To ask what one thing you would ban to help the environment?

[AngryBirdsNoMore]

Following on from @GADday’s well meaning thread about disposable sanitary products being an option to phase out to help the environment - what one thing would you ban to help the environment?

Let’s not get into sanitary products again. That thread makes clear that disposable sanitary products are probably here to stay for a range of reasons…

Ill go first:

Private planes. I’m struggling to think of any reason why they’re necessary especially for short flights.

Scooters, bikes, car sharing, public transport etc are all better than jumping into your car just to go a mile or two but all I hear from people in regards to driving less is excuses. The majority of car drivers I know will drive a 5 minute walk away to a shop then moan they can't park 🙄

Plastic grass
Dogs
Social media (all that energy!)
Secret Santa
Oil companies

Thank you, yes that makes sense.

Disposable plastic cutlery and plates

paved over gardens.
wipes other than medically necessary ones.
privately owned cars in inner cities.
carnivore pets.
meat in work and school canteens.

Agree with you on all especially secret Santa. And buying for adult family members just for the sake of it. Nobody needs 5 Dove Body sets. It's just waste.

Cigarettes

Thecountessoffitz - how do you 'fucking walk'? Is that fucking and walking at the same time, or just angry walking?

Our current brand of capitalism, where those wealthy, self important, and oblivious enough can have the private planes and other trappings with impunity and utter deliberate ignorance of what their actions are doing to the planet and poorer humans.

I was going to say humans but someone beat me to it.

I'm not into banning things. Also not into finger pointing or policing individual choices which in a complex interconnected world occur within a multifaceted context. This is something that the environmental movement needs to be mindful of. Because climate change is a huge issue and we need to take rapid action to address it. We need to get governments and industry to build consideration of it into their long and short term future planning. If we have any hope of doing so we all need to be working together. Which won't happen if we waste time tutting at each other for individual choices.

China produces more CO2 per capita than the UK because the make the stuff that we import. https://ourworldindata.org/consumption-based-co2

The good people of the UK use more of the worlds resources per capita than the Chinese https://www.overshootday.org/how-many-earths-or-countries-do-we-need/

To be sustainable all Brits would have to live the lifestyle of an average someone in Chad or Jamaica.

It is our problem, we could be doing something.

Unnecessary fancy packaging. If something HAS to come in a box it should be matt brown card that can be easily recycled.

Nothing shiny/foil/glittery. And that would apply to wrapping paper too.

And I'd make public transport way chapter to use. Currently, even taking into account the cost of tax/insurance/mots/services/petrol it's still cheaper for me to drive to work than it is to get a bus and a train. How can that be right??

Ask

Lol. This is what I always think on this type of thread.

Sorry, don’t know what happened there. I am in the car #ecocriminal
It was meant to say ask ElEmEnOhPee as she is the one complaining about people not doing it.

Fucking Jet Skis! Not a huge impact I know but I spent all yesterday at a beautiful beach where the tranquility was ruined ( and water polluted by the roar of these menaces.

Building on and concreting over green space

And I'd make public transport way chapter to use. Currently, even taking into account the cost of tax/insurance/mots/services/petrol it's still cheaper for me to drive to work than it is to get a bus and a train. How can that be right??

Both cheaper and more reliable. I’m in London so if one route doesn’t work I’ve usually got an alternative but there are far too many places where it doesn’t work that way - and the frequent train cancellations, for whatever reason, are currently a bloody pain in the neck.

Ref free drinking water

Obviously, you can do the old skool pre mobile phone thing & go to a cafe, shop, gym, church, petrol station, park, cemetery & ask if you can have some free drinking water. Or find a water fountain or outside tap.

You don't need a mobile phone necessarily

Did you get anywhere?!

Toilet brushes

Ooh Bitcoin mining.

I absolutely cannot believe it is allowed

Disposable plates and cutlery
fake grass
balloons
hot tubs
bonfires
fireworks

Plastic plants, grass and general plastic gardens.

It really make me roll my eyes now I see so many new families moving into the area ripping out hedges, planted gardens and lawns replacing them with sterile plastic plants and lawns for their little darlings.

The fact hedges and plants are scientifically proven to reduce harmful emissions pollution from roads ect in the immediate and surrounding are seems lost on these people. When they complain their kids have breathing difficulties and respiratory issues.

Plants and hedges create micro climates around your home keeping it cooler in summer and help alleviate flooding. Not to mention all the biodiversity benefits they bring to nature.

Single-use plastic water bottles.