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.

The people I know with SUVs put their conventiently recyclable stuff into the recycling and turn lights off in rooms that aren't being used and tend to believe they are doing their bit. I doubt it would cross their mind to be squaring anything about their vehicles!

'Loving all the "Oh we have an SUV, but we really really need it and we recycle our leftover lettuce so that makes it ok"

The thing with EVs, as they stand at the moment, is that they: a) don't have the best of ranges; and b) the recharging of them.

I mostly drive around the cities and towns nearest me - within 50 miles, let's say - so an EV would be fine in theory, I could have a charging point at home to charge it overnight, and a lot of car parks have charging stations now too.

However, I also have family roughly 200 miles away. Even taking out the fact that driving would necessitate at least one stop to recharge on the way, where would I charge it overnight when I was there? There is on-street parking outside their house, but no charging points in the vicinity.

I could take the train - and sometimes do - but it makes getting around when there difficult.

I'm all for EVs, when they're a little further along and a little more practicable.

As it is, I drive a 6 year old diesel (albeit not an SUV) with my VED being £30 a year, so emissions aren't actually that high. It's regularly serviced to try and keep it as efficient as possible. I also couldn't afford to buy an EV at the moment anyway, even if I needed a new car.

I think that until big corporations / governments etc start to make real visible changes, generally people won't consider the environment

I have a diesel SUV and quite frankly I don’t even think of it. I did when I first looked into buying a bigger car (which has eff all to do with status symbol btw) but then we went on our (first) long haul holiday to America. The entire two weeks we were there they were providing us with disposable plastic for everything, even cutlery and plates at breakfast, plastic cups with lids with plastic straws for the children’s drinks, and I realised I could be precious about how I lived or I could give up because a country of that size couldn’t give a fuck and that’s just one hotel amongst many. The little man can’t make a dent in that.

I will change my car next year and was considering electric.
This would work fine where I live but we do road trips to remote destinations and an electric car would be impractical.
We could still get the electric car but then we fly on holiday more.
We could get two different cars, one city one country.
There isn't always one simple answer.

What about people who have 2 cars? Or a third child? Or put their heating on high? Or use their oven a lot, or buy food with lots of packaging?

Or, you know, maybe it's not actually all women's fault and the huge companies actually produce all the waste and emissions?

I have a freelander (diesel). It’s old and battered and I’m using it until it dies (which could literally be any day since it struggles to start each morning). We live rurally and I drive through muddy fields every day.

I also have a large solar array for electricity and some of our water, buy the vast majority of our furniture pieces second hand, only eat meat three times a week, recycle like crazy, rarely buy clothes and shoes, grow loads of our own fruit and veg and have hens for eggs. We try to ensure that we eat seasonally and locally, we compost, we plant trees, we have multiple water butts to save water etc. Dh has an electric vehicle.

Keeping my car until it dies is actually way better in climate change terms than buying a new one due to the emissions created in manufacturing.

I have a large diesel car. It's not a SUV but a people carrier. I often have to get a mobility scooter in and it won't fit in a smaller car.

I have a Diesel RAV4 SUV and I love it! Sorry 🤷‍♀️ But actually it's on the ULEZ exempt list, so can't be that bad. Plus, if I had more disposable income I would love an electronic, but I can't afford it.

I drive a small suv. It’s by no means a ‘gas guzzler’; cleaner than the previous small saloon I bought, but I get that the diesel particulate is a problem. When I replace it I will do my research first.
But, having read about the issues around lithium extraction and the damage that does to the environment, and the conditions of the workers in that industry, as well as the charging issues in my part of Scotland, I am not convinced that electric cars are a silver bullet.
Better mass transportation - now that I could get behind.

@verymiddleaged

I don't think they actually sell anything in the UK that could be counted as a massive SUV. They don't even sell my mid-range suv there.

When we were in the UK had owned a small diesel suv it was because we were told diesel was better for the environment and the car met our needs.

It isn't hard to understand why people do things, because they want to and it meets their needs.

Some people will give no thought to emissions, some will give some thought and others will base their decision on it.

Most people probably try and balance out a range of issues from totally personal to global when making decisions. Likely leaning towards personal for most important.

Really? One of mine has a V12 engine, I think it qualifies as big. Or at least big enough

Once the mega rich who create a shitload of pollution (and lecture us little people about the environment) abandon their private jets, enormous mansions, long haul flights, football stadium size wardrobes, etc , I’ll consider following their example.

But like fuck am I doing the leg work for them , beyond recycling.

I read that owning a dog has the same environmental impact as 2 SUVs.

I read that owning a dog and having two children has the same environmental impact as a Victorian coal mine.

I live in London and drive a diesel SUV. I do care about climate change.

How I rationalise it:

1. We have had it for about 9 years and bought it when diesel was seen as the more environmentally friendly option
2. We use it rarely within London, we walk/cycle/use public transport wherever practical. Probably average 5 miles a week if that.
3. we are outdoorsy and do actually use the off-road capabilities (admittedly infrequently) and it’s generally great on muddy campsites, farm tracks etc.
4. I absolutely bloody love it, it’s my favourite car ever, a real workhorse, reliable and soooo comfortable. Long journeys aren’t a chore/physically painful like they used to be.

We are weighing up when to buy a new car, but it’ll probably be electric.

Why are these threads never how do people who have children and eat meat square it with themselves in terms of climate change?

I know I sound sanctimonious

I bet you aren't perfect.

@traintraveller

Why are these threads never how do people who have children and eat meat square it with themselves in terms of climate change?

Indeed. I note the op hasn’t been back to answer my question about whether or not she had kids yet.

There have been some very informed responses, I wonder if OP is going to come back to her goady thread today?

This will just become a long list of why people simply must drive em

I have a diesel Rav 4x4. It is 14 years old and I will drive it until it dies. I've never used it for the school run as my children walked to primary and caught the bus to secondary school. We live rurally and it us useful in the winter, plus it has a towbar fitted which we need.

Do I feel guilty about it? Yes, sometimes, although we bought it in good faith at the time (it was 5 years old when we bought it). We try to reduce carbon consumption in other areas of our lives, for example we replaced our boiler with an Air Source Heat Pump, we don't fly long haul unless it's to see family (FIL lives in the States and we haven't seen him for 5 years). We try to buy seasonally.

Very few of us live perfect lives. Most of us try to do what we can. I don't judge people for not having an ASHP and relying on gas or oil boilers, which are much more damaging than an ASHP, so why should I be judged for driving something that isn't as green as an electric vehicle?

I have a beast of a diesel Mitsubishi Pajero (Pajero in spanish is "wanker" which is obvioulsy not the entire reason I bought it!). The only time I really drive it is thrashing about on farm tracks etc which you need a decent off road vehicle for. I do all the school runs on foot (2.2 miles each way) and most of the food shopping on foot too.

I drive it so much less than the Ford cmax I had before as its not environmentally friendly. As its such an old vehicle, mine will run on 50/50 veg oil. Dont fly anywhere, dont give a shit about fashion, so thats how i square it away

www.sciencefocus.com/science/are-our-pets-bad-for-the-environment/

I don't own a large SUV but was given one as a hire car once. I had hired a smaller car but it was an emergency and that's all they had. Of course I was going to use it, it was an emergency.