Would anyone be interested in trying to do one small thing each week to tackle climate change?

[riotlady]

I’ve seen a few threads on aibu recently with people panicking about climate change and I often find myself worrying about it too, especially in light of the report published today. Studies show that one of the best ways to combat anxiety is to feel like you’re doing something about the problem, so I’ve decided to challenge myself to do one small thing to reduce my impact on the planet each week. I’m wondering if anyone would like to join me? I’m thinking small actions like walking or cycling a journey when you would normally take the car, swapping shower gel for bar soap, switching to a greener energy supplier, etc. No judgement about what is and isn’t feasible for people- for example I have ME and am very fatigued, so often use my tumble drier instead of hanging things out as I just don’t have the energy. There’s no point guilting myself over that, so I might as well focus on the things that I CAN change.

I’ve just sent an email to my MP so that’s my start to this week :)

@Alaimo "Green" energy tariffs are a monumental con. Choosing one makes absolutely no difference to the way energy is actually produced. It is made "green" by the company's use of carbon credits which are, in fact, close to worthless on the open market so ripe for greenwashing. It's like my friend who thinks she is supporting 'local' food production because she buys avocados and pineapples from the farm shop. In Lancashire. In February.

One of the big problems with trying to do our bit is the level of misinformation and misunderstanding out there. The biggest thing we can all do is educate ourselves from trusted sources before jumping headlong into big or long term decisions which are actually making things worse.

Diesel is a prime example: the reason it was promoted so much before the VW scandal and subsequent demonisation is because in greenhouse gas and therefore climate change terms it is far, far, far better than petrol. The flip side was a greater impact on local air quality because of nitrous oxides emissions, but the headlong rush to switch to petrol in the last five years - never mind the proliferation of SUVs - has made the effect on climate change worse. There are few serious scientists or engineers who think that electric cars are the long term future either, which makes it baffling that there is so little momentum behind what probably will be better in the long term - hydrogen fuel cell technology - besides a few lunatic fringe efforts in Japan.

I expect most people waste more water than they realise while washing up.

@bookh

Lovely idea for a thread.

Not sure if this counts but I'm saying no to any new plastic toys. I have two daughters, both love cars, tracks and dinosaurs. eBay or second hand only for anything plastic is the new rule going forward.

I understand people want to buy them things but have asked they be second hand or books or experience type things.

I do this for myself but it is SO HARD to make other people listen to what, I think, is a relatively simple request. My Dad for instance takes the fact that I scour them internet to get what I want second hand as some kind of personal goal to come over with more and more plastic tat every time I see them. I’m really at the point where I think if nothing will stop people then there needs to be done by taxation. People are addicted to buying a piece of tat/ souvenir every time they go anywhere.

Anyway this is where I am at-

Bar deodorant- moved over a year a go and should have done.
I’m already vegetarian but I need and am resolving to make a serious effort with buying stuff with less packaging and I’m now going to rarely buy things like avocados where the footprint is so big.
I use cloth wipes and nappies although as I’ve just potty trained I don’t think I can feel good about that one much longer. The cloth wipes in particular are SO easy and a real no brained.
Rarely buy myself brand new clothes.
Just a general less consumerism approach.. in theory

Thank you for this thread.

I know we need to do more.

Every little helps - as Mr Tesco used to say.

And the cultural shift to focusing on doing our best for the future of our planet, and urging our elected representatives and the companies we give our money to do their best also is as important as the individual actions themselves.

We're quite good on the big things, we don't fly, we're vegans, we walk or cycle everywhere, especially lately. We just got rid of one of our cars. We were thinking about going carless entirely, but if not our next will be small and electric. Our new house doesn't have gas central heating and when we move we won't put it in.

But I get supermarket deliveries and all the tomatoes and apples and everything are sealed in plastic.

Too many of my work blouses are polyester.

I take baths....

And have pets. (All rescue cats but big meat eaters. At least we recycle their cat food pouches.)

I'm off to read through the thread now and get ideas.

@midgemagneto

Consumer changes are not useless They do matter and I think we can see in data that they are having effect

For example Less red meat is being eaten and whilst you might only changers meat feee 1day a week, so many other people are doing the same , so it's noticeable at a national level

Yes. Agreed.

One of the big recommendations from the climate scientists this week was

Reduce the consumption of beef and dairy products, which contribute to deforestation and a significant amount of emissions from cattle.

What is that, if not a consumer change?

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/08/09/metro/with-climate-change-getting-worse-here-are-seven-steps-experts-say-world-needs-take-right-now/?outputType=amp&twitterrimpression=true

Now pristine Greenland is going to be plundered for minerals for the components of electric vehicles and renewable energy production...

www.reuters.com/business/billionaire-backed-mining-firm-seek-electric-vehicle-metals-greenland-2021-08-09/

Digging up and laying waste to the planet for industrial scale energy and transportation isn't by any stretch of the imagination green.

@WindFlower92 that’s brilliant to have done all in one go! I’m so glad people are finding this thread helpful :)

@Otherpeoplesteens can I ask you a bit more about green energy cos I don’t really get it? I switched to a green energy tarrif with Octopus and while I understand that on a literal level, all energy runs through the same grid so the energy running my house could come from anywhere, I thought my money was funding the generation of renewable energy? From reading their website it looks like they generate a portion themselves and buy some from other renewable energy generators- is that the credits part?

@MeanderingGently

This is a brilliant thread! I am already mostly meat-free...not entirely but don't often buy it or eat it these days. Low plastic use, could be better. One of my long-term aims is to not have the car. I did it for three years but currently living out in the sticks and can't get to work without a car; however, I have changed jobs to one that is only a 10 minute drive away. No local transport sadly but once I retire the car is going....

I fervently hope that the number of people who can now work from home due to covid and thus avoiding a pointless, planet- destroying commute 5 days a week must be making a difference.

We wanted to go car less but it's just that "in an emergency" thing that's holding us back.

I had to take DH to A&E in the middle of the night recently on 111 instruction and it would have been harder without our own car.

Maybe we need to find people to share it with?

eco balls - can do a full load on a "quick wash". Saves water as well as electricty

If anyone is looking to replace cotton wool pads for acid toner etc I bought a couple of sets of these "cleansing and toning pads" last year and they're great.

I save them up in a delicates laundry bag then wash them in with the next white load.

www.mylittleecoshop.com/collections/health-beauty/products/pink-dreams-hemp-cotton-6-pack-cleansing-makeup-pads

I'm currently weighing up whether to buy a Sodastream or similar for sparkling water, or if I should get over myself and just drink plain tap and be grateful I'm not a climate refugee. (Yet)

Remember when you vote to look at who is supporting coal.

Vote for people who are for green energy, renewables.

Don't use or consume anything with palm oil.
It's the growing of palm oil that is responsible for the destruction of rainforest. It's in a huge amount of products.

Mining for lithium and rare earth metals for electric vehicles and renewable energy projects are destroying the planet just as much as coal, oil and gas extraction. We can't switch to renewables, we have to curtail industrial energy systems and resource extraction full stop. An industrial economy is incompatible with life on this planet, no matter what the full source.

@Maireas

Don't use or consume anything with palm oil. It's the growing of palm oil that is responsible for the destruction of rainforest. It's in a huge amount of products.

Yeah. That's a huge one.

It didn't used to be in everything -but seemingly now it is.

Stop eating food that has to be flown halfway across the world. Buy from local producers where possible.

@Maireas

Stop eating food that has to be flown halfway across the world. Buy from local producers where possible.

I feel like that's becoming a bit trickier since we voted to make it harder to deal with the 27 countries nearest to us.

The tomatoes in my fridge are from Morocco and the asparagus from Peru.

But tomatoes and asparagus grow here in the UK!

Point in evidence!

The tomatoes in my fridge are from Morocco and the asparagus from Peru

This has been the case for years. Nothing to do with Brexit

You're right, @PrincessNutNuts and it's getting harder.
I'm making a concerted effort to try to buy from local producers, but as you say, not an easy task.

In terms of putting pressure on large corporations, here’s a link to a campaign asking Microsoft (one of the biggest users of corporate flights) to use Teams (their own software!) for meetings

justuseteams.com/

@mustlovegin

The tomatoes in my fridge are from Morocco and the asparagus from Peru

This has been the case for years. Nothing to do with Brexit

At this time of year?

In summer I'm used to being able to buy British of a lot of things like this, or Spanish/German/Italian/French.

Stuff coming from Africa or South America instead doesn't sit well with me.

@twinkletoesimnot

But tomatoes and asparagus grow here in the UK!

Point in evidence!

Yeah, and usually the asparagus and tomatoes I buy are British in summertime.

(Or from some of our nearest neighbours.)

Not this year though.

@PrincessNutNuts
But no reason not to.

If I couldn't buy British then I would go without.

This definitely goes for meat too.

These are the kind of changes we need to make.

[quote twinkletoesimnot]@PrincessNutNuts
But no reason not to.

If I couldn't buy British then I would go without.

This definitely goes for meat too.

These are the kind of changes we need to make.[/quote]
I guess you're not buying much fruit and veg from supermarkets at the moment then.

Some great ideas!
I'm having our family reduce the amount of meat we eat, have been trying out veggie recipes which have gone down surprisingly well. Linked to that, I'm also trying to waste less, so keeping a closer eye on when things need to be used up, freezing any excess if I have enough space, and making recipes using those items while they are still useable, eg soup, stir fry etc.