Page 6 | What are you NOT giving up for climate change?

TheBeesKnee · 2023-08-02T21:43:42+00:00

As in, something you know would be beneficial and you actively refuse to do it. I refuse to take 4 minute showers. My showers last 15-20 minutes, 30 if I've had a really bad day. A nice hot shower relaxes me and I can't abide the thought of feeling stressed in there trying to wash before the clock runs out. To balance this out so that you don't all think I'm a terrible person, I was vegan for 10 years 🙈 Just wondering what others are clinging on to?

VinEtFromage · 03/08/2023 14:52

Cosycover · 03/08/2023 07:37

Until the large billion dollar industries stop their shite I will be giving up absolutely nothing. As its completely pointless.

@Cosycover problem is, it's a bit chicken and egg. We consume, they continue to supply. They'll keep going until we stop consuming...

NoraLuka · 03/08/2023 14:58

Driving. The nearest bus stop is about 6 miles away and buses are every 2 hours or so. I do cycle as many short journeys as possible and work from home so don’t drive much anyway, but I’m not giving my car up completely.

Jeevesnotwooster · 03/08/2023 14:58

Coffee - don't know carbon impact but probably not good
Beef - although we have it quite infrequently and are not big meat eaters as a family

Currently still driving a petrol car but it's v.low emissions and we will move to electric as soon as we can afford it

VaccineSticker · 03/08/2023 15:01

loislovesstewie · 03/08/2023 14:42

Re heat pumps, the programme said too expensive, often don't heat the home well, you need super insulation , there aren't enough qualified installers. In other words it's a cock up.

Speaking from experience- We have one and it’s brilliant. It is awesome on newer builds. Don’t believe all the rubbish they spout out on TV.
The house is much warmer now.

As with new tech, I agree that there needs to be more financial help to incentivise the uptake and transition to HP installation obviously if the house is suitable for this sort of heating system. Bigger grants can help older houses become compatible but it’s all down how much money they are willing spend to combat climate change…

We got ours installed before they got rid of the RHI scheme in England which great for us but disappointing that they stopped it. Shows how much they committed to helping the environment.

Jeevesnotwooster · 03/08/2023 15:02

loislovesstewie · 03/08/2023 14:42

Re heat pumps, the programme said too expensive, often don't heat the home well, you need super insulation , there aren't enough qualified installers. In other words it's a cock up.

I'll be interested to watch this. Mine has been brilliant. And cheaper to run than when we had gas.

Dombasle · 03/08/2023 15:02

Absolutely nothing.

MsBIobby · 03/08/2023 15:06

A thread of people with no intention of giving anything up, taking about all the things they won't give up😂

JugglingJanuary · 03/08/2023 15:09

Deloresadores · 03/08/2023 08:30

Anything to do with climate change and various childless people arrive to crow about how they don’t care.
Obviously they will manage totally alone not rely on anyone else’s children to help them as they grow old.
Why these people are on MUMSnet is beyond me.

@Deloresadores

we are talking about the things we don't & wont do to help with climate change, not elderly care needs.

I don't have children, it wasn't a choice I made.

so yes, I will rely on 'other people's children' (or the younger population as I prefer to call them, as they'll be adults in their own right by then), but so will many others who did have children.

I'm here, on MN, as are many others without children because it's not all about being a parent.

that aside, I've done more 'parenting' than a good many others on here who have their own children have, but it's not a requirement to be on MN.

I've been here practically since MN started and MN have always supported non parents being here.

VinEtFromage · 03/08/2023 15:14

loislovesstewie · 03/08/2023 08:39

Well, you are a fool if you decided not to reproduce due to climate change.

@loislovesstewie I didn't see the other thread you mentioned. I'm sorry people were so awful about your comment & driving DS to A&E. There are some horrible posts lately. How is DS now?

i think the comment of yours I quoted above wasn't very kind though, especially without any context.

Cannotthinkofanametoday · 03/08/2023 15:15

I am not changing anything I do. I have always recycled, cooked from scratch, made own clothes, cloth nappied, knitted, mended, grown food etc etc. We have a bigish car but my DH is disabled so it is vital to him. We drive everywhere as we have no choice. We buy our meat from local farms and our veg we grow or buy seasonally. I will not give up meat. Our electricity supplier is 100% renewable and I will not give up baths or showers. I

Hardbackwriter · 03/08/2023 15:22

user1471447924 · 03/08/2023 07:26

Exactly. Child free people automatically win the prize here, regardless of what else they do, eat or drive. Others just don’t like to acknowledge it. 🫣

Surely you only get to congratulate yourself on how wonderful not having children is for the environment if you actively wanted them and didn't for environmental reasons (which I think is pretty rare)? We can all congratulate ourselves on not doing things we didn't want to do anyway, and we can all therefore justify taking no further action...

stargirl1701 · 03/08/2023 15:23

Flushing toilets. I tried a composting loo once.... 🤮

VinEtFromage · 03/08/2023 15:28

loislovesstewie · 03/08/2023 14:42

Re heat pumps, the programme said too expensive, often don't heat the home well, you need super insulation , there aren't enough qualified installers. In other words it's a cock up.

@loislovesstewie

thanjs. Just the usual then & they're not wrong. They're crap enough in countries better designed for them, with U.K. housing stock 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

VinEtFromage · 03/08/2023 15:33

MsBIobby · 03/08/2023 15:06

A thread of people with no intention of giving anything up, taking about all the things they won't give up😂

@MsBIobby

have you not read the actual posts. The vast majority of posters have given up a lot/made huge changes.

it's just a light hearted thread (or supposed to be) about the things people are reluctant or unable to give up. You can't exactly shove child number 3 back where they came from!

VaccineSticker · 03/08/2023 15:34

RememberWhy · 03/08/2023 13:32

Not one for attention to detail, are you? I'm not the person with the diesel SUV. It was another poster. I was just making a point. And talk about deflection? You avoided answering my question. Funny that...

Show quote history

Hey you don’t need to get sarcastic and belittle others with your comments.
The reply was meant to be for you too, but for some reason the rest of the post didn’t show up and neither did tagging that other poster.
Anyhow, I know of the study you are referring to. You are comparing apples and oranges, living things to none living things.

A Diesel SUV is a static technology that will keep emitting carbon, however raising a human being can be done in a sustainable manner without the extreme sacrifices that many envision. Procreation is part of natural human survival.
infact, having a child has made me think even more about having a lower carbon footprint and act on it.

PToosher · 03/08/2023 15:43

I'm giving up nothing because the climate will change no matter what I do and no matter what anyone does.

loislovesstewie · 03/08/2023 15:43

@VinEtFromage ,my son is basically the best he will ever be. He's now being investigated for yet another health issue , so more trips to various places. Ah well!

FarEast · 03/08/2023 15:51

This is a fascinating thread.

I have never driven & don't have children, but I do fly on occasion, so I think that balances out.

But I'm a bit shocked at the trivial, consumerist, and damaging things some posters are adamant they won't give up.

I think that what will happen will be that gradually, almost without us noticing it, a variety of things will become extremely expensive, or scarce. And weather events (eg floods, extreme heatwaves) will stop a lot of global mobility. We won't have to actively give up anything; it just won't be available, or will be in the luxury goods category.

The boiling frog analogy.

CoffeandTiaMaria · 03/08/2023 15:58

ShoesoftheWorld · 03/08/2023 06:27

A 20-minute shower wastes a shocking amount of water, not to mention the emissions for heating and treating it. The UK is less likely than some parts of the world to find itself short of water, I guess, but showering like that does seem to me to be the very definition of unsustainable.

The thing is that at some point it won't be a choice to 'give up' these things or not. They won't be possible, or accessible because rationed (when we are sharing resources with millions of climate refugees from elsewhere) or prohibitively expensive. It's all very well saying big companies should be doing their share (and I quite agree) but governments will be legislating for individuals as well.

As a culture, we are very used to having what we want, when we want it. That'll change - we're overdrawing on resources and at some point the bank is going to freeze our account. The idea of 'won't give up this' or 'won't give up that' as if things like meat or flying are some kind of compensation for the inconveniences of life just isn't sustainable.

As an aside - 'childed people'?

I completely agree re long showers, that’s ridiculously unnecessary and wasteful.
@ShoesoftheWorld you voice my thoughts and concerns too, the ‘want it now’ mentality is something that has developed since I was young (old fogey here!), when and why? I guess there’s a big element of greed and ‘I’m all right Jack’ going on too 🫤, and stuff the consequences.

CoffeandTiaMaria · 03/08/2023 16:00

Oh, and what won’t I give up?
My car, virtually no public transport here, buying unnecessary stuff like magazines, newspapers, plastic goods as far as possible. I don’t travel far, let alone abroad, rarely eat out or have takeaways or coffees if I’m out.
i won’t give up donating to charities that I support.

Deloresadores · 03/08/2023 16:26

@VinEtFromage You knew what I meant. Some weeks I eat just vegan food all week. Is that clear? Would you like a diagram? I bet you’re a Tory.

RememberWhy · 03/08/2023 16:35

VaccineSticker · 03/08/2023 15:34

Hey you don’t need to get sarcastic and belittle others with your comments.
The reply was meant to be for you too, but for some reason the rest of the post didn’t show up and neither did tagging that other poster.
Anyhow, I know of the study you are referring to. You are comparing apples and oranges, living things to none living things.

A Diesel SUV is a static technology that will keep emitting carbon, however raising a human being can be done in a sustainable manner without the extreme sacrifices that many envision. Procreation is part of natural human survival.
infact, having a child has made me think even more about having a lower carbon footprint and act on it.

Show quote history

You say 'A Diesel SUV is a static technology that will keep emitting carbon, however raising a human being can be done in a sustainable manner without the extreme sacrifices that many envision.'

However an SUV will emit carbon for far less time than a person will contribute to its creation. And even if you compare emissions of an SUV vs a person for a year, a person will be responsible for far more. People have the biggest carbon footprint of ANYTHING in the world. So I don't agree that raising a human being can be done in a sustainable manner. Also, you say that having a diesel SUV is a choice - so is having (multiple) children.

SquirrelSoShiny · 03/08/2023 16:42

Car and tumble dryer. Everything else is negotiable but with physical disabilities both public transport and hanging out washing are beyond me.

crazeekat · 03/08/2023 16:58

Starlightstarbright2 · 02/08/2023 23:43

Literally nothing unless enforced by law . I miss plastic straws to the point I don’t buy McDonald’s milkshake - don’t have a dishwasher so reusable straws aren’t really an option .
I do recycle .. even take empty meds packets to Superdrug .
I don’t believe I make that much of a difference compared to businesseses

why do u need a dishwasher to have reusable straws?? u just wash them the same as the rest of ur dishes?

VinEtFromage · 03/08/2023 20:49

loislovesstewie · 03/08/2023 15:43

@VinEtFromage ,my son is basically the best he will ever be. He's now being investigated for yet another health issue , so more trips to various places. Ah well!

@loislovesstewie

I'm very sorry to hear that 🥲poor lad, how old is he now?

i hope you told them to go screw themselves!!

take whatever convenience you can & any pleasure for him you can xx