To ask how many of these you will do to stop global warming?

[LadyinRead]

Apparently if all indivisuals do these six things, we'll be 25% of the way to stopping global warming.
Are we doomed, then? I do most of these but (3) is impossible as appliances aren't built to last that long, and (4) would probably mean never seeing my parents again.

1. Eat a largely plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste

2. Buy no more than three new items of clothing per year. (Unlimited second-hand clothing allowed.)

1. Keep electrical products for at least seven years

1. Take no more than one short haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years

1. Get rid of personal motor vehicles

6. Make at least one life shift to nudge the system, like moving to a green energy, insulating your home or changing pension supplier

www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/07/six-key-lifestyle-changes-can-help-avert-the-climate-crisis-study-finds?fbclid=IwAR2llmcsBWVwzzdF0kzuW2tVPAnUbrMUn2hatbfIsrUQ1Awi1EI5XSe1lF0

Plant based diet. Would that be plants grown within the UK or from abroad. Thinking of the carbon footprint here.

justasking111

Plant based diet. Would that be plants grown within the UK or from abroad. Thinking of the carbon footprint here“

Good point. I like the cheap supermarkets a because they’re cheap but also because they clearly label British-grown produce with a little tractor or flag.

So we do all these tiny percentages while Jeff Arsehole throws himself up into space for the sheer fun of it, Elon Musk launches space junk that's getting in the way...

I try to be as green as I can manage in a very broken system but until governments legislate against plastic packaging, the Brazilian guy stops allowing massive forest destruction etc I might as well enjoy a holiday while I can. At least when regular folk go on holiday the aeroplane is usually full to capacity so more like a bus than a private plane for a handful of rich folk.

Ooh! Let's see

1. Eat a largely plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste

We do the last two. We do eat meat, locally grown, can see it in the field, meat.

2. Buy no more than three new items of clothing per year. (Unlimited second-hand clothing allowed.)

Been doing this for years. New shoes and underwear only.

3. Keep electrical products for at least seven years

I don't think I own anything less than 10 years old, so I am doing well there. Out telly is, at a guess, 15 years old!

4. Take no more than one short haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years

Don't go abroad.

5. Get rid of personal motor vehicles

Can't do that. We live rurally, our last bus service has just been cut and we both work all over the place.

6. Make at least one life shift to nudge the system, like moving to a green energy, insulating your home or changing pension supplier

Green energy, check for electricity - we are with Shell. Gas is gas, unfortunately and is something of a novelty as we lived with fuel oil for decades. We also live in an extremely old house and I am not sure how we would fit a heat pump installation in the space we have available!

Insulation - widnows and conservatory being done this year

Pension company - being looked t this year.

Can I feel a little bit smug now

I know someone who doesn't own a car, they travel longer distances via train or long haul flights.
They are employed as a driver

I haven't flown flown for 2 years
I will be going back to travelling short & long haul & I've never felt guilty

Motor vehicles have been around for 100+ years

I use the food waste apps & I've been vegetarian for decades

TimeForTeaAndG

So we do all these tiny percentages while Jeff Arsehole throws himself up into space for the sheer fun of it, Elon Musk launches space junk that's getting in the way...“

Better than us all not doing tiny percentages whilst Jeff Arsehole takes his vanity flights.

Just the way we’ve lived for years, mostly because we’re skinflints, tbf

Eat a largely plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste

I won’t eat plant based but I do have very little food waste

1. Buy no more than three new items of clothing per year. (Unlimited second-hand clothing allowed.)

I only buy what I need but it is more than 33 items a year. This summer I will need new t shirts, shorts and sandals as mine as several years old now and either too big or falling apart especially t shirts as I use as vests in winter.

1. Keep electrical products for at least seven years

I keep all electrical products until they stop working so could be 20 years or in the case of my last washing machine 2

1. Take no more than one short haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years

Flew short haul last year for the first time in 4 years. Will fly short haul again this years and probably again next. No plans to ever fly long haul again

1. Get rid of personal motor vehicles

NO not going to give up my car for any reason other than medically having to give up my license.

1. Make at least one life shift to nudge the system, like moving to a green energy, insulating your home or changing pension supplier

I had a survey for solar panels last week. As long as my roof is suitable and I qualify for the government scheme that provides some funding then I will go ahead with them.

I don't have children so I'm already ahead.

• I eat 80% plant based (no cow's milk)
• I am not buying fast fashion and am trying to buy natural fibres only. I'm also buying as little as possible.
• Many of my electrical products do last a good while, so that is possible. I tend to maintain things, replace batteries in phones and laptops so they last longer...
• Can't give up flying as family live abroad.
• Have never had a driver's licence but am going to get one as I'm too limited with public transport. Mostly walk everywhere.
• I use a green power provider and have reduced consumption so that my use is about 20% below average.

No way would I ever move to a plant based diet. Miserable

1. Never going to happen. We eat meat several times a week.

1. Never going to happen. I probably buy 3 a month at least as I have 2 kids but I donate outworn too charity shops/use as rags.

1. I keep most electrical products til they break anyway.

1. Never going to happen. I like going abroad.

1. Just No. I need a car and my partner needs one for work.

1. My homes already insulted?

Voluntary action is not going to save the world, and when I see references to articles like that, I think both the writers and the people who reference deserve to be taken no more seriously than young children with little grasp on reality. Sorry to be rude, but I've had a long lifetime of being irritated by this.

What people can do is be in favour of political change that forces improvements, whether people want it or not. So let's fit the list into that framework.

1. Meat manufactured in factories from cell culture is taking off, once we have that we no longer need to kill actual animals to get it, so I can support taxing meat out of existence over the next decade or two. (I've just take out a hellofresh subscription. Once we have the equivalent of chicken breast, beef/pork mince and bacon lardons, thousands of different meat-based recipes will be covered!)

1. Don't understand why clothing has to be limited, doubt it's true.

1. Most major electrical products should already be lasting more than seven years. But maybe China can be compelled to up the quality of their goods for domestic consumption, I believe they are often inferior.

1. The described way to restrict flying is the epitome of a brain-dead left-wing approach. The correct way is to have no explicit restrictions whatsover, but to tax fossil fuels used out of existence. I don't believe this will lead to huge reduction in flying, it will either lead to biofuels being used instead or maybe electric planes. (I have doubts about the technology for electric planes, but the technology to create biofuels from sunlight and air already exists, and fuel can be produced at a price premium that wouldn't even cause much a drop in flight consumption.)

1. I look forward to personal motor vehicles being replaced by driverless electric taxis, this will make economic sense even without the government mandating anything. But we should impose national road-pricing with a congestion-charging element in appropriate locations anyway, just to decongest the roads, never mind any other benefits.

1. Agree with green energy and insulating houses. The first is happening already, the second needs government action as part of a plan to get rid of gas for heating. (I think that's also in the schedule, but government isn't advertising it.)

1. Dh is vegan, so as a family we eat plant based about 75% of the time. I tried, but like a pp, I became anaemic pretty quickly, had no energy and my hair started falling out! I eat whatever my body asks me for and have vowed that I won't try to be vegan again (have tried several times with same results - definition of madness, etc). Before anyone jumps on me - very healthy diet and supplements were taken - dh thrives on the same diet, it just doesn't seem to suit me.

1. I don't buy much - not interested in clothes, wear things till they are falling apart.

1. I think we keep electrical stuff for at least 7 years, probably longer if it is still working. Only exception has been phones, but I have passed on old iPhones to my dc.

1. Will continue to travel at least once a year - usually long haul.

1. Am car dependent due to where we live - very shit public transport, cycling not safe.

1. Our house has cavity wall and loft insulation and we have really good windows, an efficient boiler, etc. Our roof isn't suitable for solar panels, but we would have done this if we could have.

So not bad on 1, 2, 3 and 6. 4 and 5 are tricker, partly through choice and partly through circumstances.

Already do 1, 2, 4 and 6. Try to do 3 but manufacturers have a lot to answer for. Getting rid of the car is the hardest as transport links aren't great where I live. Irregular buses and 25 minute walk to a train station.

Same here. Been together 34 years, we’ve had 3 washing machines (latest 2 years old), 2 dishwashers and two fridge/freezers. I’ve had one hairdryer for 28 years and my mum has one (in the shape of a duck!) in their guest room which I gave her when I was a teenager, I’m 58 now 😄

@daimbarsatemydogsbone the majority of emissions from a combustion engined vehicle come during its in-use phase. EVs have a higher impact during manufacture because they have low or no in use emissions. EVs have lower lifecycle emissions the internal combustion engines.

@MrsSkylerWhite

TimeForTeaAndG

So we do all these tiny percentages while Jeff Arsehole throws himself up into space for the sheer fun of it, Elon Musk launches space junk that's getting in the way...“

Better than us all not doing tiny percentages whilst Jeff Arsehole takes his vanity flights.

Just the way we’ve lived for years, mostly because we’re skinflints, tbf

Oh absolutely doing something is better than nothing. But when all of us little folk are doing something when the ones with the wealth to actually affect change do nothing or are actively contributing to making it worse...I won't be made to feel guilty for some of the things I don't do.

Having access to the Internet, probably costs more in carbon, than driving a car !

Due to all the resources needed in keeping the infrastructure going

1. Eat a largely plant-based diet, with healthy portions and no waste - I barely waste any food at the moment and don't eat meat every day.
2. Buy no more than three new items of clothing per year. (Unlimited second-hand clothing allowed.) - if this includes shoes I'm screwed as I get through 3 pairs of running trainers a year!
3. Keep electrical products for at least seven years - all my electrical appliances are older than this apart from my mobile and hairdryer. I only replace things when they break, I'm not big on needing new tech.
4. Take no more than one short haul flight every three years and one long haul flight every eight years - unlikely to happen although hopefully the realisation that we don't always need to be in the same room as clients & colleagues will now reduce this.
5. Get rid of personal motor vehicles - no chance, it's my freedom!
6. Make at least one life shift to nudge the system, like moving to a green energy, insulating your home or changing pension supplier - feasible I guess if i could be inclined to investigate in detail.

I'm vegetarian
I don't buy many clothes for me but do for the kids
I keep things until they break
I've never been on a plane
We have an electric car
Dh has changed his pension provider. We haven't got plans for insulation yet

Transport seems to be the main issue. Without a car a lot of people are fecked. And as a PP said upthread, it would be the end of UK camping holidays.... Which I'm assuming are replacing those long haul flights!

I think there is a lot we can do as consumers and individuals but it's unlikely many are going to give up their cars when public transport is either non-existent or unbelievably expensive. This is 100% a change that needs to come from higher up.

I'd do 1 and 6, but not with global warming as the main reason. The main reason would be animal welfare for 1 and saving money for 6.

1. Have done for along while

1. more or less

1. Yes if they are in good working order, I buy second hand when I can as well.

1. Haven't flown for years, predating the Pandemic.

1. Did this last year. Cars were second hand when we had one.

1. Green energy yes. Looking at pension/bank etc. this year.

1. I have consciously not had children, partly due to the impact on the environment.

1. No, but I buy local.
2. Nearly. Too fat to enjoy clothes shopping but watch out if I lose weight.
3. Replaced when broken.
4. I fly once every 4/5 years.
5. No. Nearest bus stop is a 45 min walk with only 2 buses a day.
6. Old listed house that we can't do much with. I have solar panels elsewhere.

I try to do my best but until governments and big business do their part it is a drop in the ocean.
People are also blinkered to the reality, my bother drives an electric car, doesn't allow his kids glitter/balloons etc. and truly believes that he is saving the planet but flies to Germany every week for his job because it pays more money.