Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Discussion on living for a better and more responsible future
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lancashire lass
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Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by lancashire lass »

As everyone probably knows, climate change is something I've really seriously looked into ranging from the causes to the possible solutions and how I, as an individual, can do my "bit". Recently there seems to have been a sudden increase in the media on the topic, but I can't help feeling there's a risk of overload.

I watched Panarama on BBC 1 last night and felt somewhat disappointed. It was about a family of 4 doing a 2 week challenge switching products (to low carbon food/electric car) or change habits (walking/public transport instead of car) to see how much they could cut their carbon footprint and what they thought about the alternates that were offered. Alongside the challenge, experts pointed out the various sources of everyone's carbon footprint such as heating ... and then pointed out that the cost of making those changes to low carbon were more likely to be out of most people's reach anyway. And they seemed keen to let everyone know about the bug burger )loo(

If someone like me can start feeling turned off about climate change, what do others think?
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Mo
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by Mo »

It's all so big, and needs political will.
Everyone can always point to someone who has a bigger carbon footprint. I can't think that anything will change. So although I try not to waste (no new clothes for years), don't take foreign holidays, I also use the car to go to dance clubs, choir etc,

What would it be like if everyone really believed in it and voted to take the kind of action that was necessary. Would we even use electricity posting on DTL?
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lancashire lass
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by lancashire lass »

Mo wrote:Would we even use electricity posting on DTL?


Providing electricity is generated using renewable energy, it would be considered the "cleanest" option so I imagine yes. The alternate is pigeon post? )j; )j; LOL
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

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I agree about the overload which has made me more confused. We can and should all make changes but I don't think they will be enough. The whole worlds population has to make changes and in a big way.
I had never thought that my TV was a problem or central heating etc. Can we really go back a few hundred years to a completely different way of life because that is what it will take to reverse the damage done if it can be reversed. The population is growing each year worldwide and more of the things that cause damage are being used. How many homes have more than one car or TV and how many homes have families with each member having a mobile phone. I can't imagine they would be willing to give anything up, including their overseas holidays.
Oh, and not to worry about our cows emitting gas. I saw on the TV that our cows are grass fed from being in pastures and don't fart more than is normal. The problem is with cows that are fed an alternative diet mostly from other countries. This might ease the conscience of meat eaters who eat food from beans which have to be transported from abroad by planes.
Sorry to waffle on but am fed up seeing all the protesters shutting down parts of London who have had to get there by some form of transport and been seen using phones.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

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I think part of the overload is being bombarded with facts that all sound like doom and gloom and the solutions all sound too extreme. If you have not used a carbon footprint calculator before, it works by asking very little information from you, assumes the worst case and presents you with an over-inflated result. It's when you see past the result and go, hang on - you didn't ask me precisely how much gas or electricity I used or frequency of whatever, you assumed that I heated the entire house in winter and had no insulation or other measures in place, that my car was inefficient and was above average engine size so consumed far more fuel than it does - then it might make you question the validity of the calculator and surmise that it is meant to "scare" you into submission. The psychology will only work so far then it will become a "I can't do anything about it so why bother" result which in my opinion.
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by wendy »

Not certain about anyone else. But I am sure most of my friends are like me and try our best.
I walk when it is possible, as I like walking.
I changed my diesel car to petrol.
I haven't had a holiday for 5 years
I haven't had any new clothes for 5 years.
I recycle everything that I can and in fact my landfill bin is only emptied every 6 weeks and then it rarely is a a quarter full.
I buy as much as possibly, my veg grown in the UK and I am vegetarian. I do not eat any processed or quorn etc.
I get my dairy from Ahimsa cows. An organisation run by the Hari Khrishna people. Slaughter free, hand milked and fed grass and no processed food.
My biggest bugbear......is the supermarket. Who wrap cucumbers in plastic yike* . They are coming from Belgium at the moment, so they arn't bought. If I leave the bags for Cauliflower behind, the cashiers complain and send someone to get said bag !!
If you buy anything, there is so much blooming packing it isn't true.
I am afraid it is the big concerns that are going to have to change their ways to help us all change ours completely.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

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wendy wrote:If you buy anything, there is so much blooming packing it isn't true.


I can concur. As part of my 2019 New Year Resolution to be more "green" (recycle more/composting/gardening/grow more flowers for insects), I realised quite quickly that 99.9% of my black bin waste was just ... non-recyclable plastic packaging & wrapping (in a black plastic bag that I bought) And not long after that, plastic pollution was highlighted in Blue Planet and the more I looked into what I was buying, the more I noticed that just about EVERYTHING we buy has some form of plastic packaging. Even stuff you think is paper (like coffee sachets) which I had been putting in the compost bin, has a barely noticeable thin plastic film inside (I only found this out by accident when tearing the sachet and saw it stretch) I don't go out of my way to buy single use plastics but I can't bear to put non-recyclable plastic into the black bin/landfill bin now and I "ecobrick" them (pack them tightly into 2L pop bottles) which I use in garden projects. Even the empty blister packs for tablets are snipped into smaller pieces to fit inside the bottle.
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by Mo »

There was someone on this forum years ago who used to go on about this. Then it came over as judgemental (see other thread), suddenly it is on everyone's lips. One of his complaints was cucumbers. I wonder if they keep better when plastic wrapped, if so it's a balance against food waste (+waste of energy transporting & growing). Nothing is simple (except the greed of capilalism)
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lancashire lass
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by lancashire lass »

Mo wrote:I wonder if they keep better when plastic wrapped


I think this came up in a tv documentary recently - as the cucumbers for supermarkets have thin delicate skins, it is like a protective layer against normal handling but also helps to keep moisture in so produce keeps for longer. Having saying that, my spiky outdoor cukes with their slightly thicker skin kept just as long in storage if not longer, so maybe the key is growing a different variety?
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by KathJ »

I, like a lot of people try 'to do my bit'. But then you look at countries like the US and China and think 'really? what's the point' }hairout{ I think a lot of people are now more aware and do what they can but only so it doesn't impact on their lives too much! I can't see it being resolved in my lifetime unfortunately +f+
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lancashire lass
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by lancashire lass »

KathJ wrote: But then you look at countries like the US and China and think 'really? what's the point'


{cry} I have to agree but perhaps being more aware and taking personal action can in itself be a reward - every time I pack one of my 2L plastic bottle with what is essentially "non-recyclable" plastic (bags, sachets, plastic packaging, sellotape, plastic seals (such as on coffee jars and off food packs in the chiller unit), tablet blister packs, sellophane, letter windows, clingfilm not that I use it but from work), I remind myself that it is less plastic waste going into landfill and potentially via rivers into the oceans and impacting the environment and its inhabitants.

KathJ wrote:I can't see it being resolved in my lifetime unfortunately


{hug} I have hope that there might be a big turnaround as there seems to be a lot more in the media and a younger generation who are making their voice heard about their future prospects if nothing is done.
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by KathJ »

I certainly get a good feeling when I know I've done my little bit )t' I work for a luxury car manufacturer who are really taking this seriously. We've been certified as carbon neutral and the car park has been fitted out with the largest number of solar panels in the country. Lots of trees have been planted and two bee hives installed on a waste area of ground. There are lots of other initiatives on the go too bit still lots more to do )like(
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lancashire lass
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Re: Risk of Overload? Climate Change ...

Post by lancashire lass »

lancashire lass wrote:If you have not used a carbon footprint calculator before, it works by asking very little information from you, assumes the worst case and presents you with an over-inflated result. It's when you see past the result and go, hang on - you didn't ask me precisely how much gas or electricity I used or frequency of whatever, you assumed that I heated the entire house in winter and had no insulation or other measures in place, that my car was inefficient and was above average engine size so consumed far more fuel than it does - then it might make you question the validity of the calculator and surmise that it is meant to "scare" you into submission


I came across this Carbon footprint calculator some time ago and think it is much more realistic. It's meant to advertise carbon offsetting which personally I feel is a cop out to carry on as normal but I suppose is better than nothing. Anyway, if you wanted a more accurate carbon footprint of what you have used, you can enter information that you should already have at hand - for example, your utility bills such as electricity should have your annual consumption in kWh and how much of it is produced from coal or renewable energy, and if you know the CO2 emissions from your car (it was on the specs when I was buying my car but might also be on the MOT test) as well as the annual mileage, you can enter the details in. Of course it only tells you about what you personally have used rather than a total carbon footprint and doesn't include food, clothing and any other purchases you might make.
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