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 :)

Looks like you can annual payments for low carbon heating through the Renewable Heating Initiative:

renewable-heat-calculator.service.gov.uk

Low carbon heating is expensive, jumper and thermal vests are less so and enable you to turn heating down which helps

It is a very high upfront cost, it looks like you get most of it back over 7 years (this was for applications prior to October 2021, it may reduce by 10-20% if application limit reached). This was the result from the calculator:

Payments from Renewable Heating Initiative:
This would equate to
£300 per quarter
Annual payment
£1,200
Payment over 7 years*
£8,400
Payment tariff
10.92 pence/kWh

I'm going to fix drafts first, then wrap up warm.

@HasaDigaEebowai I'm gutted about the dishwasher not being better than washing up by hand, how much worse is it?

I’ve posted the pages for you. It isn’t clear cut since it depends on how you wash up and there are obviously other benefits to a dishwasher.

Personally I’m not getting rid of the dishwasher. We have an efficient model which was fairly top end and can be repaired if it breaks. Our last one lasted over 12 years and was the same type. I make sure it’s full and I chop the tablets in half. It’s staying.

Do read the book, it’s fab. “How bad are bananas”

@HasaDigaEebowai Thanks! I've heard of the book before, not read it yet. I use the quick 45 degree setting, I think it uses the smallest amount of energy. I can't get rid of mine either, it saves so much time. I tend not to tumble dry instead.

That Earth Hero app is great! Makes doing a lot seem so easy! Ticked off loads of things and now feel like I know which steps to take next to improve things more. Still can't really get round the vehicle travel at the moment - large diesel car but it's a year old (for us, not brand new) and DH absolutely does not want to get rid of it, nor can we afford to. Will try an electric car next, but that won't be for a while. I need the car to get around at the moment, but will look to public transport when travelling gets a bit easier (baby and a toddler!) Looking at energy solutions but it's all very confusing and DH is resistant! Wants cheaper bills obviously, so that might be something to look at longer term. Will these options ever get cheaper or will they always be the expensive choice?

I am so interested in this. I am starting looking in charity shops for Xmas gifts today. Going to have a completely second hand Xmas.

At some point electric cars will be the only choice . That may mean prices come down or it may mean fewer people have cars

At some point gas to home will be turned off. Again no idea what happen to those left behind

At an international level, making changes now is cheaper than doing them later
So the longer the world waits , the more likely you will be to live out your final years in poverty , the more people who will be homeless due to flooding and extreme heat and job losses caused by economic crisis of having to clear up the mess

It's all bonkers
Trains should be cheaper than planes and buses free
Electric cars should be cheaper than fossil cars
New homes with heat pumps should be cheaper than those with gas boilers

Aren't there huge problems with the batteries in electric cars though? Both issues with the raw materials to make them and disposing of them afterwards. It feels like we are just kicking the can down the road and will have given ourselves a whole load of other problems to deal with.

A few years ago diesel was subsidised because it was seen as better than petrol and now it's the demon of the piece. My husband bought a diesel car and now that's the wrong thing to do.

yes, there is a problem with materials and disposal of batteries

But best tackle that problem when we are through the emergency ... wait till it's solved and it may be irrelevant

Batteries on an electric car should last years and years anyway. Its not like they’re powered on double As. Once they are no longer effective for vehicles they can be used in solar arrays and only at the end of that second use do they need to be disposed of and most components can be recycled into new batteries.

I use bamboo toothbrushes and cotton buds. (Omfg I LOVE bamboo cotton buds. They're strong and don't bend unlike the flimsy cardboard ones we now all have to buy)
Bamboo toothbrushes can be bought online in large packs that means I pay maybe 30p per brush? Cheaper than a plastic one. Even the packaging is all recycled cardboard. Cotton buds are £1 for 300.

I realised (and was a little bit disgusted with myself) a while back that every single toothbrush I have used over the last 40 years is still sitting somewhere on the planet as trash. Same goes for cotton buds and thousands of plastic straws. My bamboo ones will be gone in three years having rotted away in a compost bin.

I take my own bags to the shops,

My kids now walk to school rather than me dropping them off.

I use loads of fresh food and hardly use processed stuff if I can help it. It takes months to get a carrier bag full of glass jars for the recycling bin.

I own a menstrual cup.

I carry metal straws in my bag.

We recycle everything we can.

My next job is to buy a compost bin.

I throw bee bombs (wildflower seeds) and create wildflower patches for the bees.

I reckon I'm doing my bit. I will not become vegan. I won't be stopping driving and buying a bike. I don't want to have to rely on public transport.
I may get to buy an electric car one day if I can afford it.

A few years ago diesel was subsidised because it was seen as better than petrol and now it's the demon of the piece. My husband bought a diesel car and now that's the wrong thing to do.

This in essence is the nub of many of the problems. There is considerable overlap between greenhouse gas emissions, local air quality, damage through extractive industries and so on, but they are no by any stretch of the imagination the same thing. I am still running my 2005 diesel car because for me climate change is a far more pressing issue than local air quality on certain days of the year and in terms of greenhouse gas emissions diesel is still far, far better than petrol. We were warned that demonising diesel would have a catastrophic effect on the climate change fight and that's exactly what has happened - vehicular CO2 emissions started rising again in the UK after a decade of falls because of the headlong rush back to petrol.

This piece with link shared below was sent to me on greenism. It is amusing and possibly half true although written in jest typical style journalism. I don’t normally agree with much said by this opinionated monitoring journalist who is noted more for entertainment than as a benchmark for common majority British public opinion and is published in a red top tabloid.

JEREMY CLARKSON Go abroad? Hah! Flying will be the new smoking… vilified

Jeremy Clarkson
21:00, 13 Aug 2021

www.thesun.co.uk/news/15863527/go-abroad-flying-vilified-carbon-neutral/

I’m getting married next week and my wedding ring arrived today! It’s beautiful, made locally with recycled gold and ethically sourced diamonds. We haven’t deliberately set out to have a super green wedding but I hate wastefulness so have avoided a lot of the stuff that only gets used once and bought lots of bits second hand. Food is local as well

I always keep boxes / Jiffy bags / bubble wrap / stiff A4 envelopes & reuse them when I’m sending things. Also, last Christmas Wilko sold recyclable wrapping paper which I was really pleased about.

I use fabric to wrap presents for family (alongside gift bags etc that we reuse until they no longer function). It is all from scraps from other projects or from things that have become damaged such as old bedding.

[quote ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia]This piece with link shared below was sent to me on greenism. It is amusing and possibly half true although written in jest typical style journalism. I don’t normally agree with much said by this opinionated monitoring journalist who is noted more for entertainment than as a benchmark for common majority British public opinion and is published in a red top tabloid.

JEREMY CLARKSON Go abroad? Hah! Flying will be the new smoking… vilified

Jeremy Clarkson
21:00, 13 Aug 2021

www.thesun.co.uk/news/15863527/go-abroad-flying-vilified-carbon-neutral/[/quote]
Jeremy is a farming hero at the moment

Week 2! I’m really busy this week as I’m getting married tomorrow (!) so my action is very small but I’ve got some smol tablets so I can refill my kitchen cleaning spray without having to buy a whole new plastic bottle.

I’ve also set up a donation to the Rainforest Foundation

Congratulations @riotlady, I hope you have a wonderful wedding tomorrow!

I haven't heard of smol tablets before, it's a clever idea. I use a bio-d concentrated multi-surface sanitiser refill and put in an old spray bottle, it's only an inch of the concentrate and the rest is water so it lasts for ages

Thank you! Sounds like the same sort of concept, simple but clever

Hope you have a great day @riotlady

People go on about climate change but don't seem to link it to overconsumption. More newer bigger shinier.
How many cars does a single family need? How many holidays? How many pairs of shoes? How many screens? How often do you change your phone? Your computer? Your car? Your furniture? Your kitchen? Your bathroom? How often do you go the the shops? And your point @EmpressWitchDoesntBurn, rural communities don't have as many choices.
@FinallyDecided ... those of us with children have a very strong incentive not to mess it up thank you.

I heard that some people have managed to run cars off vegetable oil and water...not sure how true that is. Big corps wouldn't have it though.