To ask what you're doing to 'save the Earth'

[mrsgrimbots]

My DS6 is a really sweet boy, hugely empathic, emotional, etc... and has had a bee in his bonnet about saving the Earth since his school had a non uniform day to raise money for the Australia fire relief.

He wants me to stop using the car and god forbid if I leave it running a second longer than needs be.

Today his last words to me as he went into school were....

'mum come up with a plan today of how we can save our world. We have to do something'

So of course, I'm putting it to the mumsnet community because I need ideas I can pass off as my own later you're always full of the best ideas ... what small or big actions/sacrifices/changes have you made to 'save the world'?

How about we won't go on holiday. We won't buy birthday or any other presents. Only seasonable meals will be served. Etc etc.

Can you stop using your car? I sold mine a year ago as I don't actually need it. Walk everywhere and when I need to travel I use public transport.
Don't buy needless crap. Understand that capitalism and industrialization has led directly to overconsumption.
Cut back on meat. Even better, go vegan.
I only buy secondhand clothes for myself and my family. We do buy new underwear and shoes but only what we need.
Stop taking flights. Trains are exciting for children, especially the Eurostar if you're in the UK.

I also buy practical presents and secondhand books, my family look forward to their pile of books every Christmas! Also fun things such as board games and puzzles can be found in the charity shops and library.

Vegan, organic veg box, buy bulk or with regard to minimising plastic packaging food, household and toiletries, electric car, low buy/buy secondhand wherever possible, regifting, reuse, recycling, ecotricity for energy, turn off lights, am only allowing myself to fly short haul once a year and only if no other options. Long haul only in exceptional cases. Let garden get s bit wild, no chemicals, plant bee/wildlife friendly plants, feed birds and leave out water. Recycled loo roll/kitchen towel only. Hankies. No wetwipes. Reusable sanpro.

What else...join a local gardening co-op scheme so you and your DS can get involved in growing your own food and growing food for others. Litter picking walks are so much fun for children too.

Hankies! That's a good shout

We're a vegan family.
We reuse, recycle and buy secondhand where possible, avoiding wrapping paper and plastic tat. At Christmas we use the 'something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read' method of choosing presents.

I look forward to reading other's ideas for more we can do...

I have a car but I don’t use it often. (My family are from a remote part of northern Scotland and the nearest train station to my mother is over an hours drive) but I go to work/town etc etc on foot. I do about 10 miles a week usually!

I’m also vegan would your DS be open to eating less meat? Or having a meat free day a week?
Also plastics - soap instead of shower gels. Reusable straws, taking your own bottled drinks out not buying them out and about.
Just generally avoiding single use stuff
Never ever take internal flights

If you're near a beach take him plastic collecting

Composting.

Its positive to make new soil.

That should be I do about 10 miles a week in the car. I dread to think how many miles on foot I cover! Baring in mind I also run around 50... without all the walking. It’s addictive and means you can eat lots and lots of bread and pasta and not gain weight

Buy locally grown food and locally produced goods.

Have a look at this book, lots of little tips to make your life more sustainable.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sustainable-ish-Living-Guide-Everything/dp/147296912X

As a general rule I avoid single use items. So sanpro, sandwich bags, kitchen roll, nappies, baby wipes etc can all be replaced with reusable versions.

I also avoid packaging where possible. Sadly it's often not feasible but I do keep it in mind and avoid where I can.

I also grow a lot of veg and make my food from scratch. When I buy meat and dairy I buy local. Occasionally I cave and order pizza because I am human.

• reduce car use
• holidays in UK
• go vegetarian/vegan
• only eat seasonal fruit and veg
• don't buy anything with pointless plastic packaging
• shower less
• re-use waste water
• wash your clothes less and at a lower temperature
• switch to renewable energy supplier
• turn the heating off
• get a smart energy meter
• don't leave anything on standby overnight
• don't buy fast fashion
• buy second hand clothes and furniture
• learn how to make and repair clothes

He is worried by something and rather than dismiss it or try to make him feel silly ("we won't buy birthday presents") I think you should help him by trying to find little positive things. Suggestions:

let's always take a shopping bag so we're not buying plastic (can you help me remember? it will help the animals not to get trapped in litter and it will help the air as well because they don't have to keep making more plastic bags)

could we join a litter picking group or do a regular day of litter picking around your local neighbourhood on your own? (can you and I do this together? it will help the animals not to get hurt)

could we walk to the shops, at least sometimes (can you help me carry the bags? remember if you can't do something every time doing it sometimes will still help)

could we stop buying plastic bottles but always take our own mugs if we go out (could you help me remember?)

can we do days out without the car? (let's make it a challenge, get the map out and you can help me plan)

could we plant a bush that butterflies and insects like? (explain how this could also help the birds and the bats)

cook vegetarian/vegan food once a week/however many times you think is sustainable (can you help me think of things to cook? can we find out more about nice things that are good for the environment?)

could we find out from our local RSPB or wildlife organisation what we could do to help the birds or animals? (something like bird watching or insect counting can sometimes help them plan, maybe nesting boxes)

could we find somewhere to go on holiday (if you can afford holidays) that we don't need to fly for? (can you help me find out?)

could we plan how to get around with using the car as little as possible (let's make it a challenge and find out all about it!)

can you remind me to switch the engine off? (annoying as this may seem, it does help, and you will find it less annoying if he is doing it to please you)

could we stop drinking fizzy drinks and drink water from the tap?

could we feed the birds or plant a bush they could eat from?

could we cut down on cleaning stuff and use things that aren't so harmful? (you could help me clean)

could we sort out old things we don't need and take them to the charity shop so other people don't have to buy new things?

Take him on a litter pick in your local area

He is worried by something and rather than dismiss it or try to make him feel silly

Literally no one (OP included) has dismissed or made out he was silly :/

We never fly. That's about it. But our carbon footprint, even with our many other sins, is less than anyone who does fly.

That'll do.

Literally no one (OP included) has dismissed or made out he was silly

You didn't notice the first reply then?

You didn't notice the first reply then?

I thought that was a serious reply rather than dismissing the child

Use a green energy supplier for your electricity one that uses wind/ solar.
Get an electric car.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Get solar panels for your house or a ground source heat pump.
But ultimately all these small things householders do are never going to save the planet.
Encourage him to consider a career in the sciences or engineering where he can invent/ develop energy saving products, or something to break down plastics safely/ or replenish the hole in the ozone layer. Or involved in conservation. You could do some research on the internet.
Or he can become a politician and enact change that way.
Even if the whole of Europe gets on board with the changes Greta, et all, are advocating, consider how vast America and China are and their indifference.

Have an almost plastic free home. Recycle and compost everything I can recycle and compost. I don't drive. Don't, and won't, have children. Very very rarely fly. 99% of my clothes and homewares are preloved. I plant bee and animal friendly flowers and plants.

Lots of other bits and pieces but these are the main things I've been concentrating on over the past few years.

He's absolutely right to have 'a bee in his bonnet' as there very may well not be a world for him or his children unless everyone makes significant changes now. I suggest you adopt as many of the excellent suggestions on this thread rather than patronise him.

corythatwas has brilliant suggestions.

and he's right, turn the sodding engine off. No wonder kids are choking outside schools as the parents sit there in their SUVS with the engines running for 20 minutes.

yes, I get that you may need to drive to school as you are on the way somewhere, but there is NO reason for this. And as you're all in almost new cars, don't tell me that it won't start again.