Have Environment Issues Caused a Change in Your Behaviour?

OpenToSuggestions said:
In 2011 I started a PhD on sustainable manufacturing. I bloody hated it and left after 1 year....but I learnt that the human race is screwed beyond repair. We are selfish and are consuming resource at a shocking rate.

Enjoy your car etc. whilst you still can :).
Click to expand...
In fairness you hardly need a PhD to see that.
 
I've tended to make things last regardless, I've still got clothes that I've had for years, I'm happy to skip a few generations when it comes to phones, laptops etc..

I don't have the issue some people have with bins, I've simply got a rubbish bin and a recycling bin and I can throw as many black bags or empty as many bins full of paper, plastic, cans etc.. into the big biffs type bins in the recycling area as I like.
 
FoxEye said:
In fairness you hardly need a PhD to see that.
Click to expand...
Reading about it for a whole year gave me an enormous insight into the manufacturing challenges we are going to face.
Everyone has an opinion on the environment, but a shocking amount don't really know what they are on about other than 'use wind power', 'drive less', 'get an electric car'. I would imagine the average forum user is significantly brighter than the average public member!
 
Next cotton buds I buy will be paper not plastic.
That little seahorse really got my feels.

As for recycling and carbon footprint etc.
I'm probably the greenest on the forum by default.

All my electric is hydro, don't drive, no kids, Swedish recycling levels are insane.
Compost is biofuel for local bus company or burned to heat the water we use.

To make up for this I try to kill a lot of wildlife. I often set fires in the forest and poison wild bird food.

That last paragraph was a joke, just incase.....
 
Nope, I recycle what I can but ultimately my actions have pretty much zero impact on the planet compared to India/Chinas pollution and destruction, not to mention the UN African population predictions.
 
Last edited:
- REBOOT & saving on resources/reusing an existing thread


These new climate 'protests' ... what are the children doing to make a difference - did Greta propose anything ?

- Walking/cycling to school
- Not demanding a new phone every year, and the latest tech
- Reducing non-sustainable/throwaway clothing purchases
- reducing fast food intake (eg beef.), or, high mileage out of season foodstuffs.
- reducing holidays abroad.

...saving the environment starts at home.
 
jpaul said:
These new climate 'protests' ... what are the children doing to make a difference - did Greta propose anything ?
Click to expand...
Surely it's up to us adults to help propose some solutions rather than just pat them on the back/ have a go at them (delete as appropriate)?
 
jpaul said:
- REBOOT & saving on resources/reusing an existing thread


These new climate 'protests' ... what are the children doing to make a difference - did Greta propose anything ?

- Walking/cycling to school
- Not demanding a new phone every year, and the latest tech
- Reducing non-sustainable/throwaway clothing purchases
- reducing fast food intake (eg beef.), or, high mileage out of season foodstuffs.
- reducing holidays abroad.

...saving the environment starts at home.
Click to expand...

I agree that these points would help the environment, no doubt. If we talk hypothetically for a moment and say a large proportion of the (western) world started doing the points listed above, what impact would it have on the world economy? The economy relies on growth, which means it continously needs more money spent on the likes of clothes, technology, transport, holidays etc. Are we in a position where we might have to pick between saving the environment and having a stable economy? Interesting to get people's thoughts.
 
alx said:
I agree that these points would help the environment, no doubt. If we talk hypothetically for a moment and say a large proportion of the (western) world started doing the points listed above, what impact would it have on the world economy? The economy relies on growth, which means it continously needs more money spent on the likes of clothes, technology, transport, holidays etc. Are we in a position where we might have to pick between saving the environment and having a stable economy? Interesting to get people's thoughts.
Click to expand...

We wont have growth if we're spending trillions on defending ourselves from it.

It's incredibly likely the world economy will perpetually contract at some inflection point where the damage is too much. Recessions will be much more grave and inflation is likely to explode when the areas that used to make computer components, clothes, food, all disappear from floods, storm damage and war.
 
OpenToSuggestions said:
Reading about it for a whole year gave me an enormous insight into the manufacturing challenges we are going to face.
Everyone has an opinion on the environment, but a shocking amount don't really know what they are on about other than 'use wind power', 'drive less', 'get an electric car'. I would imagine the average forum user is significantly brighter than the average public member!
Click to expand...

I work in food production and basically everything is plastic to keep up with automation and demand. During summer months we must be close to clearing 1 million units a day of different products. To do that using renewable materials is just not going to happen to keep up with underlying issue of population growth.
 
I used to be an avid recycler at my old house - virtually everything we had got recycled through the Clearview wood stove - plastic -food -paper -anything that would burn went on it.:eek::eek: Unfortunately now my teeny weeny little wood burner is not up to the job. I was totally against landfill.:D:D:D:D
 
The only change I've made is quite recently after reading teh brushing your teeth thread.
I now wet the brush, turn the tap off and then turn it back on to rinse the toothbrush.
However the bit I don't understand with all the moaning ninny's in that thread is that I bet they don't spend less time in the shower than I do.
I run water for a minute max.
 
I want to do more and I do try with recycling and making the most of what we have but at the same time I simply don't have enough time and money to really change things.

I've got 2 small children and I work 6 or 7 days a week. If I want to enjoy something I won't be held back by being uber sensitive to the world's health.
 
adam cool dude said:
To do that using renewable materials is just not going to happen to keep up with underlying issue of population growth.
Click to expand...

so yes, I'll add to my list of practical Greta suggestions .... "tell your parents not to have more children"
The media obviously feels it would not be PC to criticize children/her, but, if the children are adult enough to protest there could be a bit more self-introspection on what they could do, they're consuming resources too.


azazl187 said:
I simply don't have enough time and money to really change things.
Click to expand...
but the environmental problems nonetheless impose themselves on our lives, and the process is self-limiting
... roads too congested so have to modify lifestyle, airports congested. ... so cycling ....


[
they don't spend less time in the shower than I do. I run water for a minute max.
Click to expand...
Well we had it tough. We used to have to get up out of the shoebox at twelve o'clock at night, and LICK the road clean with our tongues. We had half a handful of freezing cold gravel, worked twenty-four hours a day at the mill for fourpence every six years, and when we got home, our Dad would slice us in two with a bread knife.
Click to expand...
]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom