What would you ban tomorrow to address climate change / pollution?

[joggerbottom]

I would ban:

Glitter
Plastic sequins
Make up and cosmetics in plastic packaging
Toys that come with children's magazines and food boxes
Petrol vehicles
Clearing land for dairy / meat farming

I could go on but it would be a very long list!

Industrial lobbying. And Donald Trump, just for the craic.

Cheap flights

Palm oil

Hypocrites claiming they care and do all they can while travelling on a private jet.

Balloon releases.

Single use plastic

Nespresso

Instagram

Plastic toys and tat
All plastic packaging
Disposable one use products ie wipes nappies plastic tableware
Balloons
Glitter
Non electric transport
Cleaning products
Beauty products
Can probably think of many more but all of the above have a alternative that's better for the planet

Wehttam don’t believe the vegan propaganda on YouTube/nonsense Netflix documentaries etc that cherry pick crap studies - milk is super nutritious for humans, it’s full of vital nutrients. Factory farming is however very bad and should be banned. Luckily in the U.K. most dairy cows are allowed graze outside for the majority of the year which really helps as their poo adds carbon to the soil which is good for our environment. There’s also talk of adding pink algae/seaweed to their diet and tests have shown that this will cut methane emissions by 99%! Farmers in UK have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2040 - although I think they should try for much sooner than this.

All those children’s cartons and Ella’s kitchen purées.

I want to buy my child some juice in a cafe on a day out. Why is my only option a juice carton? - why can’t the cafe just serve juice from a jug?

Disposable nappies, I agree. I am 90% cloth and if it were just that bit harder to get disposables I would be 100% I’m sure.

milk is super nutritious for humans, it’s full of vital nutrients

This I struggle with. We can get those vital nutrients elsewhere and milk isn’t remotely designed for humans to drink. Many adults and children around the world don’t drink milk.

Meat/dairy/fish.

It's an inconvenient truth that nothing creates a bigger carbon footprint than having children. If people stopped at one or two then they'd be doing more for the environment than any amount of recycling, going vegan or travelling by train rather than plane. But it's hardly something that can be legislated!

And while we’re on the children point. Why vilify people who have 3 children but yet not address the problem of cultures and countries where having 8+ is normal? For a start, the Vatican need to stop their anti contraception stance which is obviously anti-women anyway but also anti-planet.

I would have a permanent hose pipe ban. There is no need for people to water their lawns and you can water pots and other plants,and wash your car, using a bucket.

I would also stop all these silly sales promotions where unnecessary items are given away eg the M&S Little Shop thing and the current Boots offer where you get a free water bottle. Companies can give money off or more of something eg the 10% extra type offers.

Ban SUVs unless they are electric/hybrid but even then they take up more room on the road, adding to congestion which in turn causes pollution. Ideally I'd like them gone full stop.

Invest a lot of money in cycle networks so that people can do journeys safely by bike that they feel they can only do by car at the moment.

Ban parking so close to schools I agree, but a lot of people live close to schools - you can't ban them from parking outside their houses although I suppose you could have a permit scheme.

Vatican need to stop their anti contraception stance which is obviously anti-women anyway but also anti-planet Totally agree with this.

Cookit humans are omnivores - milk, meat, fish are all excellent sources of nutrition for us. I’ve been vegetarian since I was a children and vegan for some time (which made me very unwell and deficient in vitamin D, B12 and iron). I’ve had to start eating a little meat since becoming pregnant and it’s cured my anaemia within weeks.

Also you can’t ban human beings eating their natural diet. We should however encourage far less consumption of these things.

without my 4x4 I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere, not to my job, not to my hospital appointments etc - I have a spinal problem, I can’t get in a “normal” height car

genuine question, not being goady, but did you look at a Honda Jazz? Both my parents have had spinal problems and both drove/drive a Honda Jazz. My mum is quite small but my dad wasn't and one of the reasons he liked the Jazz was because of the headroom. My mum likes it for the comfortable seats.

SamanthaBrique we are barely replacing our population at 1.8 children per woman in the U.K.

@Wiltshirelass2019 In the U.K. perhaps, but it'll take more than just the U.K. to save the planet!

The uk currently has 66m people - this is predicted to be 73m by 2041

the problem of cultures and countries where having 8+ is normal

I agree with you on the contraception question but I don't think a family of 8 kids in the Sudan has anywhere near the same footprint as a family of three in the USA.

Wood burning fires/log fires

I would immediately ban plastic bags from fruit and veg aisles, plastic packaging for newspaper supplements and magazines, free 'gifts' on magazines and with kids meals, etc - it all just ends up in landfill.

I would also ban all leafleting and paper advertisements that come with newspapers and magazines. Does anyone ever look at them? I just chuck it all straight in the paper recycling.

I would ban private jets, private trains, stinking great cruise ships, and any vehicle that doesn't have a particulate air filter.

I would ban SUVs - fucking horrible things blocking up all the roads and hogging more than their car parking space so if you drive a normal sized car you can barely get in/out of it with one next to you.

I would mandate all cities and towns to install cycle paths and cycle/pedestrian friendly areas, car-free centres, basically make it really hard to drive and much easier to go by foot/bike unless you have a disabled sticker.

I would ban business travel for meetings and insist that all meetings take place via video conferencing. The vast majority of business travel, as far as I can see, is a total waste of time and resources.

I would give everyone a limit of two return flights per year and only one of them can be long-haul.

@WeshMaGueule that’s very true but I think the shear arrogance of the argument makes this proposition very difficult. You are here, enjoying your life, have your hobbies, interests and experiences - what makes you so important that you have a right to be here an unborn babies don’t?

zafferana All very sensible suggestions!

Many of these suggestions don't need banning. The market would correct them if consumer behaviour changed, for instance I wouldn't buy a newspaper with multiple plastic supplements etc .

I'm not at all convinced by the argument that plastic is always bad. It is sometimes the absolute perfect material for a job. When it comes to toys, saying 'ban plastic toys' means no lego (arguably the most enduring, unbreakable and reusable toy of the last 40 years). I have plastic outdoor toys for my dc that are waterproof, won't go rotting or mouldy, have lasted 4/5 years and are still going strong.

As a pp said a lot of these will disproportionately affect the poor. Say we ban plastic packaging of fruit and veg. This would most likely lead to more waste (food could get wet so go off quicker or damaged more easily)and increase prices which would obviously be much harder on the poor already struggling. Fair enough perhaps on truly luxury items, but absolutely not acceptable on basic pain relief. Also I guess the people saying 'ban plastic bags' aren't the ones who actually have to carry their shopping home on 2 buses in the rain. My dad shops almost daily on public transport, he uses a bag for life or one of those bigger Aldi bags which is fine imho.

Social mobility, making the poor richer, investing in education, investing heavily in new technologies to replace plastics cheaply but well, improve recycling, investing in public transport. It would mean more taxes for all higher earners. Of course reduce waste and recycle.

Consumer behaviour rarely changes without a nudge. 5p plastic bags big effect far greater than telling people not to. People rail against most changes they’d be fine though as they adjust.

If they can’t adjust yes have exemptions

The airports will be rammed with flyers when the cheapest fares are there

Obviously few CEOs are going to want slower growth and profit warnings. Hard to crack