Have Environment Issues Caused a Change in Your Behaviour?

[Malevolence]

No, not changed a thing.

 

[Pipe & Slippers]

I moved house last December, and was looking forward to getting a cat, having had 2 before

I’ve decided that from a climate change point of view, I can’t justify getting one

It’s not the sole reason but is the main reason...I’m assuming here that climate change issues falls within Environment issues

 

[regulus]

I continue to pay no attention to the media. It's completely laughable to me that I'll change my behavior based on what the newspapers says.

Although I've never been a litter bug.

 

[builder22]

prevention's better than cure but maybe it's past that point

 

[BananaDunka]

The majority of people on forums like this aren't your usual joe public who go around the web sharing and reacting with flare to everything the media puts out.

Although I know a small handful of individuals here are exactly like that, but thems be the minority

 

[The_Abyss]

I've tried to change plenty in some areas but others make those changes seemingly insignificant.

We eat far less red meat than we used to. We've always been good at recycling what we've bought, but now we're better at considering recyclability before we buy. However, I don't think I've ever taken more international flights than I have so far this year.

 

[FoxEye]

Just tired of seeing the mess on a saturday morning because drunk ******** think its funny to just throw their food and plastic on the ground. I would have to be comatose before i dropped my crappy kebab on the curb, i really don't get why people think it's acceptable.

Possibly the only thing we'll ever agree on - littering is the domain of idiots alone.

Sadly it's not just kids either. Seen plenty of grown men and women casually throwing their plastic cups out of the car window as they drive along.

As sad, idiots. There is no logical justification.

To answer the OP: I would say I/we are more aware, but there isn't much of a change in our behaviour.

You can't really (without a superhuman effort) for example, avoid plastic packaging when purchasing food. And most of it is the black stuff that can't be recycled.

In that case the blame really has to lie with the manufacturers and the supermarkets that buy from them. They in turn try to place blame on consumers by saying, "Customers prefer black plastic packaging." A catch-22 situation which has seen packaging remain the same despite increasing awareness that it can't be recycled.

The problem is in the age of the giant supermarkets like Tesco et al, the power does not lie in the hands of the consumer. We will continue to see black plastic packaging that can't be recycled until and unless the government steps in to ban it. That's the reality.

That's also the reality of many other issues. Unless regulation is drafted and passed that bans environmentally damaging activities, they will continue to happen. By and large power in the 21st century lies in the hands of the mega-corps. Consumer choice is something of a myth. Unless you want to go off-grid, grow your own, make your own clothes... If you don't, then everything you can buy is guaranteed to be damaging the environment in some way, because such damage is now standard across virtually all manufacturing and production.

 

[FoxEye]

I moved house last December, and was looking forward to getting a cat, having had 2 before

I’ve decided that from a climate change point of view, I can’t justify getting one

It’s not the sole reason but is the main reason...I’m assuming here that climate change issues falls within Environment issues

What exactly is the climate change impact of owning a cat?

If you'd said "environmental damage" then I could imagine you might have been taking about wildlife.

But you specifically narrowed it down to climate change. The impact of a pet cat on climate change probably doesn't even register on the most minute scale.

 

[dowie]

Just tired of seeing the mess on a saturday morning because drunk ******** think its funny to just throw their food and plastic on the ground. I would have to be comatose before i dropped my crappy kebab on the curb, i really don't get why people think it's acceptable.

Just be thankful it is mostly at weekends. The "mandem" in South London are happy to throw chicken boxes around during the week too, I remember seeing some group of "urban youth" on the platform at Waterloo East Station waiting for a train, they dropped their chicken boxes right at their feet (to be fair in that location they will at least be cleaned up fairly quickly regardless) some old bloke decided to go have a go at them (not worth it mate!) and got all sorts of abuse/threats/gun signs made with fingers etc...

 

[HungryHippos]

Whilst I do like my gadgets and things, I do my very best to only buy stuff I actually want/use, rather than stuff I think I want. Anything I don't use I try to "recycle" it to a good home by selling it on or giving it away to someone who will use it. I prefer things that last so my furniture is solid oak, built to last.

I've never littered on purpose, even as a kid I would carry my rubbish home with me and dispose of in the bin. I'd sad to see the amount of littering that goes on.

I think as a society we can make certain improvements on day to day things still, certainly looking at reducing plastic usage is a good start to this, especially when we have ridiculous things like encasing fruit/veg in plastic.

I'd love to get solar panels installed that actually work, but the reduction in the feed in tariffs don't make them economically viable at the moment.

Manufacturers should also make products more user-serviceable. Too many things are made with "planned obsolescence" being a key tenet, to bring in larger shareholder profits.

 

[Pipe & Slippers]

What exactly is the climate change impact of owning a cat?
But you specifically narrowed it down to climate change. The impact of a pet cat on climate change probably doesn't even register on the most minute scale.

Cats eat meat
The production of meat is one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases
There was a front page article in some US magazine a few years ago with a picture of a family and the question what’s the biggest change can you make to your lifestyle to help the environment, and the answer was, get rid of the dog
A more recent stat was the 4th biggest consumers of beef in the world are US dogs
Perhaps I should have said I’ve decided not to get a dog, and felt better about myself

 

[adidan]

Perhaps I should have said I’ve decided not to get a dog, and felt better about myself

My behaviour's only changed in that I do more when it's become possible to do more.

I have a cat and decided not to have kids and feel better about myself.

 

[bloodiedathame]

You don't have to feed your pets beef of course, chicken has a far lower environmental impact. There's actually an insect/grub based dog food on the market made by British firm Yora too.

 

[adidan]

Before people start having a panic a about pets it's the major industries that need to be addressed.

Little mention is made of the fashion industry, yet it's one of the biggest polluters - from production to the type of materials used.

 

[adam cool dude]

This x100
Unfortunately it's the one massive elephant in the room that very few people want to admit or even think about.

Aye. Living in peace and being able to cheat natural selection a lot better now has caused our own demise. Irony.

 

[deusexlumina]

Yes. I eat less meat, recycle more, and make a point of donating things I don't want to charity/friends compared to just throwing them away.

I also buy fewer physical items in general, however that's mainly because I'm poor

Edit: also wholeheartedly agree with the posts about having kids. I can't believe this is something that isn't more publicized. Population control is by far our best shot at prolonging our resources, and the sooner we start to accept that the better.

 

[almoststew1990]

The recent media push has not changed my behaviour as I've been acutely aware of the problems since GCSE Geography and Environmental Science. Those lessons were very doom and gloom even in 2005 and my mate who studied Classical bloody History would ask at break "so how's the world going to end this week?"

I'm not that green though. I recycle haphazardly, drive an old car (although it saves a new one being built, sort of.. And its petrol) albeit I now cycle to work. My "office" in my house with multiple PCs, PS4, a few screens all on standby all day except when being used probably isn't great. Not to mention my permanently switched on phone charger. I'm just lazy really.

 

[Dis86]

Yes. I eat less meat, recycle more, and make a point of donating things I don't want to charity/friends compared to just throwing them away.

I also buy fewer physical items in general, however that's mainly because I'm poor

Edit: also wholeheartedly agree with the posts about having kids. I can't believe this is something that isn't more publicized. Population control is by far our best shot at prolonging our resources, and the sooner we start to accept that the better.

I've been pointing it out for years. People just tell me I'm crazy though.

 

[Janesy B]

I eat less beef, use reusable cups for coffee and don't buy bottled water. It's not much but it's honest work. I don't buy 'fast fashion' either.

 

[oneilldo]

Yes. I think so and more since having kids wanting to try and set an example and a lot of it is being led from the wife if I’m honest. We both cook which helps a lot. Veg we get in big cardboard boxes to avoid the plastic. Things like meat, handwash etc we tend to buy in bulk from Costco which whilst not ideal means for the same amount it uses much less plastic and is in most cases fully recyclable. If we get meat from butchers it’s in paper and Morrison’s we take in reusable plastic boxes and they just stick a barcode on top. It helps as stacks neater in the fridge as well which offsets some of the faff. Plastic especially single use we are getting loads better. I rarely buy sandwiches as take my own naan bread with spicy chicken which is much tastier and avoids more single use packaging. We did grow a bit of veg previously but the effort to yield is too much with too little time at the moment. We have got a hotbin composter which has halved our normal wastage for the non recyclable bin. Bit of a snob with coffee etc as well so have a bean to cup machine which means we actually never get a costa or Starbucks in the non recyclable cup (realise you can take your own but bet a lot of people forget) as just take our own out and it tastes much better. Never really bought bottled water and the kids and us have insulated metal bottles which is great as keeps the water nice and cold as well. Toys for our youngest we use toys that our older kids used to play with. Any plastic ones we would generally try and go second hand to avoid and if we buy new would try and go for wood where possible. Next house we will also kit out to be more insulated and PV roof etc.

However I’ve recently been in hospital and the amount of plastic waste is ridiculous so think much more needs to be done at a larger scale in government and corporations as well as other maybe less advanced countries. If I’m honest I suppose we are trying to set a good example for the kids going forward.

Kids will nearly always walk to school and where possible I will work from home as much as possible (IT).