Global warming

[Disneycharacters]

If you are concerned about the planet, I assume you don't fly or own a car?

Your assumptions are correct, I am concerned about the planet and I never fly neither do I have a car.

I last caught a plane 10 years ago and I don't have a car although I can drive.

But it's irrelevant really. The impact we can have on climate change in Britain is a bit like deciding not to piss in the sea to avoid pollution.

I’m concerned about the planet, but I find in extraordinary that people latch on to cars and flying and ignore the enormous amount of damage cruise ships and massive commercial fishing trawlers do to our seas. Sea grass absorbs tons of carbon dioxide every year, it is the basis of a huge ego system. Cruise ships and trawlers do untold damage to the seabeds. As for travel companies taking holiday makers to places like Galapagos and Antarctica, damaging fragile and essential ecosystems which were never designed to be tourist attractions. Then you have pollution of waterways in numerous countries (including our own), pollution from shipping containers especially when they run aground causing oil spills, deforestation, and both wild and industrial fires all adding to the pollution mix, radioactive waste, and nuclear power plants which have gone pop, resulting in years of environmental destruction, I’d say the planet is pretty fucked anyway.

I’m concerned about the planet but am unsure as to any impact we, humans, can have on its trajectory.

I also fly regularly and drive a car every day.

Good points. I am interested in what sacrifices people are making generally.

I'm concerned about the environment and I fly but I don't drive.

I wouldn't personally regard going car-free as a "sacrifice". Owning one was an inconvenience and a source of stress. Will I find a parking space? What will break next? How much is insurance going to cost this year?

More trouble than they're worth.

I don't drive so don't have a car. I do fly but rarely.

I drive, I fly and, brace for it, have three kids. Not worried about the planet, it's seen worse.

Fly one trip every other year. I do have a car, but if I drive it must get three things done and if walkable I walk. I recycle everything I can, do not buy new clothes often, my DD will only buy Vinted or charity shops, I don’t use a hair dryer and so on. I do my bit in a small way, which if everyone did would add up. But it really is the big commercial bods that need to come into line.

Being concerned about global warming and climate change means in practise aiming to have a carbon footprint of around no more than 1 to 2 tonnes a year

UK average today is around 7 tonnes per person - down from over 11 not that long ago. World average is broadly stable for the last few years. But too high at 4 tonnes

it does not mean dictating how people use their carbon budget - although flying will make it very hard to keep in budget

eating meat and dairy is also pretty bad
spending loads on fast fashion is also pretty bad

a low carbon lifestyle is basically on average much cheaper and healthier than the western standard - although some things like heat pumps are pricy as electric is expensive - but on average you should be eating better with local seasonal veg and walking more and buying less stuff

although I am starting to veer towards getting your kicks before it all goes to shit

Here’s an interesting moral dilemma.
If you or someone are genuinely worried about climate change and pollution, do you still buy “plastic” clothes made from polyester that will end up in landfill and take hundreds of years to break down?

At the same time, many people refuse to wear fur because they see it as unethical. Yet there’s a huge contradiction here: a well-made fur coat can last for generations, be passed down, repaired, reused, and recycled, drastically reducing its overall carbon footprint. Polyester clothing, by contrast, is essentially disposable, sheds microplastics, and contributes massively to environmental damage.

So what’s the more ethical choice? Littering the planet with synthetic, non-biodegradable clothing or wearing animal skins that last decades but come with an undeniable moral cost?

Both options feel uncomfortable. Both have serious ethical implications. It raises a bigger question: are we more concerned with how things look morally, or with their actual long-term environmental impact?

This is strange

human life was not possible for much of this planets history - you have kids and are not worried as the planet has seen worse ? You are happy they might die young because of famine and war and illnesses and water shortages and heat ? Very strange

I’m concerned about the environment but have a car, fly for holidays - DH uses air travel for work and drives too.

I do what I can with things that I am willing to do! E.g local meat, farm shops etc.

Fly when necessary, limit and group driving for efficiency. Recycle, and reduce consumption (soft furnishings/clothing etc).

Really? You don’t think burning who knows how many billions of tons of fossil fuels, non-stop, for the past 200 years has had any effect on the planet’s ecosystem?

If the question is, are you worried about the planet? then the answer is no, the planet is fine. If the question is, are you worried your kids will die of starvation, illness, water shortages? then, I think the answer is that that is highly unlikely. If the question is, can you personally mitigate those highly unlikely outcomes by forgoing flights and driving? then the answer is absolutely not.

I dont care.

The amazing inventions we have made in the last 150 years mean we can access the whole planet. Absolutely nobody is going to stop using cars, mobile phones, planes, boats, trains bikes, wood burners bla bla bla to prolong the longevity of the earth. Life is for living now. Nothing lasts forever, everything dies so why are we hell bent on saving the planet. We should embrace the amazing opportunities we now have to explore, travel and experience everything our ancestors couldn't.

Yes. I am concerned about the planet & global warming/climate change.
My DH & I have one car between us (he travels long distances for work). I WFH & mostly use public transport, fly max of 4 short haul flights per year & travel by ferry for holidays.
I never buy fast fashion & only wear natural fibres (no polyester or other petrochemical fabrics) as aside from the environmental impact I find manmade fibres make me sweaty & uncomfortable. I try to buy the best clothes I can & this means I have items in my wardrobe that are over 30 years old & still in good condition.
We try really hard to eat local seasonal fruits & vegetables & avoid produce that has been flown half way around the world. Our dairy consumption is low as we don’t drink milk & we try to have veggie meals a couple of times a week. We have also reduced portion sizes to avoid food waste.
We are conscious of recycling & try to avoid as much plastic packaging as we can. We rarely buy coffee to go & have reusable cups & bottles for drinks on the go. I am an active member of our local freecycle group & have given & received dozens of items that may otherwise have ended up in landfill.
We have maximised the insulation in our home & plan to get solar panels this year.
Each thing in itself is easy to do & if everyone took a few small steps to reduce their carbon consumption then that would be a good thing for the planet & us.
Also as PPs have said, living more sustainably (consuming less) is a more budget friendly way of life too.

Polyester clothing feels a bit shit to wear anyway.

Wool is effectively a waste product these days, if you buy British wool you may well even be stopping fleeces from just being burned: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-68253397

Cotton obviously has its own issues, best to buy only organic because glyphosate has an awful effect on the people working in the cotton fields. Linen is a bit better: https://www.treehugger.com/linen-vs-cotton-5116803

Cotton and linen are more durable than synthetics though so if you buy quality they should last a long time. Obviously this costs more in the short term, but you may save in the long run.

I'm not that concerned. My view is that any warming is just the normal heating and cooling that happens to the planet. Also, every other fucker is pumping out the CO2 so mine makes no difference.

II’m not disputing anything you’re saying. I think the point I’m really trying to make is that “global warming” is about far more than just flying less or driving less.

How many people actually read every label on the toiletries, cosmetics, and skincare products they use and understand what at least most ingredients are? How many non-vegetarians who still care about the climate make sure the salmon they buy at Christmas isn’t farmed, given how unethical and environmentally damaging that industry can be? And even for vegans, fertilisers are still used to grow vegetables. It may not be manure, but from what I’ve read, many are still derived from things like shrimp and other animal by-products.

I think that for anyone who genuinely wants to be extremely ethical and environmentally conscious, it becomes almost impossible unless you make virtually everything yourself. And that’s not because people don’t care it’s because of where we currently are as a civilisation, with complex global supply chains and deeply embedded industrial systems.