Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

The burden of going "green" to fall on women?

35 replies

Annasgirl · 16/06/2019 12:33

I was reading a newspaper article this morning about the new zero waste eco warriors and as I read about what we all need to do I realised, as I have before, that the burden will fall on women.

Now before you all chime in and say well your problem is your DH, etc etc, surveys throughout the world have found that women do 75% of housework and think of all the wife work we all do. SO, bearing in mind we are not going to turn around the oil tanker that is the patriarchy in the next 30 years, all of the adapting to old technology and extra work that involves will fall to women and hands on men.

And as I thought more about it I realised that being a zero waste family would be difficult to achieve if you were a dual working outside the home family or a working single parent since a lot of the stuff involves added work for the person.

Now I'm not saying we should not do it, but all the worthies have ignored the fact that women will end up doing most of the heavy lifting on this - what do you all think?

OP posts:
JustAnotherWoman · 17/06/2019 09:10

Agreed, my oh is very keen Hmm but I'm the person washing the plastic before putting it in the recycling bin and the person who take the glass to the recycling point. And when we tried just having one car for a few years the burden of managing fell entirely on me which ultimately made it impossible.

MoltenLasagne · 17/06/2019 04:08

Totally agree - we cannot achieve anything without tackling this on a corporate and government level, but instead we focus on individual changes at large personal cost because the added labour is invisibilised because women do it.

Kiwiinkits · 17/06/2019 02:49

I think women feel more guilt, fear and stress about our dying world. So we are the ones driven to make change.

MIdgebabe · 16/06/2019 13:58

IN rare moments of optimism, I think that the post carbon world will be so much better for women. we need to deprecate the getting of stuff and end capitalism, so perhaps the new world order will have new values and the patriarchy ends with the capitalism it created

I am basically a pessimist

WishingILivedOnAnIsland · 16/06/2019 13:05

Agreed. I cloth nappy, shop second hand clothes and toys to reduce waste, breastfeed etc. it is all more unpaid domestic labour which no one really notices.

However, the planet is heating up and we won't last the 150 years we need to achieve equal pay etc if we destroy it....so there is that.

Original poster
Annasgirl · 16/06/2019 13:04

Yes I recycle as much as possible and take a keep cup (glass) with me to get coffee etc. But the more I read the more I think all of my recycled plastic ends up in the ocean!!!!

OP posts:
Daughterofmabel · 16/06/2019 12:57

Totaly agree. When I saw we were getting yet another recyling bin i thought hmm more work for me. If some reports are to be believed it all ends up in landfill anyway...

LarryGreysonsDoor · 16/06/2019 12:40

I agree.
I’ve switched to reusable sanitary product, now get bamboo toilet paper in paper packaging and try to buy organic fruit and veg without packaging, found palm oil free soap.

DH carries on like he’s the only person who gives a fuck and he’s done bugger all.

OhHolyJesus · 16/06/2019 12:38

That is probably true of many households but in mine I lead on the plastic, DH leads on the carbon emissions. We are both Green Party members and active in our local party.

Unfortunately the burden of research falls more on me as there are more products that that fall into my remit and I use more due to skincare and make up.

StroppyWoman · 16/06/2019 12:36

I agree. Yes, it's necessary, but as bloody usual it is one sex that will be putting the extra work in.
Although some of it can be NOT doing work, like washing things less often and not ironing because it's a waste of electricity, I guess.