Do you actually care about the environment?

[HamsterKebab]

I think a lot of people say they care, but do you really? Have you adjusted your life with wildlife or the climate in mind? Or does convenience come first?

Im genuinely interested in how much the general public truly cares about biodiversity loss, climate change, pollution. Does it bother you or do you just think ‘someone else will deal with it’. I’m not judging, I genuinely want to know how people honestly feel rather than what they say out loud.

Not really, no.

🍿

I used to, and now I think we're heading into a scary period of loads of wars. So what's the point if a) major wars will screw the climate no matter what we do and b)potentially end us first!

Thanks for the honesty!

I do care but find it so hard. I try to cut down on plastic but so much supermarket stuff is in plastic trays. I try to recycle absolutely as much as possible, buy clothing second hand off ebay or charity shops, don't eat much red meat, in fact hardly any, haven't flown anywhere for years. I just feel a bit despondent about it as it feels like without everyone being on the same page it's not worth bothering. Every day I walk my dogs in a lovely local country park. There have been floods recently and the amount of absolute crap, plastic etc dumped in the river that has been washed up has horrified me. I just despair at how people can be such dirty thoughtless morons and care so little. It's just depressing to be honest.

I think this is actually quite a common feeling. A bit ‘fuck it’-esque.

I do care and I do what I can. But ,I often wonder what the point is when corporations just do what they want and pop stars jet around the world a thousand times..

Yes, I feel very down about it all. I hate seeing the pictures of people in other countries in rivers that are loaded with plastic, it makes me feel sick. And stats about biodiversity, it’s horrendous.

Yes agree

Anyone who doesn’t care doesn’t understand the implications fully or has been swayed by misinformation.

I try not to worry. I do my best. I’ve made considerable changes individually. There is more I can do and I will. I engage politically as much as I can. I try and talk about it but people want to bury their head in the sand. (See ‘Don’t Look Up’). I don’t give people positive feedback if they tell me about their carbon heavy decisions. Don’t expect an ‘ooo lovely’ from me if you are flying to Amsterdam for the weekend. You’ll get a blank face and a change of subject.

I think we are an inherently stupid species despite our superior intellect. What other animal destroys its habitat?

I do, I didn't have kids for this reason.

But how do these large corporations and celebrities make their money? Us!

Boycott, write emails, put messages on social media to express your concern. We have that power. Taylor Swift would stop taking 13 min private jet rides if loads of swifties started to express concern.

Yes but only to an extent.

We have actively taken some steps, so we generally don’t fly (we did last year for first time in 11 years), and we have only had electric cars for a long time. We generate own electricity as much as possible.

But we are also struggling a bit financially at the moment and some of the principles have to go, plus agree that the political situation seems a much greater risk right now.

I’m also not sure that we aren’t meant to end up extinct on a dead planet. It’s not meant to last forever so perhaps it doesn’t really matter. I don’t actually think that as a race we deserve survival.

I do care , but when you hear that governments would rather have steel produced in China than in the Uk and how other countries carry on I realize that all the recycling in the world won't do much to help.
People also say that EV's are not the answer because of the way the batteries are mined and will need replacing every five years ( or something)
It's all very depressing tbh

Yes I do care. I consciously attempt to reduce all single use plastic where I can, reduce food miles, turned heating down at home amongst other things. Not perfect but if we all did a bit it would help.

My concern is also all environmental damage being caused by all the data centres. I can’t see us all giving up our data storage.

I do care and I have adjusted some things. E.g. taking the bus to work instead of the car even though that makes a 75 minute commute into a 120 minute commute each way. I can't pretend it was entirely for the environment though. Cost factors and age-related driving issues held just as much sway.

So yes, sort of, but could do much better.

I do care, I've cared since I was a kid. I do as much as possible to cut down on things that negatively impact the environment. I stopped buying bottled waters, I haven't taken a plane in over a decade. I WFH and do other small things that are environmentally friendly. I'm not perfect and no one can be but I figure if everyone does their little bit it will make a difference. If we all had a who gives a fuck attitude we would be even worse off.

I just want to say thank you for doing what you can and making sacrifices. I sometimes feel in the minority but I think there are more of us than I think.

No, I don't.
I think it's long beyond repair, and anything we do as individuals to try and minimise our own impact is wiped out by the likes of Coca Cola et al continuing to do what they do.
I think we're in end of days climate wise within the next few centuries, if nuclear war doesn't get us first.

Not really, no. I’m childfree through choice, so my investment in a habitable planet for future humans I didn’t choose to exist isn’t particularly high: I broadly think that those who would like their children and grandchildren to not be fighting for food ought to make greater effort than they do. But ultimately, human life isn’t precious. I don’t see the end of humanity as being some great tragedy. The planet changes. Species die out. It’s been happening for literally billions of years. And the planet itself will find its own equilibrium after we’re gone.

We actually live relatively sustainably simply because our preferred lifestyles are that way. When I see people wasting resources on keeping pet dogs and parents living in houses far bigger than they need and getting their cars out to do the school run of a mile twice a day, I’m not particularly sympathetic to their “won’t somebody think of our poor children’s futures” attitude.

They don’t. I have had EV’s for years, batteries last absolutely ages-and can be used for other things long after the car chassis is dead.
But they aren’t a carbon neutral production either, everything does some harm.

Thanks for doing what you can. A ‘fuck it’ attitude can be alluring so good on you for resisting.

I do care about it in a not buying too much stuff , recycling , electric car, using public transport, solar panel way but not in a reducing my many foreign holidays way.

I did but it seems so irreversible now and noone in power is doing anything that matters. So it is something that exists in the back of my mind.

To some extent yes. I make the changes that I can ie I walk much more that I did, buy the better version of something (more ethical or sustainable or better made), I buy second hand clothes and shoes, second hand toys etc for DS, I work for a company that is a BCorp etc.

But, I do have to put finances first. I can't always afford the most environmentally friendly thing.

Plus it feels quite disheartening knowing that it won't make much difference.