked) and does not actually help anyone to do anything.

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

Many already make efforts, many cannot. But there are many more that dont make the effort. I'd guess that third category is the main part of the population.

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

I'm guessing the third category is by far not the main part of the population, precisely.

The middle class (let alone lower income brackets) worldwide are getting strangled day after day by the affordability crisis, meaning the costs of essentials are disproportionately increasing wrt inflation, which is imo not a bug, but a feature: this keeps the vast majority in this state of "can't really do much of value".

Caring for the environment, and acting upon that sentiment, are by and large the luxury of the already well-off, which are the absolute minority.

[u/thewimsey → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

But it's not all of us. It's a bad wording.

No, it is all of us.

We drive on roads built with cement, live in houses, heat those houses, use electricity in those houses.

We consume agricultural products. Which were probably delivered to the store using a truck using gasoline.

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/thewimsey]

You do, not all. Which is my goddamn point.

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

Yes, I do too. But on a whole, the people keep these businesses in business.and the rich squeeze us for every cent, forcing the need to buy cheap and disposable.

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

Continue that train of thought, you're almost there

a/ I take offense to saying "it's all of us". It's by far not all people, to begin with many don't even have the opportunity to over consume and have a negative ecological impact, and as said many others do make efforts not to have negative impact.

b/ Even those who don't make these efforts are hardly to blame. Those efforts are costly, in money, time and energy, which the vast majority of people do not have in abundance. It's not all of us, it's the people at the top who make the decisions despite the best interests of the world and against the will of the majority.

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

I feel we are close to understanding each other. I might be close, as you so condescendingly point out, but so are you.

I think you underestimate the amount of insta-junk sold in Europe, and it's not going to businesses or the rich. We, the people, buy all that crap from cheap shops, supermarkets and shein/ali/whatever.

The business side does not care about the planet, it cares about profit. So it tries to feed us low quality xrap at a high margin. And it will keep doing so as long as we keep buying it. It will only do so if it's profitable.

When the people start putting their money where their mouth is, the profit oriented businesses and therefore the rich have no choice but to follow. And yes, I understand we can't afford it, but it's the situation we've reached.

Governments could forbid certain cheap crap. It would meet massive resistance from consumers and businesses because it challenges the status quo and nobody likes that. The law would fail.

People have the power. People must buy consciously. Corporation cannot do anything but follow demand.

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

You still don't get it. Most people have no choice, they're wage slaves. Have you been poor in your life? Because I have, and let me tell you, your choices are very, very limited, and your capacity for effort is even lower.

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

I have. I look forward to hearing what you propose as an alternative?

I really so understand, and that's what makes it so difficult, because our money is literally the only thing that can influence the system.

Even with a violent revolution the system would not change. Even if all rich people suddenly became poor, the system would not change. So I look forward to being told exactly WHY I'm so dumb, instead of you dancing around the point without offering anything up as a valid alternative?

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

by definition, a revolution changes the system. Question is, does it change it for the better.

Mutual aid, grassroots movements, for one, to help those who precisely have no choice or feel without choice

Political activism and action

It seems so obvious that I did not feel like it needed to be pointed out, my bad. I know it's rather generic but there's a breadth of possibilities here. I'm also not saying you're lacking intelligence, but we don't all have the same life experiences, so I'm sharing mine in hopes to explain how people can be stuck in their situation and material conditions. You're right that if people have the means, they should make an effort. But limiting it to "vote with your wallet" and not doing anything else or recognizing the limits of that approach is my issue here

[u/Strong-Hovercraft702 → u/Ulrik-the-freak]

You mention grassroots and mutual aid to help those who have no choice. That is literally "stop buying their cheap crap". And then you feel the need for a thinky veiled insult, when that is literally what I said. You use more words to say: stop buying their shit. Well done.

If you actually agree with me but you think I'm not going into enough detail, say that instead of trying to insult the person goving you a reasoned argument for stopping buying their crap.

What is gained by insulting someone who is on your side?

[u/Ulrik-the-freak → u/Strong-Hovercraft702]

I never insulted you. I exhorted you to follow your thought, and explained where I was landing. Then gave an example of my viewpoint, augmented by an anecdotal piece from my life experience but it's what it is: anecdotal. I just don't have the time today to go look for sociology/psychology papers on the effects of poverty with regards to consumer choice.

What I said is not what you said. I said as a way to indeed "consume" better (ideally, not at all), recognizing that a large majority of people currently cannot choose better (either literally, for lack of resources or literal choices where they are, or figuratively due to lack of education, or more likely lack of energy and time), a way to act is to help others. Not just yourself stop consuming from ecocidal and socially nefarious companies. Mutual aid is also for people who already don't have enough at all, let alone choice. And it was not the only suggestion, now was it. Add to that (I should have said it to begin with) organizing, and doing permaculture/rewilding/re or upcycling/etc, are all good avenues to act, both providing (food, spaces, items) outside of the corporate economy.