To ask how drivers of massive SUVs square it with themselves in terms of climate change?

[Bleepingtons]

Same goes for those who go long haul on the regular? Buy loads of cheap, disposable fashion? Etc etc? Do you just not worry about climate change?

I know I sound sanctimonious but I am genuinely baffled by people driving massive diesel SUVs like there isn't a major issue.

Come and live in rural Ireland OP, where the nearest train station is 15 miles away, bus links are pathetic and require at least a 30 minute journey to a main road, and you would see that public transport isn't an option for everyone. I drive a diesel SUV and am very glad to have it when it gets me to work (frontline medical professional in hospital 25 miles away) in the winter.
We don't fly (caravan holidays) and grow our own produce,shop in season and avoid air miles.

Everyone's circumstances are different and equally valid

I remind myself that me driving a SUV or not has absolutely zero impact on climate change. The only thing that will help is shutting down all of the factories in China that are responsible for the majority of emissions. Until that happens I'm just going to live my life, thanks.

This just isn’t true though. It makes you feel better but it isn’t true.

At least you’ve all stopped ranting about Covid now

Our 4x4 is 70 years old, I don’t feel bad driving it at all. It’s absolutely massive and suits our family really well with dogs, prams and the equipment needed for small children.

The production emissions and resources of swapping your car every three years I’m sure is much higher than the emissions of operating our old car.

@Chasingaftermidnight - me too! My husband is 6’8” and with my lo genuinely couldn't get his ridiculous legs into anything else and heavens did we try! I cried when we finally had to accept defeat and go for a ridiculous 'family suv'. I feel the judgement of others when he isn't driving and it just me and child in a car park. That said, I've just looked at my mpg and it is 52, which isn't that far off what I used to get in my old hatchback.

I think rather than demonise people that want larger cars, we need to accept that fact that there is a market (my elderly uncle got so stuck in the back of my old smaller car that we were genuinely worried they were going to have to jaws of life him out so I can see why my some people of a certain age want one) and make those cars more efficient, less wasteful of the world's resources etc.

@SeenYourArse

At least you’ve all stopped ranting about Covid now

Don't bloody start them off again.😂

Yes, you are being sanctimonious. The only thing I agree with is that people should avoid diesel cars. There are loads of reasons that SUVs are far more suitable for people. My husband is 6’3’’ and needs the headroom that our car offers. To try and squeeze into a smaller car is uncomfortable for him. We also have three kids. The world isn’t as simple as it seems. Small cars work for some but not others.

This competitive environmentalism is so exhausting. What's the point in shaming someone because they drive an SUV? Everyone's circumstances are different - someone might drive an SUV but never fly. Someone else might have been vegan all their lives, but have more than 2 children. It should be a collective effort to learn and be better, rather than constantly shaming people for not being eco enough.

@SeenYourArse

At least you’ve all stopped ranting about Covid now

Oh god. When you think of all the landfill that’s been generated by overly anxious people wiping down every surface within a two hundred metre radius with wet wipes, throwing masks away after a single use, and using four plastic LFT tests every other day when they feel a bit queasy and are convincing themselves they can see a very faint second line on tests 1 through 3, quite frankly I’m glad they’re moving on from obsessing over Covid to proselytize about SUVs instead.

I drive one because I like it

Well, I recently bought a 7 year old SUV (not a range rover or similar). It works for me and the type of journeys I do.
I don't know how people can square buying a new car every 2 years or 3 years. Even if they are greener, how much of the earth's resources is wasted in that?

What if you an SUV AND an electric car? We use our electric car for every day short haul journeys and the 4x4 for long trips such as to Scotland. Is that ok?

@Gertrudetheadelie

Yes! My husband is 6’5 and with two car seats in the back, he literally couldn’t fit in anything smaller. So then we felt we had to choose between a) owning and driving one large car or b) buying two cars, one large car for trips where we all need to fit in it and one small (possibly electric) car for trips where it’s only me and the kids. Financially, option (a) was the only one that was viable - and we felt that owning two cars when we absolutely don’t need to for any other reason would be an environmentally questionable decision too.

But like you say, I absolutely detest driving it when we aren’t all in it and make every effort not to.

Rural, one child , life long vegetarian along with husband and child. Need SUV I'm afraid but think we are doing our bit with less than replacement level reproduction. Second car is about to be replaced with electric for short journeys. SUV has lower emissions than most of the large estates we saw anyway.

@WhoIsBernieBrown

This competitive environmentalism is so exhausting. What's the point in shaming someone because they drive an SUV? Everyone's circumstances are different - someone might drive an SUV but never fly. Someone else might have been vegan all their lives, but have more than 2 children. It should be a collective effort to learn and be better, rather than constantly shaming people for not being eco enough.

Completely agree.

@AlphabetAerobics

Don’t go to the supermarket OP. I weep every time I see an avocado or bunch of asparagus in a trolley. 😭

I don't exactly weep but I am constantly amused at the people who drive these big things but can't park them between two lines, abandoned is a better word than parked for many of them.

@elbea

Our 4x4 is 70 years old, I don’t feel bad driving it at all. It’s absolutely massive and suits our family really well with dogs, prams and the equipment needed for small children.

The production emissions and resources of swapping your car every three years I’m sure is much higher than the emissions of operating our old car.

A 70 years old SUV?? Thought my 13 years old VW was getting on a bit.

People will generally find any excuse to justify their decisions - they'll say - what about the long haul flyers, the people who have diesels, the people who eat meat, the people who have kids etc and of course I don't believe the science. Who wants to give up their choices? So they will stupidly defend their bad choices indefinitely - embarrassingly they haven't learned they should shut up - they will in time - who knows whether they will change their ways - they seem pretty selfish.

@Chasingaftermidnight - us too! We considered two cars too for exactly the same logic. Especially as it is mostly me driving and not the husband but having a car just for him when he doesn't drive that much seemed much worse!

My heart just sank when we realised that he wouldn't fit into a Ford Focus but he looked almost like a normal person in a car in an SUV. If I wanted a car for sheer driving pleasure or status, I can think of plenty of alternatives!

There is some truth in the argument that we can all justify our selfish decisions though, whether that is having children or eating meat or having pets or going on a holiday or buying new clothes
or furniture etc. I just wish that all SUV drivers weren't collectively lumped into the ’selfish heartless bastards' pile quite so readily...

My husband's horrible guzzling truck is a work vehicle, so he doesn't get as much choice. He did take it second hand from his former manager rather than them buying him a new car when he was promoted, so at least it's currently keeping one vehicle going rather than replacing it for the sake of it. After all replacing a car that's less than 10 years old is never going to reduce your carbon footprint, and he does need an amount of off road ability.

But I'm sure most people just think he's a city wanker driving a pick up truck for the look of it.

When electric can cover the whole country for travel shifts and go off road and charge at REMOTE sites, carry all his kit he'd love to get one. And yes, he needs a car to access his work, but I look forward to being told he doesn't .

@JudgeJ yes! It’s a 1950s Land Rover, still going strong.

Simply by not giving a shit. I really couldn’t give a fuck what someone else thinks of my choice of vehicles, I buy them for my own enjoyment.

I remind myself that me driving a SUV or not has absolutely zero impact on climate change. The only thing that will help is shutting down all of the factories in China that are responsible for the majority of emissions. Until that happens I'm just going to live my life, thanks.

People in China have half the per capita emissions of people in the US, Canada, or Australia.
China has emitted only half the historical emissions of the US.
If we’re going to play the “Let’s Blame Country X”, let’s at least start in the right place. (Hint: global north, the West, America)

I have an MPV. I can’t park it for shit; I’d love a golf but I have 4 kids so….

China only has factories spewing out emissions because they produce all the shit we buy. So it's actually our fault.