To ask if you make a conscious effort to reduce your carbon footprint?

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Just watching a TV programme presented by Jon Richardson and he is trying to get a few celebrities to reduce their current carbon footprint.

Do you make a conscious effort to reduce yours and if so how?

I like to be able to measure things but I can't say I know how to measure my current carbon footprint to determine the steps I need to take to work towards reducing it. Measuring it is not easy, so we just try to do the things like recycling and eating less meat without particularly knowing how much of an impact it makes?

I really try but it would help enormously if big industrial nations chipped in a bit more. We recycle what we can, I shop in charity shops and repair clothing. We run one electric car. We fly about once every three years. There's more we could do but it's a start.

I agree what I could do just feels like a drop in the ocean compared to the issue at large.

Why are we continuing to produce so much plastic that takes over 400 years to break down, why aren't we using innovation to find another way and governments to help make new rules that will make a difference.

Yes we do.

• limiting to 2 children, we currently have 1
• plant based diet
• no disposable wipes, baby, kitchen; bathroom - all cloth
• don't buy fast fashion, buy a few expensive items in year
• mostly bar or refill personal care products
• cloth nappies
• cloth period care
• food tubs and silicon covers
• husband cycles to work
• i work from home
• buying second hand pretty much everything, even white goods
• growing veg at home
• bee guardian scheme, planting for bees and insects
• refillable home cleaning products
• no excessive showering or baths
• don't use the heating where possible
• water irrigation system to reduce water usage
• no weedkillers or pesticides in our garden
• upgraded our loft insulation and would like to get a air source heat pump when funds allow
• i pay into Klima
• LED lightbulbs

Can't think of others right now but we do have 2 big diesel estates, though one is driven approx 1x per week. would love an electric car but can't afford it at the moment. we buy second hand so when 2nd hand e cars are more common and cheaper to buy 2nd hand then we will. We also fly within the UK 2-3 times a year but don't go abroad. We have a relatively large house with only 3 of us in it, but don't think to heat it above 18 or 19 degrees and always switching lights off etc. I think our cars and flights are the worst parts of our carbon footprint!

we do what we can, and do pay more for various things where we deem it to be worth it and affordable for us at the time. I had awful climate anxiety a few months ago and a low dose setraline plus "taking action" like the above has helped enormously.

oh we also started taking our UHT cartons to the tip to be recycled as our council doesnt offer roadside recycling collection for them. but I only take them if I'm already passing the tip, so no extra miles in the car.

we also started using tescos soft plastics recycling scheme, same as above, only taking stuff when I'm gong to tesco.

I really think mine is lower than so many people already.

Only 1 dc, vegetarian,

I barely ever go abroad (8 times in 43 years, once was on a coach), only in Europe, have never been long haul.

We recycle etc, our home is a good energy efficiency rating,

dh wfh full time even pre covid, in pre covid my work is pretty local and will be 2 days a week in the office once we return next month.

I don't chuck clothes away unless they are worn out and are generally careful about purchases, do buy 2nd hand and sell on fb marketplace.

Just aim to be conscious about the way we live but feel we are doing OK.

I try to avoid single use plastic, I recycle, I usually buy only things I need, buy second-hand if possible, and try to buy locally produced things if I can (except for things where eg growing in the uk would cause more issues than transporting from elsewhere). I walk or cycle when I can and rarely fly. I use reuseable sanitary pads, toothbrushes, water bottles, and facial wipes. I use an Eco-egg for most laundry.

I don't go into great depth to know my carbon footprint, but I try to do as much as I can, and teach my DC to do the same.

Like others have said, it feels like a drop in the ocean, but it's a case of doing what I can.

No. Because China and India burn a gazillion tonnes of coal a year and whether I take a car from time to time to soccer practice makes fuck all difference in the face of that.
I use an Ebike to get around but only because it's more convenient, faster and better for fitness than a car.

Oh, we also limited ourselves to 2 children not that I could have coped with more than that

I'm very active about plastic reduction though

Ours is really low anyway.

We recently switched to the sheets of washing detergent instead of bottles, so less transport (liquid is heavier) and no plastic. Dh says they wash better than the liquid !

Yes, we do.

We have made loads of choices on this basis, it's really important to me (and dh, luckily it isn't a source of disagreement).

We try. Lucky to be in a new build so rarely put the heating on. Very into charity shops and loathe plastic tat so poor DD rarely gets that sort of thing from us.

I do and encourage the kids and DH. I had to measure mine for a uni assignment in 2016 and wasn’t as bad as I feared, mainly as we hadn’t been abroad that year.

I have 4dc though, (wasn’t the plan though).
I used reusable nappies etc when little.
All were close in age so reused most stuff, bought little.
Try not to buy plastic tat, donate unused stuff.
Have put in a grey water harvesting system to the utility &cloakroom. Will extend across the home as funds allow. Waterbutts for all gardening.

Appliances used on all eco settings.

Our house is rural and heated by a stove, the logs come from a local wood DH volunteers to manage.

Eating less meat, veg comes from local farms as does the beef, chicken & lamb we eat. They are grass fed as much as possible and butcher/farmer is quite conscious of carbon footprint (soy in feed, methane etc). Eggs local. I even cycle to get it.

We walk, cycle or scoot the school run, it’s a rare day If I drive.

Husband now works locally and no longer commutes.

We recycle a lot.

I run a local litter picking group and the kids litter pick with me. I pick up most days on my dog walk. Recycle what I can.

We have planted 4 trees in our once barren garden. Planted with an effort on supporting pollinators. Don’t cut our front lawn to encourage wildlife. Compost. Have a wildlife pond. Green roof on a small part, monitoring its impact. Kids and I grow saplings annually from conkers, acorns etc and plant out what is successful. Some in the school wildlife garden, others in local copses where they fell or the wood DH volunteers in.
Choose an energy company with renewables.
Have my pension fund into greener, sustainable plans.

Our biggest commitment was to reduce travel, by plane. Going abroad every two years from several trips annually. Covid has helped that.

I also spend time emailing my MP on environmental matters, as he has an appalling record on supporting anything to support a greener future whilst consulting for firms that continue to pollute.

It seems futile but I sometimes think all the small changes can amount to bigger changes, but after picking up countless Costa cups and Lucozade bottles today from village ditches today is a futile day.