to think don't go around preaching about the fucking environment and taking time off work to go to rallies when you drink plastic fucking bottled water from the work canteen every day?

[WinterRat]

colleague is very into all this environment stuff. obviously i know there's a massive problem and the world as a whole needs to act. but this colleague goes around preaching to everyone about the damage we're doing to the environment. me because i have 4 children, my other colleague because she drives 30 minutes to get to work because buses dont run at the time she needs them, and so on. she is vegan and preaches about how her diet is great for the environment and we should all be vegan too. my issue is that every fucking morning she goes to the work canteen and buys a plastic bottle of water. she claims she cant drink tap water and gets really pissed off when we ask her about the environmental impact of all the bottles. she also seems to be off work a lot attending climate rallies, aibu to think she should just stfu about the environment. we all know theres a problem, we dont need to be preached to and its not exactly environmentally friendly to buy bottled water all the damn time. just get a water filter if you dont like the taste of tap water

She sounds tedious. Regardless of what we should be doing to save the planet you don’t need someone preaching to you at work about it, day in day out.

Single-use plastic and climate change really aren't correlated at all.

This is a common myth.

Y’know what, we need millions of people doing a few things to help instead of a few people doing things perfectly. You need to tell her, you do your bit for the environment And she does her bit. She’s a vegan? Good on her, that’s her thing. You don’t buy one use plastic items, good on you. You should tell her to sit down and stfu.

In my experience there is a lot more effort being devoted to telling others how they should change for the good of the environment as opposed to actually making personal sacrifices.

re plastic & bacteria - I have visions of bugs destroying water/gas/electric pipes! I think more work needs to be done on recycling plastic

Yes, the plastic eating bacteria requires enzymes added to the soup to eat up the plastic. I agree it will take great care to use it.
I agree that Plastic recycling should also be worked on. Right now plastic can only be down-cycled because of the nature of its chemical bonds at the molecular level. It is not fully recyclable like metals such aluminium or copper or glass which is essentially melted rock (silica).

Working on both can mean less plastic being produced and then entering oceans and landfills by being better recycled. Then the bacteria and enzyme catalysts can be used in a targeted way to clean up heavily polluted areas.
STEM investment into green and counter pollution technology is what protesters should add to their demand.

In my experience there is a lot more effort being devoted to telling others how they should change for the good of the environment as opposed to actually making personal sacrifices.

Possibly, although in this case the OP says her colleague is vegan, so presumably she has sacrificed all animal products!

www.energylivenews.com/2019/11/01/think-youre-acting-green-think-again/

A vegan diet has a much bigger impact on climate change than stopping using single-use plastic.

But leaving that aside, we should not judge other people for what they do to reduce their personal carbon footprint. But we should all we doing something.

Oh I am so sick of this. Not an excuse for being a preachy PITA and also I bet she doesn’t give a shit really.

Yes, I know it’s really hard to accept what humanity is heading for and much easier to brand people who have managed to acknowledge it as ‘preachy PITAs’ who don’t give a shit really.

But honestly, read back what you’ve written. The impending destruction of humanity isn’t an excuse, in your view, for being a preachy PITA. Can you imagine that logic being applied to anything else that threatened us on such a massive scale? (Although ironically there is nothing else that threatens us on such a massive scale!)

Yes, one plastic water bottle, train ticket and protest a day will keep Armageddon away.

Well, the OP does say her colleague is vegan too. To be honest if everyone in the West all used reusable water bottles, went vegan and took the train instead of driving, it probably would make an enormous difference!

I agree with the OP that you should practice what you preach. A bottle could be brought into work and the water filtered at home beforehand.

@Bluerussian I certainly don't preach to anyone about environment but I am becoming more conscious about plastics - we have reduced our plastics in this house, buying cans of soft drinks and refillable shower gels and soaps, buying fruit and veg not in plastic to name a few. BUT our tap water is disgusting - have tried several filters and it still tastes vile. My husband and kids add a little juice to make it bearable but I prefer plain water so I do buy bottled water but I buy the large ones and then decant it into my metal reusable bottle for days out.... hypocrite probably but at least I am doing something.

Can’t beat a bottle of Peckham Spring seriously though it does bother me when people preach any set of ideals but refuse to comment when challenged on a behaviour that clearly goes against their, usually loudly stated, stance on an issue.

what's with the swearing, x2, in the title. what does it add to the discussion.

I'm guessing she doesn't buy her veg based on what's in season so is buying imported veg from all over the world which completely offsets the marginal benefits of being vegan.

I find the swearing totally unreasonable, almost by definition; it does not come from a place of reason at all, a considered opinion. it detracts from any point that is being made because it is totally unnecessary and offensive. is this an example to children.
don't understand why there is so much of it on MN.

alex “what's with the swearing, x2, in the title. what does it add to the discussion.”

I’m not someone who swears a lot but sometimes it adds feeling, tone, emphasis etc. As per the OP title.

How many children have MN accounts?

“ is this an example to children”

I bloody hope there’s no kids on here!

I'm guessing she doesn't buy her veg based on what's in season so is buying imported veg from all over the world which completely offsets the marginal benefits of being vegan.

Actually this is completely wrong. A recent study showed that a b=vegan diet has a much lower carbon footprint, even compared with a locally sourced meat-based diet, regardless of where the plant-based foods come from.

And anyway, for all you know "she" shops seasonally & locally as much as possible too.

Alex mners love a good swear so you may need to tune out to it

Aww shit, that's me out then

is this an example to children.

It's an example of swearing. Mumsnet is for adults rather than children though so I wouldn't worry about them browsing this site and starting to swear a lot.

don't understand why there is so much of it on MN.

Quite often for emphasis. Often it's women who have just had enough and want to let rip. Honestly, if it really bothers you MN might not be the place for you. It is known for its swearing.