The Environment always seems to be about lesser evils rather than proper choices.....

[Katymac]

I want an eco fuel for my nursery - I can't really afford the capitol costs - so I can't

Is washing the grill pan after bacon more or less efficient that covering with foil and then recycling?

Reusable vs cloth (seems cut & dried but is it?)

And lastly the real question for the thread

DH has a small efficient car
I have a large people carrier used for childminding

Regularily DH is out & I end up careering around the country in the people carrier by myself

Would it be more environmentally friendly to buy a second hand Smart car to whizz arround in when it is me alone or me & DD?

We live in the country miles from shops/school and any normal stuff (lots of sugar beet & the occasional cow/sheep/pig) so not driving is not an option

bump?

Too true about the "lesser of two evils" thing.

Would there be any benefit in your DH using the people carrier, or does he drive further than you most days?

I'm very doubtful that the geater efficiency of a Smart car would off-set the embodied resources in manufacturing it. Assuming you kept the people carrier as well, that is. But I'm interested to see if anyone actually knows the real environmental costs.

And my own personal dilemma ... is it better to walk to the supermarket (which is an option for me), or drive to the farm shop/farmer's markets (which would be a 20min or so drive each week)?

Farmers market every time (plus you can nip into the supermarket on the way home for the things you couldn't get at the farmers market)

Mine only does beef (no pork lamb or chicken)

But lots of smaller shops sell local produce

I hate driving the PC with only me in it

Very good point Katymac. Maybe I should do one shopping trip per week by car and make it to somewhere "green", rather than slavishly trying to do it all on foot. Besides, I think my buggy is going to break under the weight soon!

I hope you get a better answer to your question soon.

The car thing - think I just read on another thread that a major part of a car's total emissions (was it a third?) is caused in its manufacture - so I'd say getting a small Smart car as a third car probably isn't on balance environmentally friendly even allowing for smaller fuel consumption.

Even if it already exists and I buy it second hand

I'm never really sure about the greeness of second (third/fourth) hand stuff - is it green because of reuse or does the fact the the person getting rid had to but a new one to get rid of the old one, count?

I think you should wash the grill pan rather than using foil and recycling-it takes a lot of energy to make and transport the foil.

And not buy another car.

If you would otherwise buy a new item that you instead found second hand, that is greener.

IMHO