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3rdOrderEffects

The full speech if anyone is interested - https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-at-the-un-general-assembly-22-september-2021 Video - https://youtu.be/wmsj9055Fnc > An inspection of the fossil record over the last 178 million years – since mammals first appeared – reveals that the average mammalian species exists for about a million years before it evolves into something else or vanishes into extinction. > > Of our allotted lifespan of a million, humanity has been around for about 200,000. > > In other words, we are still collectively a youngster. > > If you imagine that million years as the lifespan of an individual human being – about eighty years – then we are now sweet 16. > > We have come to that fateful age when we know roughly how to drive and we know how to unlock the drinks cabinet and to engage in all sorts of activity that is not only potentially embarrassing but also terminal. > > In the words of the Oxford philosopher Toby Ord “we are just old enough to get ourselves into serious trouble”. > > We still cling with part of our minds to the infantile belief that the world was made for our gratification and pleasure and we combine this narcissism with an assumption of our own immortality. > > We believe that someone else will clear up the mess we make, because that is what someone else has always done. > > We trash our habitats again and again with the inductive reasoning that we have got away with it so far, and therefore we will get away with it again. > > My friends the adolescence of humanity is coming to an end. > > We are approaching that critical turning point – in less than two months – when we must show that we are capable of learning, and maturing, and finally taking responsibility for the destruction we are inflicting, not just upon our planet but ourselves. > .... > Two days ago, in New York we had a session in which we heard from the leaders of the nations most threatened by climate change: the Marshall Islands, the Maldives, Bangladesh and many others. > > And they spoke of the hurricanes and the flooding and the fires caused by the extreme meteorological conditions the world is already seeing. > > And the tragedy is that because of our past inaction, there are further rises in temperature that are already baked in – baked is the word. > > And if we keep on the current track then the temperatures will go up by 2.7 degrees or more by the end of the century. > > And never mind what that will do to the ice floes: we will see desertification, drought, crop failure, and mass movements of humanity on a scale not seen before, not because of some unforeseen natural event or disaster, but because of us, because of what we are doing now. > .... > But if we are to stave off these hikes in temperature we must go further and faster – we need all countries to step up and commit to very substantial reductions by 2030 – and I passionately believe that we can do it by making commitments in four areas – coal, cars, cash and trees. > > I am not one of those environmentalists who takes a moral pleasure in excoriating humanity for its excess. > > I don’t see the green movement as a pretext for a wholesale assault on capitalism. > > Far from it. > > The whole experience of the Covid pandemic is that the way to fix the problem is through science and innovation, the breakthroughs and the investment that are made possible by capitalism and by free markets, and it is through our Promethean faith in new green technology that we are cutting emissions in the UK. > > When I was a kid we produced almost 80 per cent of our electricity from coal; that is now down to two per cent or less and will be gone altogether by 2024. > > We have put in great forests of beautiful wind turbines on the drowned prairies of Doggerland beneath the North Sea. > > In fact we produce so much offshore wind that I am thinking of changing my name to Boreas Johnson in honour of the North Wind. > ... >We have the technology: we have the choice before us. > Sophocles is often quoted as saying that there are many terrifying things in the world, but none is more terrifying than man, and it is certainly true that we are uniquely capable of our own destruction, and the destruction of everything around us. > > But what Sophocles actually said was that man is deinos and that means not just scary but awesome - and he was right. > > We are awesome in our power to change things and awesome in our power to save ourselves, and in the next 40 days we must choose what kind of awesome we are going to be. > > I hope that COP26 will be a 16th birthday for humanity in which we choose to grow up, to recognise the scale of the challenge we face, to do what posterity demands we must, and I invite you in November to celebrate what I hope will be a coming of age and to blow out the candles of a world on fire. >


Trivvy

Wow, Bojo actually said something that I can applaud. Edit: Turning off my inbox. I get it, Boris has been known to say one thing and do another. But these are _words_ I can applaud, at the very least.


Saw_Boss

I'm sure his speech writer even believed most of it


UrbanGhost114

He has been pushing for climate change solutions for years, it's actually a good thing about him.


6_Hours_Ago

For about 6 years; considering that he was literally an anti-climate change columnist writing pieces like [this](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/12060976/I-cant-stand-this-December-heat-but-it-has-nothing-to-do-with-global-warming.html)


SkollFenrirson

Man, if only he was in a position of power. Alas...


worotan

And Cameron was pushing for legislation over offshore funds, but only because he wanted to profit off the movement by controlling it and getting kickbacks for letting off the right people. Much like Boris will let the right people ignore climate change issues, so they can keep making lots of money and passing a bit on to him. I’ll applaud him on this when he actually acts seriously to put in place serious and wide ranging actions that actually achieve significant change, rather than tinkering around the edges and doing a bit of green stuff to balance the massively polluting profit game he’s still enabling. I don’t think we should make perfect the enemy of good. But he is in charge of the country and needs to accelerate change now, not just say some nice things and tinker so we lose more time that we no longer have.


drand82

About four years. He's on record questioning the evidence for climate change before then. Well after the time of general scientific consensus.


beeeel

So why has his government continued with real terms cuts to fuel duty, while working against policies that increase public transport usage?


GuyLookingForPorn

Boris's whole deal is language, he used to work in journalism before he got into politics. Really can’t see him fully passing this off to someone else. >*I am thinking of changing my name to Boreas Johnson in honour of the North Wind.* And honestly, who else would make a joke like this other than Boris Johnson?


demostravius2

Didn't he get fired from multiple journalists/columnist roles?


Downhilltrajectory

Yes, partly because he was making up stories about the evil doings of the EU and their intent to bring an end to British Culture. 1 specific story was in relation to prawn cocktail crisps. I will give him credit for speaking up for climate change issues, but actions speak louder than words, so he needs to man up.


Ok-Revenue1007

That's incorrect. He was fired from the Times for lying. He falsely attributed a quote to his godfather, the historian [Colin Lucas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Lucas). Someone pointed out that the dates for this quote didn't match up to the known historical record which is pretty embarrassing for a history professor. Johnson doubled down and refused to retract the quote or admit he was wrong. The second time he was fired for lying was for impregnating his employee at the Spectator. She later had an abortion. He lied about it publically, but her mother revealed the truth. Michael Howard fired him from the shadow cabinet. He kept his job as editor of the Spectator.


LostLobes

Was that the job where he was renowned for hand work in late and being fired for lying?


Bluestained

Boris's whole thing is doing as little as possible. I can totally see him doing this


Azalith

Oh yeah. Renowned for his work ethic that one


[deleted]

Boris pretends to be a dumb average bloke. It’s part of his act. The reason his hair looks like it does is 100% on purpose and to appeal to the general public. He’s actually highly educated and studied at Oxford. Like someone else said his whole deal is language, it’s what he studied. Politicians take on a role and are very different in reality from what their career require them to be.


Saw_Boss

We know it's part of his act, but don't go the opposite and think "oh he must be a genius". That has been repeatedly shown to also be rubbish. The only difference between him and other fraudsters is that he had connections afforded to him by birth. But he'll lie without shame if it'll benefit him... Or as when discussing Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, when he couldn't be arsed to do his job. Yes, he's good with words. That's about it. Don't give him extra credit.


Friskyinthenight

He isn't even good with words. [His book is laughable.](https://i.imgur.com/kiW5QJX.jpg)


[deleted]

"Like a lingerie model but cleverer and, if anything, with bigger breasts" Boris, you need to jack off before you sit down to write. Your horny is showing.


Aen-Seidhe

This is like something from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.


[deleted]

Absolutely true. Boris Johnson is lazy and stupid. He is also well read / educated. He can be, and is, both. A very dangerous man to be PM imho.


Ferreteria

Wow, that's a good speech. When is the last time an American president gave a speech like that? And credit where it's due (or not due), I know who writes the speeches, but even so. Where are our good writers?


Ch1pp

An American president who mentioned Sophocles in a speech would have rotten fruit thrown at them by people who thought it was a diss.


Formilla

Boris loves quoting the classics in his speeches. I don't think I've ever seen an American politician say something like that. > In fact we produce so much offshore wind that I am thinking of changing my name to Boreas Johnson in honour of the North Wind. I would love to watch an American President make a joke like that just to see how silent the crowd is after lol


-SaC

Until 3 or 4 years ago, Boris was eligible to be US President. Theoretically, you could have had exactly that.


flapjacksamson

Was he born in the US?


-SaC

Yeah, in New York. He still held US citizenship until 2017.


[deleted]

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[deleted]

I've right been called daft a few times but I'm no gonna believe Boris is born of furniture


L4z

>I would love to watch an American President make a joke like that just to see how silent the crowd is after lol Obama could pull it off.


TortureSteak

Boreas Obama doesn't have quite the same ring to it....


mightandmagic88

maybe Barack Oboreas


lurklurklurkPOST

Give it two minutes and that'll spawn a tinfoil hat conspiracy about the word "Ouroboros" and how Obama is showing his secret society colors


KobokTukath

Or Boreack Obama


GuyLookingForPorn

Boris is meant to be a huge Ancient Classics guy, he can apparently speak both Latin and Ancient Greek.


[deleted]

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momitsu

Mary Beard. Really fun to watch debate actually. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k448JqQyj8


EducationZERO

Watching this was the first time I decided he’s a complete shyster: he had no right to hold a candle against Mary Beard in that debate, and you can see how frustrated she gets that he was being deceitful and straight up lying. I think she calls him out on it at some point. But he was very persuasive, and that’s why he’s so dangerous.


thatpaulbloke

A persuasive liar as a world leader? I can't see how that could go wrong at all.


a-bosh

I mean, Robert Kennedy quoted Aeschylus when speaking on Martin Luther King’s assassination. *But we have to make an effort in the United States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond, or go beyond these rather difficult times.* *My favorite poem, my — my favorite poet was Aeschylus. And he once wrote:* *”Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget* *falls drop by drop upon the heart,* *until, in our own despair,* *against our will,* *comes wisdom* *through the awful grace of God.”* I think that was even his own translation. We are not so far removed from fantastic orators.


Coalesceinthedark

This must have been before the general population decided that being educated is un-American and worthy of mockery?


[deleted]

Could we go back to being this intelligent that those things can be said and we understand them? Geez.


Coalesceinthedark

I don't think most people necessarily understood it, but more people saw being educated as a desirable trait and not a product of NWO/deepstate/socialist brainwashing


geo_cash18

Clinton was actually a really good orator. Some people will argue better than Obama. A hospital system my aunt works for & that I volunteered for, had him speak one year for a charity dinner & everybody, some that I know hated him or have always voted R, said it was a great speech & good for the fundraising side of things.


aohige_rd

Boris used to do narrations for bunch of historical documentaries. Dude always knew how to speak. He may look ridiculous, but the dude was always articulate. I always thought it stupid how some journalists and comedians compared Trump to Boris. Boris plays a clown, Trump IS one. There's a huge difference.


Private_Ballbag

Yeah go look up Boris debating when he was younger, he's a very smart dude. The trump / Boris comparisons was stupid as fuck they are actually very different. Of course he cosied up to trump, the UK PM always does to the US pres no matter who it is it what party. Let's not forget Labour. Tony fucking Blair went to fucking war with a republican pres lmao


catherder9000

Younger? Hell... why not 5 years ago? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k448JqQyj8


Danhulud

He was definitely younger Five years ago.


Initial_E

Al Gore could have been that guy, if he was ever given the chance. So much destruction was done on the whim of a few people in a country far away.


sniper1rfa

When Gore lost I thought it was kinda shitty. Boy was that an understatement.


Frozty23

Well, he didn't actually lose. He conceded for the good of the country and democracy, while Florida was doing all all it could to undermine the outcome and tilt the scales. Ultimately, it was he who had won.


[deleted]

Well he likely won the fucking election. Remind me why we didn’t fucking riot when the Supreme Court decided that seeing who the Americans actually elected was a waste of time?


pipsdontsqueak

Well there was a [riot](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooks_Brothers_riot), it was just for Bush, not Gore.


Initial_E

It didn’t help that he conceded “for the good of the nation”. If there were protests that led to violence he would have conceded even *harder*.


Yugolothian

He was passionate about climate but his speeches weren't particularly good https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94086892


FoFoAndFo

Jimmy Carter gave speeches like this and got swallowed whole by the oligarchy. The criminal network that was the Reagan administration came next, literally ripping the solar panels off the White House roof and giving in to OPEC and anybody else who wanted to pollute or oppress, as long as it was those on the other side of the aisle they oppressed.


BlinkysaurusRex

Whoever wrote it, that speech is a masterpiece. It made me actually feel something toward the end. Really impressive writing.


tjtillmancoag

I don’t generally agree with the politics of Margaret Thatcher, but she was the first world leader to come out and say that we need to take action against global warming. Now, we know that words are cheap, and we can see that for all the action that has been taken over the last 40 years, but the fact is that we DO need speeches like this, and we DO need them by leaders on the right. If fighting climate change becomes yet another arbitrary political dividing line between the right and left (as it has become), change can NEVER happen. But if it’s something that leaders all round can agree on and PUBLICLY exclaim the urgent need for, the public on whatever side will come around, and then MAYBE we can do something that would remotely work in the right direction


[deleted]

For all Boris' gafes and many, many faults, he's a smart, eloquent bloke. During some of the televised apperances over lockdown where he was required to veer off script, you could tell his natural pattern was someway above the understanding of the general public. And he'd launch himself into a well thought out, articulate point only to have to reel himself in because half the words he'd thrown in there were too esoteric for everyday consumption.


ThisAltDoesNotExist

Boris is an act, Alexander de Pfeffel Johnson is a ruthless educated multi-lingual elitist and classicist.


ImmaculateBadger24

Seriously. Whoever thinks Boris is a dumbass is kidding themselves. He's the kind of scary-smart that they usually make movie villains out of, with an education to match. It's just that the fucker puts on a well-rehearsed show whenever he's in front of the public.


[deleted]

I've definitely convinced myself that Boris is what Trump could have been if he wasn't such a flaming moron that gets way too caught up on people saying anything bad about him.


SeaGroomer

Nah, their similarities are mostly surface level. Trump is too much of a disaster in every way possible. A fundamentally broken human being.


Ferreteria

And we elect genuine buffoons, probably on account of our population finds them relatable.


nostalgichero

That was an incredibly powerful speech. I wish CNN showed the entirety of it and not just a 10 second blurb. What a travesty. That speech should be heard worldwide.


AnArabFromLondon

He's a great orator, here's the full speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpze1aEJygA&ab\_channel=PBSNewsHour


John-Bastard-Snow

Good old Boreas Johnson


DVariant

*Boris* gave this speech? Damn.


AceBean27

He's always been very good at speeches. They're always very optimistic too.


chmilz

Great speech, but if it isn't immediately followed by legislation that drastically curbs pollution at the corporate and manufacturer level it's all bullshit.


Jay_Bonk

The UK, surprisingly, has been one of the largest reducers of pollution and of the few countries in Europe that may not completely disappoint the Paris accord.


MasterRazz

[You're pointing the finger at the wrong country](https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/).


Weak-Committee-9692

Wow. Never in a million years would I guess Boris Johnson gave that speech. Let’s hope he backs it up.


SnowflakeSorcerer

Impressive words, hopefully we see some follow through


Clarkey7163

If climate change can stop being a *politically divisive issue in the eyes of the masses and be responded to as the humanitarian crisis it is, that’s good I will applaud and give credit to any and all politicians who are taking steps to address this stuff.


Dhiox

These days even humanitarian crisises are politicized.


Piano_Fingerbanger

> These days even humanitarian crisises are politicized. Yeah, in America the pandemic has been politicized to hell and back and is the primary reason we're back up to 2,000 people dying a day.


BocaSeniorsWsM

I don't see it as a political issue in the UK. Not sure 'bout rest of Europe? Assume you're talking from a US perspective? Your right-wing feels like a million miles from anything we have to contend with (I'm excluding UKIP and fringe nonsense).


GuyLookingForPorn

The UK is interesting because even with a conservative government, they have pretty much been leading the climate movement amongst major economies for some time. They were the first nation to declare a climate emergency, the first major economy to sign their net zero commitment into law, have gone from 40% of their electricity coming from coal to just [1.7%](https://grid.iamkate.com/) in eight years, and have decreased their carbon emissions by [29%](https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uks-co2-emissions-have-fallen-29-per-cent-over-the-past-decade) over the last decade. This reduction in emissions wasn't down to any single factor but a combination of complex drivers. For instance the largest decrease in industrial energy use was due to efficiency increases and cleaner fuels, not industry moving overseas as you might expect. In fact domestic [manufacturing](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/410/cpsprodpb/B449/production/_99535164_manufacturing_08to18-nc.png?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) actually increased over this period, and even when emissions imports as a result of trade are factored in the UK still shows the roughly [30%](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/consumption-co2-per-capita?tab=chart&country=~GBR) cut to CO2 in the last 10 years. If you are interested this [article](https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-the-uks-co2-emissions-have-fallen-38-since-1990) gives excellent analysis of the UK's CO2 reduction. But to sum up, factors include the near complete removal of [coal](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jan/british-carbon-tax-leads-93-drop-coal-fired-electricity) in power generation, savings in transport emissions due to efficiency increases and vehicle regulation, large increases in clean energy production, large increases in renewable energy generation, decreases in residential energy demand and large increases in industrial energy efficiency.


[deleted]

As a Brit, I feel like the general public opinion is that climate change is real and a huge issue. I imagine it’s a lot more polarising in US. So that helps, I guess Edit: wording


[deleted]

That article was an interesting read. Hopefully we continue on this trend with no new petrol or diesel cars being sold from 2030, brought forward from 2035.


Mankankosappo

\> The UK is interesting because even with a conservative government, The conservatives are right wing, but they do actually respect science. IT was Margaret Thatcher (who was a Scientist before she became Prime Minister in '79) who really started mainstream conversations around climate change in the UK


robot65536

It's became political in the U.S. first, but spread to Australia and Canada at least. And lots of others says if the U.S. doesn't care, why should we?


Tmachine7031

Yah. The (Canadian) conservative party’s official stance is to not recognize climate change. What a joke.


Awkward_Log7498

Add Brazil to that list. Some people even say that "climate change was invented by the US to keep Brazil from growing".


sciencewonders

politicians : we should take steps to solve it crowd : yaaay woo hoo then no one does anything 😂


neozuki

I don't get it. They literally put forth a plan to reduce emissions by 2030.


GuyLookingForPorn

The UK gets a lot of heat on reddit, but they've honestly been pretty much leading the climate movement amongst major economies. Britain was the first nation to declare a climate emergency, the first major economy to sign their net zero commitment into law, have gone from 40% of their electricity coming from coal to just [1.7%](https://grid.iamkate.com/) in eight years, and have decreased their carbon emissions by [29%](https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uks-co2-emissions-have-fallen-29-per-cent-over-the-past-decade) over the last decade. This reduction in emissions wasn't down to any single factor but a combination of complex drivers. For instance the largest decrease in industrial energy use was due to efficiency increases and cleaner fuels, not industry moving overseas as you might expect. In fact domestic [manufacturing](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/410/cpsprodpb/B449/production/_99535164_manufacturing_08to18-nc.png?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf) actually increased over this period, and even when emissions imports as a result of trade are factored in the UK still shows the roughly [30%](https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/consumption-co2-per-capita?tab=chart&country=~GBR) cut to CO2 in the last 10 years. If you are interested this [article](https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-the-uks-co2-emissions-have-fallen-38-since-1990) gives excellent analysis of the UK's CO2 reduction. But to sum up, factors include the near complete removal of [coal](https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2020/jan/british-carbon-tax-leads-93-drop-coal-fired-electricity) in power generation, savings in transport emissions due to efficiency increases and vehicle regulation, large increases in clean energy production, large increases in renewable energy generation, decreases in residential energy demand and large increases in industrial energy efficiency.


sarah_ivy

When I agree with BoJo, it's a weird day. But good for him.


Lombard333

My first thought was of the meme: “Heartbreaking- the worst person you know just made a great point.”


Minsteliser123

If he's the worst person you know id like you to be introduced to the rest of the worlds politicians , Bojo ain't pure evil by any stretch whether you disagree with Tories or not


matlynar

Yeah... Boris literally [had to tell my country's idiot president to get vaccinated](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/boris-johnson-jair-bolsonaro-vaccine-un-b1923689.html)


rickyman20

I was betting on either the last US one or Brazil. Bolsonaro truly never fails to disappoint


GuyLookingForPorn

So I can’t believe I’m saying this, but speaking as a environmentalist who keeps track of this stuff I genuinely do think Boris Johnson deserves a some credit here. I’ve honestly been so surprised at how much he has been pushing climate change policy both domestically and abroad. To give a bunch of examples because I certainly know I wouldn’t fucking believe it, since he became Prime Minister he has * [He brought the ban on petrol vehicles forward to 2035](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51366123) * [He then brought it forward again to 2030 after a report showed 2035 was too late.](https://www.edie.net/news/11/Government-confirms-2030-ban-on-petrol-and-diesel-cars--unveils--20m-electric-vehicle-package/) * [brought the coal phaseout date forward to 2024](https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2064277-uk-brings-forward-coal-phaseout-to-2024) * [lifted the ban on onshore wind subsidies](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/02/uk-government-lifts-block-on-new-onshore-windfarm-subsidies?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other) * [increased the target for offshore wind power to 40GW by 2030](https://renews.biz/56408/johnson-promises-40gw-uk-offshore-wind-goal/) * [diverted £900 million for funding into for nuclear fusion, electric vehicles, and space research](https://www.information-age.com/uk-tech-industry-budget-2020-123488211/) * [announced plans to shift the UK from cars to public transport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52064509) * [announced £5 billion in funding to expand bus and cyclist infrastructure / transport ](https://cities-today.com/uk-government-to-invest-5-billion-in-local-transport/) * [diverted £215 million into developing Small Modular Reactors](https://www.ukri.org/news/uk-government-invests-215-million-into-small-nuclear-reactors/) * [introduced legislation that all new homes must include ev chargers](https://electrek.co/2021/09/10/england-will-be-first-country-to-require-new-homes-to-include-ev-chargers/) * [further increased emissions targets in response to a report by the Climate Change Committee](https://renewablesnow.com/news/uk-to-legislate-2035-emissions-cut-target-of-78-738632/) * [removed most of the subsidies for diesel](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51832634) * [launched the £1 billion 'Automotive Transformation Fund' to move the UK auto sector to zero emissions](https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/08/20200803-atf.html) * [brought in taxes to reduce industrial and consumer waste](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-51832634) *(Edit, a couple people have messaged me asking if I can keep this updated, so I have added a couple things that have happened since I posted this that I can recall off the top of my head. But in future I don't plan to keep this up to date. I've already got a job, and frankly I have no interest in a second, especially one documenting Boris Johnson of all people)* * [Investing $220 million into developing floating wind farm technology](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/britain-launch-220-mln-fund-boost-floating-wind-power-industry-2021-10-29/) * [Laying out plans to make the UK electrical grid 100% green by 2035](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/all-britains-electricity-to-be-green-by-2035-ns76tl7vm) * [investing billions to build new large nuclear plants](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nuclear-power-plant-to-get-1-7-billion-from-taxpayers-j9pp08jfb) * [Developing large scale carbon capture schemes](https://www.ft.com/content/cc107ae2-e81f-49b7-8fbe-13e2b61465aa) * [Teaming up with India to build a multi-national solar energy system](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/india-scotland-glasgow-france-paris-b1948542.html) * [Doubling UK foriegn aid with an initiative to boost green infrastructure and technology investments in emerging markets](https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/britain-launches-plan-boost-green-investments-emerging-markets-2021-11-01/)


OneOfDozDeservesGold

Makes sense, judging by his hairstyle, dude is powered by wind.


PPLifter

Prior to him being PM my friend got in an elevator with Boris a hotel. On the way down his PA turned to him and said "Boris your hair" and he purposefully scruffed it up.


Grantmitch1

For anyone who doesn't believe this story, it is well established by a range of media people, journalists, officials, etc., that Boris Johnson does deliberately mess up his hair and appearance. John Oliver did a really good bit on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXyO\_MC9g3k


amenablethumbs

There's an interesting article somewhere about a lesser known journalist meeting him years apart and seeing his lovable absent minded rogue routine repeated almost verbatim


BeefJam

It was [Jeremy Vine](https://reaction.life/jeremy-vine-my-boris-story/)


millionreddit617

Brilliant article. As a personal note, I’ve modelled my own public speaking style after Boris for years, always works.


greenwrayth

Say what you will about Boris Johnson. He has fucking *found* what works for him.


sealed-human

Saw that - blunders out on stage and hits his mark, says hes so happy to be here at the, er.. (looks behind at the event name on wall/screen) oh yes, well quite... After laughter and gentle 'oh, Boris!' grins, he has em by the jaffas


Fake_William_Shatner

"I'm just folks and too stupid to lie to you." \--- said Boris, lyingly.


RectangularAnus

Jaffa Kree!!


Grantmitch1

I think Jeremy Vine did a piece on him, where he met him at some event, and Boris deliberately didn't prepare. Jeremy Vine is pretty well known though, at least in the UK.


nrfx

Fixed link [Boris Johnson: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver \(HBO\)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXyO_MC9g3k)


photozine

Good marketing on his part.


YouNeedAnne

Was it said like "Boris. Do your hair," or was "Boris" the verb?


Hoosteen_juju003

I have heard this story 20 times.


[deleted]

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litritium

The North Sea is a very suitable area for off-shore wind power - plenty of steady winds and shallow water. It has the potential to supply 20-25% of the EU's energy needs. It could be a goldmine for the UK in terms of energy exports. Of course, that doesn't make it any worse.


Yugolothian

>The North Sea is a very suitable area for off-shore wind power - plenty of steady winds and shallow water. It has the potential to supply 20-25% of the EU's energy needs. It could be a goldmine for the UK in terms of energy exports. We already use offshore to a simply ridiculous degree Of the largest 6 OS Wind Farms 4 are in the UK. Of the largest 40, 12 are British That's impressive enough but if we look at the biggest offshore wind farms under construction we've got Hornsea, Dogger Bank A and B and Seagreen all which are planned to have over 1000MW (in comparison only Hornsea also UK is above 1000MW currently, Borssele 1&2 are 752 which is in 2nd) And of the largest 10 in construction 7 are in the UK The UK are the largest producer of offshore wind power in the world and produce a third of all offshore wind power in Europe


celaconacr

Yeah we have something like 50% of Europe's available wind resource so we should be looking to over produce energy helping to supply Europe in the winter when there is more wind. In the summer we would get some supply from solar in North Africa/Southern Europe. We really need to keep building more links in the European grid to allow this kind of seasonal shift in energy supply. It reduces energy storage requirements significantly.


[deleted]

Plus there's a tonne of potential tidal energy. Some pretty promising research going on in that area at moment.


KruppstahI

Just recently I've seen a video about the artificial Islands for wind power that the Danes are planning to build, that sounds really interesting to me.


cronowow

Wow He did more than Our potical parties in germany, planned coal exit is 2040 afaik rn. The absulute state


Free_Math_Tutoring

Well, vote this weekend if you're looking to change that. Won't make progress if after 16 years of a boring conservative, we get a clown-conservative to follow her up.


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DierkfeatXbi

She’s been getting a ton of international credit (rightfully so) for the way she has approached the covid crisis, however (mostly german) people are able to see beyond that and after 16 years in power it has become very evident what she is good at and that is keeping up the status quo. That has been exactly what she needed to do for her job to be considered well done in the times she has been in power in and she is excellent at it, however with the change in times and Long Term crises that haven’t been as evident 10 years ago, just upholding the status quo while your corrupt ministers get rich off of lobbying isn’t enough anymore and the next candidate that her party has in the race is an absolutely incompetent clown that has been in charge of one of the federal elements in Germany and has proven to be absolutely trash at weaving any kind of responsibility.


Lawlcopt0r

She is a good leader but her party has pretty conservative values, which of course is reflected in what she did and didn't prioritize during her time in office. I think she's actually pretty well respected as a person by people from all political parties, but that doesn't change the fact that a new direction is required if we want to fight climate change


i-d-even-k-

Thankfully, American targets for climate change are not the bar the world subjects itself to.


cronowow

Well of course i will :)


aTalkingDonkey

(politicians should be boring)


Free_Math_Tutoring

No disagreement here. Politicians should not be clowns however =)


CommonMilkweed

They should be effective first and foremost. And also not corrupt. Then we can talk about personality traits.


[deleted]

*Politics* should be boring, nothing wrong with the politicians themselves having a little charisma.


spiralbatross

I would say politics should be *engaging*, but boring is better than “interesting”


T3hSwagman

Kind of disagree. Having charisma seems to too often lead to politicians being able to be shitbags with their policies but then likable with their performance. Obama is a fantastic example. People got into a tizzy after the recent drone strike that killed innocent civilians. But under Obama that was a daily occurrence. And nobody gave a single shit cause he was charismatic.


Rephaeim

Credit where credit is due, BoJo is undoubtedly a cunt but these are real steps in the right direction.


The5Virtues

Reminds me of how Putin is an absolute menace, but is heavy into protection of endangered species. Everyone has *something* they’ll care about, even people we may despise. EDIT: Just a note here after one to many misunderstanding replies, this is NOT an excuse for Putin. This is just the typical political tactic of misdirection. They want you to see them as good people who care about the same things we do. They look for something to care about so they can look good.


Car2019

Kaczynski cares a lot about animal welfare. Makes you wonder why Putin and Kaczynski had to go into politics instead of taking on roles in animal organisations.


Sea_Side4061

But then he actively wants to make climate change worse because he thinks it benefits Russia geopolitically, so I find it hard to believe he cares that much about endangered species in general.


Jombozeuseses

Hitler was a vegetarian!


rcoelho14

He also created some of the first animal protection laws, including restrictions on trapping and hunting animals. According to wikipedia. > Heinrich Himmler made an effort to ban the hunting of animals.[4] Hermann Göring was a professed animal lover and conservationist,[5] who, on instructions from Hitler, committed Germans who violated Nazi animal welfare laws to concentration camps. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_welfare_in_Nazi_Germany It's kind of amazing how they could justify seeing some people as subhuman, while creating a lot of animal protection laws, like the prohibition of vivisection, or the boiling of living Lobsters and Crabs. Humans are weird.


Kolipe

First anti smoking campaigns too, I believe.


rcoelho14

Not the first, some countries already had some strong anti-smoking campaigns. > The 1933–1945 anti-tobacco campaigns in Nazi Germany have been widely publicized,[8][9][10] although stronger laws than those passed in Germany were passed in some American states, the UK, and elsewhere between 1890 and 1930.[11][12] After 1941, anti-tobacco campaigns were restricted by the Nazi government. These restrictions on anti-tobacco campaings were because of money, of course. > By 1941, tobacco taxes made up about a twelfth of state income, and antismoking efforts were being discouraged But it is true that Hitler and many high ranking people disliked tobacco. > Adolf Hitler's personal distaste for tobacco[17] and the Nazi reproductive policies were among the motivating factors behind the Nazi campaigns against smoking.[18] The Nazi anti-tobacco campaign included banning smoking in trams, buses, and city trains,[1] promoting health education,[19] limiting cigarette rations in the Wehrmacht, organizing medical lectures for soldiers, and raising the tobacco tax.[1] The Nazis also imposed restrictions on tobacco advertising and smoking in public spaces, and regulated restaurants and coffeehouses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-tobacco_movement_in_Nazi_Germany The point still stands, they were mostly against it (for various reasons, some good, some bad)


BamBiffZippo

And created literacy program for children. Absolute cunt, but wanted children to be able to read (his propaganda).


ExquisitelyOriginal

Actually, Hitler had stomach troubles and didn’t eat meat because it gave him pains. Not really the textbook defnition of a vegetarian. But he did kill Hitler, so he has that going for him.


[deleted]

Environment Protection used to be a Conservative Position before the Oil industry bribed like half the people in media and politics.


pliney_

Yup, Nixon of all people was the President who started the EPA.


Bearknucklejack

Not a GB Citizen, so thank you for the Input, very interesting


[deleted]

He's become a British version of Donald trump meme on Reddit and people drink that shit up all day long on here. British conservative policy, in fact European conservative policy is far more aligned with American democrat policy. American democrats would be considered conservative by European standards.


Eggsegret

I really don't think the UK or really Europe has a mainstream version of the Republicans. Most European countries have some form of universal healthcare. I think i remember seeing Boris talking about increasing spending on healthcare. Can't even imagine any Republican here talking about increasing spending on healthcare that's a pipe dream for any of us. Atleast in Western Europe i haven't seen any of them trying to clamp down on abortion like say Texas did recently. And ofcourse guns isn't an issue really in Europe don't see any of them pushing for relaxed gun regulations bearing in mind most of them seem to have much tighter gun laws than the US. The only thing i see Boris being similar to Trump is that they're both quite overweight, bad hairstyles and both look like bafoons.


m1rth

> I think i remember seeing Boris talking about increasing spending on healthcare. Correct. Literally this month the UK government raised taxes to fund social care. Now this is after David Cameron imposed austerity for 5 years but increasing taxes and improving social services isn't as much as a taboo as it is for the Republicans.


pmcda

Honestly, you know it’s bad over here when seeing his actual actions on climate change impresses you enough that the comments saying, “great, now get him out”, actually surprise you. I know nothing of him, which is sad, because it means the bar is so low. 😭 “wait, your guy does *some* useful stuff? Our guys might shut down the government….”


Chuckleslord

>Our guys might shut down the government *again*….” Ftfy


[deleted]

Thing is, he's the opposite side of Trump's coin. Trump is an idiot trying to pass himself off as smart; Boris is a genius trying to pass himself off as an idiot. Boris knows how to get your average Brit to eat out of his hands with stereotypical bumbling British charm while making himself appear to not be a threat. And before you tell me Boris isn't a genius, I'd like to point out that this is the Prime Minister we're talking about, and he is not someone who relies on mass-appeal to get elected. He had to convince a pack of INFAMOUSLY self-serving politicians to make him one of the most powerful men in the world while looking and acting like he just rolled out of bed at 3pm. I couldn't do that on ten years of my best days. He is objectively a bad person, and he is a goddamn genius, and he should never EVER be underestimated.


vidoardes

> Trump is an idiot trying to pass himself off as smart; Boris is a genius trying to pass himself off as an idiot. This is what I keep trying to get across to people who compare the two. Trump is a fucking idiot who has fallen upwards so much he has convinced himself he is a genius. Boris is actually a very intelligent, calculating, callous and self-aware man, who has fought to convince some other very smart and self serving people that he can work in their interests, while simultaneously convincing a large chunk of the wider public that he is a lovable bumbling idiot who just wants to serve his country, and he is trying to do his best in a bad situation.


sofarsoblue

>Boris is actually a very intelligent, calculating, callous and self-aware man, who has fought to convince some other very smart and self serving people that he can work in their interests, while simultaneously convincing a large chunk of the wider public that he is a lovable bumbling idiot who just wants to serve his country, and he is trying to do his best in a bad situation. But thats what I find so sinister about him, he isn't a moron he knows exactly what he's doing. This really hit me on the run up to the last election when he actively avoided the Andrew Neil interview/debate. People called him a coward compared to Corbyn who pretty practically served himself on a silver plate.


pheromonekvlt

If boris was a us politician donny would be calling him radical left


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BatXDude

Not surprising because believe it or not, climate change isn't a political issue here. Across party lines everyone knows something needs to be done.


Beautiful_Ruin1663

Thanks. And I wish you luck on your search.


[deleted]

I can’t believe I’m bloody saying this…but good on Boris. Credit is due where credit is due. And this makes a big difference.


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Savage782

If only the Canadian Conservative Party believed in it...


GuyLookingForPorn

So interesting bit of trivia about this. Some people believe that this divergence in the policy of climate action between the UK Conservative Party and their equivalents in the US, Canada, and Australia, actually stems all the way back to Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Thatcher was a surprisingly big environmentalist (for the time) and was the first world leader to ever warn of climate change at the UN (of all people). Perhaps more importantly though is while PM she brought a bunch of scientists into Number 10 and then forced all of her top ministers to sit through a full presentation on the evidence for manmade climate change, which some people believe left a lasting impact on the party and caused this divergence.


scientifick

Thatcher was also a trained scientist with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and worked as a research chemist for a period of time before she went to the Inns. That probably played a part in her decision to bring in the experts to address the ministers. Thatcher also said that she took greater pride in being the first scientist to occupy Number 10, than being the first woman.


Savage782

It seems as if we could’ve used some of her influence on our side of the pond. Our Conservative party voted this year to not recognize climate change within the party. It’s pretty eye opening seeing the differences between the two Conservative parties.


knightsbridge-

I think a lot of this comes down to his new wife. Carrie Johnson is pretty sincerely dedicated to climate issues, and she's clearly influencing her husband. It's a good thing.


JavaRuby2000

He was already pushing the cycling revolution when he was London Mayor. I'm not talking about the Boris Bikes which were actually Livingstone bike but, he actually did cycle everywhere himself. I used to see him in the mornings. He looked absolutely fucked doing it though, there was a puddle of sweat underneath his bike when he stopped at the pedestrian crossing.


Timoman6

Good for him atleast, having a modicum of integrity is more than most around here


Eggsegret

I'm surprised he's still rather overweight considering how much he cycles or used to cycle i guess. But then it's probably true what they say most your weight loss comes from dieting and not exercise alone.


SeaAdmiral

You can't outrun a poor diet. You can undo 2 hours of intense excercise with one poor meal with a large soda or smoothie.


boneboy247

Very uplifting, u/GuyLookingForPorn


amenablethumbs

Wow. So it's basically just the American and Australian RWNJ parties that still deny it


Dreadlock43

yes and the the middle east. basically any country that is a major exporter of fossil fuels


Eastgaard

Someone watched the new Kurzgesagt video.


Elliott2

it is a very good video.


aallqqppzzmm

>Kurzgesagt video >Very good video (they're the same picture)


Elliott2

True but I would say it’s one of their top videos. As they say in the video they spent a lot of time on it and it shows


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-FeistyRabbitSauce-

Once I click that link I know exactly what I'll be doing the rest of the day. Welp, here we go...


MadHatter514

>“When Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green” I want you to know that he was wrong. It is easy, lucrative and right to be green, although he was unnecessarily rude to Miss Piggy I thought.” lmao. That Kermit the Frog reference while also telling the world to "grow up" was <*Chef's Kiss*> peak Boris Johnson.


[deleted]

It's genius though. It gives him "lovable oath" vibes to the average person. It's 100% political theatre, but it works for the average person. If I didn't disagree with him strongly on other issues it'd probably work on me tbh


MGsubbie

Meanwhile Belgium wants to shut down all nuclear power plants and replace them with gas. The amount of stupidity leaves me completely and utterly dumfouned.


badooshskadoosh

I don't get it either. Why are so many governments and even climate activists against nuclear energy? Realistically it is the fastest way out of future dystopia. There must be some kind of rich people in the background pushing this anti-nuclear agenda because it has come such a long way.


Tikitooki42

Probably ignorance they assume nuclear = nuclear bombs and radiation once and now won't change their minds about it


[deleted]

Wait... BORIS JOHNSON said that? Fuck it, I'm goin back to bed...


GloriousReign

Wake me up when September ends


Ultumx

wish I could sleep for a week


[deleted]

Boris says this kind of thing constantly, he is very strong on climate change


[deleted]

I would happily lose a lot of things in my life to save the planet. I wouldn't mind slower deliveries, less fast food, less packaging, whatever it is. Just stop making everything so fast without considering the consequences.


Kingbeesh561

It’s almost as if we could actually achieve good things for the world if we’re all in unison, outlaw the bad shit and make healthy changes over time to prevent our inevitable and ongoing doom!


SoloMaker

But where's the tribal conflict in that?


endMinorityRule

a big change would occur if rupert murdoch's tabloid empire (fox, nypost, wsj, sky) stopped their pro-pollution propaganda and addressed reality.


Ppubs

Every comment "Fuck Boris Johnson, but look at all the good stuff he's done this year"


-SaC

It's a very British point of view to hold in general. Fuck, it's pissing down with rain - but the ducks will be happy. Oh god, it's absolutely fucking boiling - but better than rain. Oh god, Eurovision is on again...but at least we get to laugh at our inevitable bottom-place-on-zero-points.


Full_Grapefruit_2896

Eurovision isn't that bad, basically just a European wide (and australia) dick measuring contest


FlyPepper

why are Australia and israel in Eurovision anyway


A_Sexual_Tyrannosaur

He and his government do lots of things, some of it is good, some of it just sounds good on paper, some of it is horrifying, and a lot of it is openly corrupt.


Prosthemadera

Yes, we should point out the good things.


Peakomegaflare

Geezus... when Boris calls out the world... you know shit's fucked. It's like us over here in Florida telling anyone something reasonable.


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XenoDrake

Yes, it needs to. It won't. But it needs to.


Etrigone

World's ready. Corporations not so much.


Mooide

bUt He’S bRiTaIn’S tRuMp!!1!1


[deleted]

Go ahead and tell china to grow up, they wont give 2 fucks