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 do. But I don't have Greta levels of anger about it.

I don't believe that people in power will do anything they aren't made to do that doesn't increase their power. The gains made in various human rights weren't gained through careful reflection by people in power. The health of the world will always take a back seat to the backyards of those in power.

I did not mean to cause offence, but if your views aren't in alignment with the people you are spending time with, then it makes sense to look beyond that. There are lots of people who care. I like to think that the majority do.

I care enough to make small changes but I clearly don't care enough to make big life changes, as I haven't and won't.

I don't really care. I'm not particularly invested in humanity surviving in the numbers we currently have or at all in fact. Something else will arise to fill the gap, which is fine. Species go extinct or into decline all the time. Thats okay. There is no reason for us to be here long-term. If we move into the age of the scorpion, dung beetle or molluscs its fine.

I really don't agree.

Unless big businesses and celebrities like Taylor Swift change their ways, nothing you or I do will change a thing.

I do but not enough to radically change my ways. I do the usual/basics.

paper straws make me cross.

it all feels so futile when I have to use a paper straw and celebs take 13 minute plane rides.

the amount of rubbish we generate as a family upsets me but I feel powerless to change.

I try to. Have cut down on meat and dairy. Have solar panels, air source pumps and drive an EV car. I need to cut flights. Was reading today about how if planes fly lower and create less contrails it would make a massive difference to their carbon footprint. Hope it was correct and it happens but who knows. Was in a science magazine not take a break or some fake news website .

Well I care but obviously what's the point with all the environmental damage of bombing Ukraine only to then have the environmental cost again when you rebuild

We're just a fucking shit species

This. It's sad, but I feel like I've done my bit over the years and now I feel like "what's the point". Conversely I still pick up the tiniest worm who's struggling across the pavement and 'save' him by putting him back somewhere he may stand a chance of surviving, and I help spiders ans slugs too. It's not their fault they are born being creatures we don't care about.

I do care and I've adjusted my life up to a point - I reuse and recycle as much as I possibly can, I buy as many of my clothes as possible second-hand, I donate to wildlife charities, I've made my garden as wildlife friendly as possible in terms of planting and habitats and don't use any weedkillers or pesticides, I avoid plastic packaging if there's another alternative, my use of central heating is minimal, I buy as much British grown fruit and veg as I can and I don't waste food.

I also don't drive a car, don't have any kids and don't have any pets.

On the other hand, I fly a couple of times a year, I'm not vegetarian and I fucking hate reusable period products.

I care, and I do what I can in terms of reducing my impact & donating to environmental charities.

But I can’t think too much about it, in the same way I can’t let myself think too much about the inevitability of my own death and the death of my loved ones and my child. I need to be functional day to day. I couldn’t be if I spent too much time consciously thinking about mass extinction and habitat loss and the collapse of civilisation as we know it.

I think we do but maybe we don’t and what we do we’ve been doing since before climate change was even a thing. We live in a small house. We have a driveway which is tarred (space for one car) and the rest is trees, plants and a pond - all chosen to encourage nature. A large part of flooding is due to there being no natural soakaways. Indeed in my street there is only one other house that doesn’t have the whole front garden monoblocked/slabbed etc. I am 51 and am on my 4th car in 34 years. Current one we got 6 years ago and it was 12 years old at that time. It will be run till it dies. In the 18 years my car has been in be road my sister will have had six new vehicles (3 year lease).We recycle everything even though we’re not convinced where it goes! We buy new, quality clothes and shoes which last for years. I am convinced however that sooner rather than later humans will become extinct and the earth will return to animals. No bad thing IMO.

I haven't made massive changes but the 1 thing I have done is this , I really don't like gardening but I've got worried about the bee population so last year I did something I never thought I'd do and made some borders in the back yard and put plants in . We got absolutely loads of bees so I've done a little bit to help to help with them .

I care. We buy local produce, have the most fuel efficient car without it being an EV. I would get one if they made a proper car for big families. We have solar panels, a water butt, plant things in the garden with wildlife in mind, don't fly much at all, and WFH. I'm by no means perfect but I do my best.

I find it pretty ironic that you say you care and do all of those admirable things, yet you say you have a big family - arguably the worst thing you can do for the planet.

Just to add to this - I grew up with a dad who worked in environmental protection, so even when I was a little kid in the 1980s my family was very big on things like eco-friendly gardening, green cleaning products and wildlife conservation, so that side of things is just ingrained in me anyway. Climate change obviously wasn't something that was really discussed until more recently though so that's where I've probably made more adjustments.

I care, but it's more of a 'my conscience is clear' thing rather than 'together we can change the world'.

The people and countries that can make a difference are not that bothered.

1000 private jets flew to the Superbowl. That's what we are up against.

With human selfishness and evil, I give this planet 150 years tops before it is completely uninhabitable.

Well, her kids are here now, so berating her about them isn't going to help anyone. I mean, what are you expecting her to do? Cull them?

Ultimately, everyone - EVERYONE - does things that have a significant environmental impact. That doesn't mean it's a waste of time trying to reduce it/mitigate it with other things.

I don't have any kids, so let's assume that by hating children I've carbon-offset @nighttimeforgenerals88 large family.

I don't care, don't think my actions have any significant impact

I haven't berated her - I just said I find it ironic, that's all.

Yes I care a lot and I feel really guilty if I do something that's not environmentally friendly. For example, if I buy something in single use plastic I hate it! I've made lots of life changes - don't drive, stopped flying, switched to as many eco friendly or reusable products as I can. I'm not perfect by any means but I try my best.
People say it doesn't make any difference in the grand scheme of things, but I believe it does, every little helps. If we all made small changes it would add up to a big impact.
I do think companies need to take more responsibility though rather than the individual.

Why do you refuse to recycle? If you were in my council you would get heavily fined.

It isn't exactly hard.

@lifebeginsaftercoffee By large family, I mean 3 kids. Apparently having more than two is large these days.

Like I said, I'm not perfect, but I do my best to look after the world around me.