With forest fires burning across Europe and another heatwave on the horizon, how much are you personally willing to change your lifestyle for future generations?

[Chocolatefreak]

Genuine question for discussion purposes. Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that you believe tackling climate change and environmental degradation is a shared responsibility, involving not only governments and corporations but also individuals.

With that in mind, how much would you personally be willing to change your lifestyle if it meant giving future generations, including your children and grandchildren, a better chance of living on a stable, healthy planet?

For example, would you be willing to:

a) Dramatically reduce your consumption of meat and dairy, so that more agricultural land could be used to grow food directly for people rather than feed livestock?
b) Restrict air travel and most car journeys to occasions where they are genuinely necessary?
c) Stop buying more than you need, only getting clothing, gadgets, and other consumables only when they are genuinely necessary rather than for convenience or entertainment?

If not, where would you draw the line? What changes would you consider reasonable, and which would you consider asking too much?

If I want to go to Lisbon I'll go. Even if someone on MN throws a hissy hit about it. Planes are getting less carbon intensive each year as well.

There are some places trains don't take you. I can't take a train to India. I can't take a train to Dubai. I went to America as well. I had to fly.

There's a whole world outside of Europe.

You keep asking if people vote and you seem to think individually it might be small but together it's massive! I am not sure I agree with that when there is a limit to who people can vote for and we don't have PR.

On the climate I think the focus on individuals is just really about making people feel better about themselves. I am probably not a big contributor to climate change but that's more coincidence. I don't fly much and prefer train to driving. I don't think it makes much difference what individuals do when large corporations use excessive amounts of energy.

Good phrasing, that’s exactly it we need to make considered decisions both individually and as a group (or state. Sadly most of us have no control over the actions of the state).

3.5% on commercial air flights is a huge amount when translated into number of people on flights. There’s a small number of people carrying out many flights that are causing the issue. And many flights to more local destinations could be shifted to train instead.

I have seen figures showing that the number of flights in Britain is falling so that’s a start.

People can fly as much as they want imo. And thankfully they can. All they that restricts them is their wallet, and willingness to travel.

My friend is flying it Malaysia soon with her DH. I hope they have a fabulous time.

You’re so obviously on a wind up. It’s sad that you’ve got nothing better to do.

Nature had a good try at reducing our numbers in 2020, didn’t it, or as least, the press told us that a certain virus was so deadly that there would be body bags in the street, and the whole world had to stop dead for months on end? And far from seizing the opportunity, there was this worldwide mania: “Lives Must Be Saved At All Costs”. And they were big costs. Perhaps HRH Prince Philip was right, in 1988: “if I am reincarnated, I would like to return as a deadly virus, to do something about excess population”.

Train to Scotland and then hire a car ?

I wonder how many of those flights are for business meetings that could take place virtually ? I don’t begrudge anyone a much needed holiday, or wanting to go and see a beautiful building or scenery in person, but it’s annoying that so many things in the workplace which could be done virtually are not. Include in that people having to travel to team events or for their ‘office day’.

Can't really bond together as a team on zoom.

No but we will all need to make sacrifices if we stand a chance of bringing warming down.
it’s not much of an ask.

A train journey to work isn't going to do anything

This is all absolutely true. However, it's about making considered choices. It may be that someone has family in India and flies out to visit them. Perhaps they could then avoid flying for other holidays. Travel is great, but I'm not convinced that all trips - for example a week lying in the sun at an all inclusive resort - are necessary or culturally enriching.

Incidentally, I do know someone who took a train to Japan. The man in seat 61 holidayed in Turkey last year and travelled there and back by train, so it is sometimes doable to travel a longer distance by train, and probably much more of an experience than flying there.

I have managed to visit Switzerland without needing to fly there.

And I flew there

We've been to India and then taken other foreign holidays in the year. Me going to the States and DC taking trips to Europe. Also going to the ME as a family. We go where we want to go.

The reality is that it shouldn't be "normal" to fly to far away destinations several times a year for a pittance. Its killing the planet, its killing the place you visit. So many destinations are now overrun and spoilt for the residents who actually live there. Each beautiful place becomes some sort of theme park where everyone thinks they are having a genuine cultural experience, and the reality is, its just awful for everyone, visitors and locals and the environment.

Not killing anything. Especially not the planet. Stop over reacting. If there's an issue with over demand. That's why a tourist tax is there. To help manage and deal with infrastructure. People come to London for tourism. It's fine.

@Sdmfn ypur posts are confusing me.
i appreciate that we all make choices and yours is to travel- I have quite a lot of holidays too though I’m going to start limiting my flights - but surely we can all acknowledge that flying has a direct impact on climate change?

It does. I simply don't care. I won't limit my flights on anything other than what we can afford as a family. The industry is decarbonising anyway. Whether I book or don't book the flight, it's still going to go ahead.

I already always cycle or use public transport, eat veggie and local to a degree, avoid AI and flying, and consume relatively little. I could and would do more (eg never fly) if it became a firmer social norm. I draw the line at turnips and no new clothes.

And lo and behold tonight on ITV1 i saw a campaign with celebs telling us to save water.
Fucking Covid all over again. Do as i say not as i do

The water issue has nothing to do with government net zero policy. Climate change can make water shortages worse long term because of pressures on reservoirs. But a big part of it is privatised water companies having little incentive to fix leaking pipes etc. You can blame the government for that - they should be in charge of regulating and holding them to account, but it's not part of Net Zero.

And we met the man in seat61 on that train to Turkey (we got off in Bulgaria) and he was lovely. Definitely the highlight of my trip, if not my life 😆

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jul/27/homeless-families-london-temporary-housing-air-conditioning