People more concerned about doing their washing quickly than the environment.

[Starryskiesinthesky]

AIBU to think it is totally depressing that people arent willing to make even small changes to try and stop the environmental crisis that is here. For example, not wanting to use an eco programme on machines because it takes longer, not prepared to dry clothes outside rather than use a dryer, driving everywhere rather than walking. If people who could, made small changes, it would all add up and we might be able to halt some of the damage we are doing to the environment and childrens futures.

@LarryTheLurker

Get real. If the entire British nation vanished off the face if the Earth tomorrow it would make absolutely no difference to the planet's climate. There is no 'climate emergency', it is a fiction.

What a pity almost all the world's climate scientists (those that aren't funded by the oil industry) strongly disagree with you.

@Lalliella

A quick scan of your posting history shows you have children and have been or were thinking of going to at least Spain, Italy, Greece and Vietnam.

So stop lecturing others and look a bit closer to home.

😂👍🏻🏆

Virtue signalling like this is incredibly off putting and does little to encourage the vast majority of us who are embracing changes but just more slowly.

If someone chooses to have no children, eat only a plant based diet and never use a modern labour saving device then good on them. However the vast majority of individuals have to balance their family needs against environmental ones.

The sad reality is that until government force big companies to make fundamental changes which have a direct impact on individuals (so largely financial) then big change isn't really going to happen.

People saying to put machines on overnight - what about the fire risk?

I think it’s a lot to ask of a generation who have been screwed over in pretty much every sense.

So erm yeah…
You know how your wages aren’t liveable, housing market inaccessible, debt at an all time high and you’re paying taxes to cover other people’s pensions and NHS whilst simultaneously being told ‘not to rely’ on either being around when you’re old and need them.

…so yeah if you can just put up with all that AND carry a big weight of environmental shame too….that would be great

China emits while manufacturing all the stuff we buy over here, for us. Their emissions are to a significant extent an extension of our emissions. It’s a global problem and hiding behind borders isn’t going to help

I think that's a very good point @brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
If Britain produced all the often unnecessary stuff we currently buy from China our emissions wouldn't look so virtuous

@FlyingFlamingo

People saying to put machines on overnight - what about the fire risk?

Then do a wash in the evening and hang the washing up next day. I do that all the time.

I find it fascinating that these “small changes” have a disproportionate effect on women’s labour while the problem is caused primarily by the actions of profit mongering men.

The washing machine would wake me up if I put it on overnight as its directly under our bedroom. But would be quite unsociable in flats or terraced houses to put a washing machine on at night.

I can get my washing dry outside in a sensible time, i.e. over the course of a day (1) if its a proper sunny day outside and (2) if I get the washing hung out to dry by 8am to catch the 3 hours or so that our garden gets the sun. Putting my washing on a shorter cycle than the three hour eco wash means that I stand a chance of achieving (2); we have thus far avoided a tumble drier to deal with (1), instead drying over a heated airer indoors with a dehumidifier running to manage the damp, but we're going to lose our spare space shortly to a baby so we may end up cracking on that one shortly...

OP I completely agree with you and I'm really shocked at some of the responses on here.

It's as if people have forgotten the IPCC report "code red for humanity" that came out a couple of months ago.

We all need to do our bit, alongside big governments. There will be renewed international pledges at COP26 next month. Even China has set a net zero target and pledged to phase out coal. And as a PP said we are simply outsourcing a lot of our emissions to them.

I think that one day many of the attitudes expressed on here will be as socially unacceptable as not wearing a seatbelt or smoking. But we've clearly got a long way to go still ...

TAAT? Poor taste op. She already got a pasting on her own thread.

It's driving that pisses me off the most. My local area has become an LTN and the objections to it seem mostly to boil down to 'But I want to drive my car!' No sympathy.

I do agree though that governments need to step up more.

Have you tried not using a tumble dryer in this weather

IMO, one of the clearest levers we have is shareholder pressure. Companies like ExxonMobil are myopically focused on making money. And that's it. They're so focused on making money that they invest a shitload every year in lobbying (incentivising? Bribing?) lawmakers to make it easy on them to maintain the status quo.

When people like that are the people in charge, the only tool we have available to us is to move our money elsewhere. Anyone who has a pension plan through work can start asking awkward questions about where their monthly X%-plus-match is being invested. When a large enough proportion of shareholders complain, the corporate behemoths have no choice but to respond.

And anyone who can write can send letters to their elected representatives to communicate support for measures like consents for that renewable energy plant nearby, or for better-designed incentives to switch to lower-carbon heating and transport. Or for a more comprehensive recycling programme that captures food waste as well as garden waste. These things are all far more effective than picking on each other online!

I'm committed to not having children, so I don't lose any sleep over using the Cotton cycle, but thanks for the concern.

@Feelslikealot

Do you have children? If so, congrats. You've already cancelled out any environmental benefit you might get from using eco cycles on your washing machine.

I dont think this is a good argument because having children is so fundamental to people. I'm not saving the environment so other people can procreate as much as they want, and I'm forced to be childless. In no way am I that much of a martyr, that's ridiculous.

What I will do is have fewer children (2). And make lifestyle changes to the greatest extent that I can. Using the appropriate washing machine cycle is such a small change there's no good reason no to do it other than pure apathy.

@Lalliella

A quick scan of your posting history shows you have children and have been or were thinking of going to at least Spain, Italy, Greece and Vietnam.

So stop lecturing others and look a bit closer to home.

How TOTALLY DEPRESSING that OP can't make small changes to try to stop the environmental crisis that is here!

So if it's our recycling being sent abroad for processing which is contributing to the other countries carbon footprint should we be recycling?
What's worse? Recycling carbon or land fill? Or carbon from new shit we keep being told we need?
I do absolutely agree with the less stuff mantra though.
And would love to drive an electric car but simply can not afford 1.
On the plus side I've only flown once in the 12 years.

I don't use the eco setting and I also wash towels and bedding at 60 degrees.

I don't though wash my clothes after every single wear (except knickers and socks) like lots of people do.

People washing towels after one use and their pyjamas, trousers , tops etc are using so much water and electric. Unless an item of clothing gets stained or its very hot and you sweat a lot clothing does not need washing after one wear.

I line dry as much as I can but if it is pouring with rain I use my tumble dryer. I hate having wet washing in the house and it can take ages to dry.

I try my best in other areas and that is what people should do. I am childfree by choice, have been vegetarian for around 40 years, very very rarely fly (6 times in 40 years), only buy things when really really needed and then almost always second hand.

This!! I have no kids but I’m currently in my car and use an extra rinse on all my washes.

But did you have no kids to save the environment or because you just didn't want them? Some every selfless people do, but most aren't willing to give up a chance to have children.

Just because we have kids doesn't mean we shouldn't bother doing anything. It's even more reason to be careful about our lifestyles and consume less resources

@JuneOsborne

TAAT? Poor taste op. She already got a pasting on her own thread.

Agree. You sound rather smug OP.

I can moan. My family does 2 kids max, often just 1, I have none😁
Whoop us

Oooo look at you all perfect

Still contributing to the population.

Often the "small changes" are costly in terms of time and /or money.

Most people will tailor what changes they can that fit with their life style.some will pay extra for a more eco option, some may sacrifice time to do something more eco but essentially everyone has their own parameters about whats workable.

There is a refill shop in the next town to me. A lot of the things were at least twice as expensive than the supermarket equivalent and it would not be possible to do a full shop there. Add in the cost of fuel and parking (or train ticket) and the extra time allocated to do that trip, it doesn't work for me. If I happened to be in the town I might choose to go there but to make an extra journey when I could make one journey to the supermarket (or get a delivery) doesnt make sense.

@Feelslikealot

Do you have children? If so, congrats. You've already cancelled out any environmental benefit you might get from using eco cycles on your washing machine.

This is such a stupid argument. "Congratulations - one thing you have done will harm the environment, so it's important you don't do anything for the environment that might help!"

If the kids are already here, then they are here, not much to be done about it. But if you haven't yet put the washing on, there is something to be done about it.

This is (one of the many reasons) we are in such an environmental mess.