To think you can’t be lecturing people about climate change if you fly all the time

[Stripyseagulls]

Got a sanctimonious friend on Facebook who is constantly lecturing about climate change, saving the bees etc and yet is also gloating about her 4 easyJet city breaks a year 🙄
I just don’t get how people don’t make the bloody connection!

Aibu to be irritated 😬

If it wins you up I would just unfollow her so you don't have to see her posts.

The trouble is all of us do something affecting climate change. Even the most vocal climate change activists probably still use electricity, plastic in some form, petrol- burning transport of some type. Flying abroad is one of the easiest to cut or in my opinion (and I have) but others will disagree.

YANBU this drives me crazy too.

I have a friend who bangs on the whole time about how fast fashion and plastic consumption is terrible (which it obviously is), but then drives everywhere. And I mean everywhere, literally five minutes walk down the road. Drives me crazy.

It is irritating, yes, but I guess it's still a good thing that this person is aware of some of the issues, and is raising awareness about those.

I agree with BeanBag that very few of us are completely blameless here. We could all do lots of things to improve our carbon footprint. At least this friend is making some steps in the right direction.

Prince Charles is one of the worst offenders - private planes to collect environmental awards Copenhagen and the US. A 14 strong entourage and private plane to tour South America and talk about the environment. The man who said that 'climate change was the biggest threat to mankind' then had a yearly plane hire bill of 1.1m. But according to a recent biography he finds first class on commercial 'uncomfortable'. Totally agree with you. OP

I know someone like this, flies on holiday 2/3 times a year, drives everywhere (including driving to places to go for a walk/run to appreciate nature) because it's not feasible to not drive (same area and I don't drive) moans at me for not using a bamboo toothbrush. I haven't flown anywhere in about 20 years and I walk/bus everywhere so probably have a lower carbon footprint than her. Though as a pp said, it is good she's aware and I have changed some of my habits because of what she's posted, I guess if other ppl have too, it can only be a good thing.

I’m definitely not saying I am perfect. I try not to fly but have got 1 flight later this year for a wedding. I’m also virtually vegan. It’s more the lecturing that winds me up- I never lecture anyone about their behaviours as I know I am not perfect at all. I have unfollowed her

Is your friend Emma Thompson?

@agent 😂😂😂

Getting really fed up with the competitive carbon footprint shit

If we all do something collectively be it not fly. Eat less meat plastic use. Then it’s going to help but at the end of the day it’s govt that are going to have to enforce real changes

Bickering with each other. She said he said is pathetic and pointless.

There is an environmental crisis, everyone needs to start doing something, even if that something is just one contributor. Just because you are focusing on reducing plastics, or fast fashion, doesn’t mean you are being hypocritical by flying or driving. Everyone needs to start doing something. If that is driving less, but still buying H&M, at least that is a good first step. The options aren’t carbon neutral or you are a Hypocrite. Plastics and fast fashion are bad, and anyone who can work to reduce those, is fine in my book.

People don’t have to be 100% perfect to contribute to a wider cause. Maybe look at why you feel so judgemental and mute their posts if it bothers you so much.

Like the zero waste one - "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."

Yes she's a bit silly. But hardly anyone will try to help the environment if it means that everything they do gets scrutinized and judged, while somebody making no effort gets no judgement at all.

But hardly anyone will try to help the environment if it means that everything they do gets scrutinized and judged, while somebody making no effort gets no judgement at all

I think OPs point is that no one would be scrutinising this person if she wasn't lecturing others about their choices. If she was just quietly getting on with making those small changes no one would even think to judge her for flying. But by being sanctimonious and lecturing others she is leaving herself open to accusations of hypocrisy.

If you have more than one child you can't complain about it either.

We all try to do stuff to help.but all have the right to live and enjoy our life, even if it does come across as hypercritical and until someone gets the real culprits, India ,China, us etc in board it’s a battle we are not going to win. If it winds you up so much don’t follow her

Stripyseagulls I feel your pain.I'm going to sound like a sanctimonious cow now and I fear I am, but I have to join in this thread: I have a friend who is a civil servant and her work is closely allied with reducing climate change. She is constantly flying long haul (for leisure). She flies with work too but I can see that is difficult to avoid. It wouldn't rankle so much if she wasn't always going on about climate change and simultaneously her trips. She is currently gearing up for going on a trip (non work, a charity scheme) to a very environmentally sensitive area of the world. This is supposed to be an empowering trip to upskill in fighting climate change but it's a one off trip to an area where scientists are already employed by intergovenment agencies to do monitoring. Keep getting asked for sponsorship for this and ignoring it. Another friend also a civil servant works for an environmentally focused government department and flies absolutely all the time - long haul, short haul, mini breaks, long breaks, you name it she does it (for work which I totally understand but mainly for holiday). And she also puts pressure on me to go long haul and fly - implying that I am unadventurous in not taking the kids away on big holidays- I keep quiet but it is hard to bite my lip. We are lucky because as a family we don't need to fly to see family, they are all in the UK. We haven't flown on a holiday for nine years because we decided we couldn't justify it. So we holiday in the UK and overseas but get there by train/car/car train/ferry/bus. Obviously these aren't carbon free but lower footprint. I also feel that our kids are getting an idea of how far away places are and and how to get somewhere using a variety of travel methods rather than being parachuted in via a plane which I think is a bit 'have it now', plus I hope aviation will reduce in which case getting around Europe on transport will be a useful skill. We are trying to reduce our carbon footprint in other ways too - reducing meat consumption, buy local, improving heat efficiency, recycling and other things but we still do loads of other things that are an environmental catastrophe and then have two children which is the biggest environmental disaster of all - probably should have had none or one. Also, my husband has to fly for work (he goes train for UK if he can but has to go long haul which involves flying although he does video conf as much as he can). I know there are no easy answers. And sometimes I just think, FI all, I just want to get on a flight to the Caribbean now and get some sunshine. I guess it's a very personal choice about what you do and don't do. And I do really sympathise with people whose family are spread out around the globe and obviously have to fly to see them. Not sure why I'm commenting really but just wanted to say that I do find it really emotive and it's probably better that I share it on here rather than fall out with my dear friends.

Yanbu - nut unfortunately these hypocritical, sanctimonious idiots are everywhere.
It’s one of the reasons Harry and Meghan plummeted from popularity.

Aah, thanks Smileyaxolotl1. I feel so much better about this just posting. And in fact, anyone living in the developing world struggling with typhoons, floods, whatever and just trying to keep their kids alive would think I was the biggest hypocrite ever! If they could post they would probably have some choice words to say about me!!