AIBU: Elderly parents do not care about their impact on the environment

[Scientistathome]

My elderly parents acknowledge (in passing) that the human impact on the planet is destructive and that their family's future could be jeopardized.
However, they refuse to do anything about it. They burn gas and electricity in summer to keep warm (extra jumper? Nooo!), Will not Install solar panels (they can afford it), take unnecessary flights, ... the list goes on.
They flaty refuse to change any habits despite that they know they should and could.
I get quite mad with them!
AIBU?
I know it is their choice, not mine but it affects all of us (their grandchildren are quite disgusted with them).
Are other people's parents like this?
(I know that some parents cannot afford eco-friendly choices like solar panels)

Inevitably on my thread about climate change and making changes you're going to get dozens of replies that boil down to "unless you're a perfect child-free low consumption person then you have no grounds to mention anything about anyone else".

It's a nice little get out clause for anyone who doesn't want to make any changes to their own lives.

The solar panels thing you're unreasonable on and flights it could be either way. Taking two holidays a year, not great environmentally but not worth having a go about. Regularly taking lots of short flights when other transport options are available, I'd feel the same as you but keep my thoughts to myself.

Complaining about how awful climate change is whilst turning the heating up so they don't have to put a jumper on, YANBU to me.

Jeez, you sound insufferable. If you were my daughter I'd ramp the heating up and take a further flight just in protest

Older generation have done their bit, bought from local shops, used glass bottles, probably grew up with no central heating , had small cars.

It’s the SUV driving, fast fashion, fast food, endless packaging generation that need to rethink.

😂😂😂 Not accusing you of anything OP, but I have to say as soon as I read your post it made me chuckle as my folks would say, “So you don’t want us to spend your inheritance on flights but you don’t mind us spending money to increase the value of the property you’ll inherit?!”

YABU though. I went for dinner round my DH’s friend’s house recently and they don’t recycle. No reason I can see why not; nothing preventing them physically; we live in the same area and the council make it very easy to do so - no separating of materials even. Now that, I think, suggests they really don’t give a shit about the environment.

My parents - in their mid 60's - are the same. They live in a place that gets bush fires and every year it gets worse. However, they still take about 6 holidays a year and are always flying or driving all over the country. Live in a 3 storey 5 bedroom house and are always buying/replacing/throwing out 'stuff.' Their consumption is massive. Comments about carbon footprint are laughed off. They just don't give a stuff and are enjoying themselves while they can.

I try not to think about it and the ills of the world. And as others have said, if they cut back on everything it really wouldn't make any difference in the grand scheme of things..

My mum absolutely despises Greta Thunberg.

If they are very elderly then they spent most of their lives without central heating, without a car, not flying anywhere, not wasting things so really on balance they can probably spend their final years with the heating on and probably still have a much lower carbon foot print than you!

There you go OP. Ragwort’s mum cancels your parents out.

Now leave them alone you self righteous arse and tell your kids to shut up.

I heard a pod cast once that I believed.
A learned man gave details as to how printing letters and all reporting on paper instead of using electricity and email saves energy and that paper being left to compost properly is good for the planet. And landline old style telephones use zero electricity per call.

How many kids do you have, do you drive, you are probably worse than them.

Expecting your parents to install solar panels or not fly is way too intrusive. It's their life, not yours.

How often do you drive /replace your car? What size engine is it? How many clothes do you buy? How many children do you have?

It’s difficult when people give zero fucks when you’re stood there washing your yoghurt pots with a “every little bit helps” mentality. I was just on holiday with some American friends and they kept bringing out disposable plates which is such a small but infuriating thing to do. ( for dinner when we’re in a house with a dishwasher).

Meh, just let them enjoy the later years of their lives. I'm sore they have worked for us and likely contributed far less towards it in their younger years than you do now

The UK has over time emitted about 3% of the world total human caused CO2, with a current rate under 1%

I read somewhere that the older generation are much less likely to ‘believe’ in climate change and the thinking was that this was because they didn’t want to think they had played a part in ruining the planet so we’re prone to sticking their heads in the sand and ignoring it.

Imagine being 'disgusted' by old people wanting to keep warm and occasionally going on holidays abroad. I hope you never drive a car, go on an aeroplane, heat your house and eat imported produce because that would make you a hypocrite. Apparently the worst polluters (CO2 emissions per capita) are Canada, Australia and the US so blame those countries, not some old people.

My iL used to have the heating on about a billion degrees It felt like a sauna and wear vest and shorts indoors in the winter, but it's their house, I wouldn't tell them how they should heat it (or not) I just had to wear layers so I didn't feel like I'd pass out.
Most of theirs (and my parents) habits though were pretty thrifty - reuse, repair things, not buying new things like phones, TV etc, using public transport for most trips. My parents went on a few holidays abroad a year in their later years but then they barely travelled at all in their first 40-50 years so over a lifetime I doubt they made much impact.

I'm from a country about 3x the size of the Uk and recycling/climate change concerns is so far down the line of priorities that I know doing my bit is pointless. I honestly don't even bother.

You and your kids need to wind your necks in - your parents don’t have to live in a way you deem acceptable

I don't want solar panels either. I'm sure they have their reasons.
Probably they see their time is limited and want to get in some trips while their health still allows. Just worry about yourself.

They're elderly. They could make themselves uncomfortable by not putting the heating on when they're cold and unhappy by only travelling when it's absolutely necessary, but it won't have any impact at all on climate change.

It's global systems that need to change not two chilly pensioners.

Thanks everyone for your messages; on average, it seems that I am living in an 'eco-bubble' and not in step with Mumsnet users. And I am being unreasonable!

For the record, we did install solar panels, we try to reduce footprint (lower thermostat, less plastic use, take public transport, only 1 car, etc)

Personally, I expect less from younger generations as they have less money to pay for lifestyle changes (DS has had same phone for many years!). I feel that the burden of change should fall on older generations (including myself) as they often have more resources with which to do it.

Meh. I get where you're coming from, OP.
Most of us could do more, do better, on an individual level, to lessen our impact on climate and environment. And some don't want to. Or are not able to make it a priority, for whatever reason. And all you and your DC can do, really, is decide how you engage with your parents and their choices with integrity, and to keep up your own efforts and activism.

The thing that gets me most is that those of us who are reluctant to modify our behaviour because perhaps we feel governments of other countries should do more, or because the UK is supposedly only responsible for >2% of global CO² emissions (forgetting that we are outsourcing manufacturing of all the consumer goods we love to acquire), or perhaps because some protesters sat down in the road, or because we feel that climate science is inconclusive, or because we deserve a holiday, or some hypocrite typed a comment on a smartphone or drove a car, or because we really don't appreciate being lectured or told what to do ‐most of us, by virtue of living and participating, however 'lightly', in a western growth economy, are contributing so much more to the climate conditions which are seeing millions displaced or living in conflict and poverty right now in the global South, never mind our children and grandchildren here in Britain. Blithely saying 'nah, not for me' when so much of the world is already bearing the brunt of our convenience and preference strikes me as deranged.

Meh if I'm cold I'll put my heating on

years ago I remember old people getting hypothermia and dying from the cold because they were scared to put their heating on ,

good for your parents. The council put solar panels on my parents house they have still to see the benefits.

My parents aren't too bad in the greater scheme of things ( they are thrifty types) but my Dad outright says he doesn't care about climate change because he'll be dead before it gets really bad.I find this a bit callous when he has five grandchildren!