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.

I should say I still do some things...

I eat vegan a lot, I don't drive or have kids.

But I do use planes, I buy bottled water, things in plastic.

EVs are higher carbon in production (just) if renewables aren’t used but over several years all EVs are lower carbon even if you take production into account. Best option is batteries made in Scandinavia rather than China as they use renewable energy.

I do care, but I hardly see the point of caring with what else is going on in the world.

I do my recycling, eat a lot less meat than we used to etc, have a hybrid car. But what's the point when the biggest countries in the world hardly seem to give a shit?

Yes. We aren’t perfect but it’s on my mind and I try to reduce our impact where possible. Have Ev car, grow what we can, home compost, buy less and local if possible etc. We dont buy things for the sake of it or one time use type item.

I care more than the people who litter the sides of the roads. Drove through the Midlands last week, and I have never seen so much plastic crap thrown around.

Yes I do care, I’m currently studying the subject too. I used to feel quite helpless but have the attitude of doing what I can. I litter pick locally, my kids do too and run a local group. Picking what I can helps wildlife, less flows into the rivers & sea and the crops have less litter harvested into them. I walk or cycle as opposed to drive wherever I can, getting kids on board with this too. We are going abroad this year (1st in a while) on a train instead of flying and was a conscious choice. I don’t buy pointless stuff, single use etc actively reduced mine & the families consumption, educating kids on it too. Reduced meat, buy local produce. I regularly email, write & lobby MP, companies etc. However I also have children which contributes to population which is one of many factors the planet is in such a mess. Doing what I can though.

You'd get more honest answers with a poll. Very few are going to come on here and admit they couldn't care less.

I absolutely do care. It took me a while to realise how bad it was but since have

• reduced air travel by 3/4
• drive less
• didn't have another child though wanted one
• buy second stuff all the time rather than new
• encourage my kids to consider what they buy

-planted lots of bee friendly shit/done no now may/taken down my lovely twinkly gardne lights

• bought locally grown food where possible, eat virtually no meat and hardly any dairy.
• didn't replace the tumble drier/use much less gas and electric

Hasn't impact my life much and isn't doing nearly enough but it's what I can.

Why - because I am selfish and don't want my children to live in a world of extremes of heat and crazy weather and I love tigers. 🐅

Yes, I do care and I try my best to reduce my impact. The UK generally is making a very good effort, but it's pointless when other countries with a higher carbon footprint don't seem to want to change. It scares me that those in charge really can't see (and don't seem to care) that we are destroying mankind and animalkind.

I am not (for the most part) wilfully destroying the planet, but almost everything about modern life seems unsustainable, and much of what zealots and virtue signaling folk do and preach to others doesn’t appear to me as if it will be effective.

Getting an electric car (I can’t afford to change my 17 year old car anyway) seems like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic to me.

The ‘whatabouting’ and ‘it’s all too late anyway’ are just things we tell ourselves so we don’t have to change.

We can mitigate the worst effects and ‘I still slap my wife because Burt down the road is still punching his so why should I change if he isn’t’ isn’t a good enough argument to do nothing.

I care to a certain extent but, on a global level, it's hard when you know how little (or zero) difference your own individual actions can make and, on a personal level, I don't have children and I'm nearly 40 so I don't have that instinctive, 'desperate to protect for the future' feeling that parents will have.

My good points are:
I have no children, I'm scared of flying so almost never do it and I only buy second hand/vintage for almost everything (food, household products and underwear are probably the only exceptions). Oh, and I don't eat red meat.

My bad points are:
I have a cat, I live very rurally so I drive a lot and I don't use my food waste bin because it grosses me out. I can't have an electric car because I don't have a driveway/anywhere to put the car that's not on a public footpath and I do eat chicken/fish.

I do care yes. I've done what I can easily do for as long as I can remember (minimise plastic packaging, proper recycling, keep things with life still out of landfill if possible, not excessive heating or water usage etc, we installed solar panels and battery storage a few years ago). We are adding new things and habits as we can, and have eco credentials in mind when replacing appliances etc. However, I do draw lines. We fly or travel once or twice a year and enjoy it. We drive a petrol car. If it's cold, I put the heating on. Because even if me and my family made the smallest environmental impact humanly possible I know it won't make a real difference really, and our lives are as important as anyone else's.

Yes I care. As a family we're not wasteful. We live by 'repair, reuse and recycle' as much as possible. I've been instrumental in the fight against local pollutants, like fracking and hazardous waste being dumped instead of treated, due to costs.
It all feels ultimately meaningless though. Until big corporations change their ways (plastic packaging for one) and governments really push for change, its not going to get better. People are struggling. They are going to buy whatever is cheaper and if that's plastic wrapped vegetables, who can blame them? It's needs to change from the top!

You don’t have to fly to go on holiday. That absolutely is a choice.

I care, but I don't think anything I do will make the slightest bit of difference.

Ish, I try and do my bit, vinted clothes, changed the car, buying more local stuff, more veggie, recycling, generally buying less “stuff” but then I go to work in the NHS and could cry at all the waste for things like masks, aprons, gloves, packaging and wonder why the hell I bother! Also I work hard and can’t see the point of all that if I don't to get to travel around the world which is what my heart loves and I enjoy, or what’s the point in being here If we just trudge on day in day out with no joy! 🤷‍♀️

If you are flying to go on holiday once or twice a year you are not doing everything you can easily. It is the easiest thing in the world to not fly on holiday. Holidays are not essential. It’s one of the things we do that is the most carbon heavy.

Generally I've decided in my dotage to take the "if it really mattered" path in life.

Which means fuck the environment.

Don't get me wrong, I try not to be a twat about it. But if you think I am wasting any more time or money that the bare minimum, then you've another thought coming.

Is your desire to travel more important than other peoples lives? It’s not essential and it’s possible to do lots of exciting travel without flying.

I work for the NHS and agree. I’m part of a green group to try and change things. I’d love to fly to somewhere sunny right now but I can’t now I know just how much carbon it wastes and have connected that with the impact on my fellow human beings (including in health).

If everyone reduced their carbon footprint of course it would make a difference.

We try. Solar panels and battery, both have electric cars (mines an elderly leaf), we are vegan. I'm sure we could do better in all sorts of ways, but we are trying hard.

Wasn't aware I was making an argument for you to do nothing.

I guess I'm ok with not doing it perfectly, as I as said, it's low impact compared to so many and fades into insignificance against the huge problems and polluters in the world. I've never flown more than once a year, and most years we haven't. I did last year and will again this year. I do care and know it's not great, but the op asked and we are answering honestly.

Nope. Don't give a shit and it will be sorted by some boffins anyway because there's too much money on the table for it not to be.