Will you take the pledge?

I'm totally behind the steps in the original post Doodledog and try to lead as environmentally friendly a life as I can. I already live some of the pledges. What we can do as individuals is immense and good on the university and you for putting this out there.

I feel strongly about the contribution of business though as I spend a lot of time actively trying to encourage supermarkets, McDonalds, Coca Cola etc to care more about the environment and it is an uphill battle. I'm often met with brute faced resistance.

We can make all the individual changes we like, but it has to be done in tandem with big business. I and perhaps others find it hard that we have to consider giving up our car for essential trips whilst big business churns out new models of phone/shoe/make up each year and all wrapped in millions of tons of plastic.

The car quandary:

Sadly, there’s no simple answer as comparisons between electric vehicles and conventional vehicles are complex. Their environmental impact will depend on many factors, including the size of the vehicles, the accuracy of the fuel-economy estimates used, how electricity emissions are calculated, what driving patterns are assumed, the source of the power used in the production of EVs and for charging them, and even the weather in regions where the vehicles are used.

www.boundless.co.uk/be-inspired/driving/is-keeping-my-old-car-greener-than-buying-a-new-ev

Your ideas are good, Coastpath but they aren't the sort of things that we, as individuals, can do, which was the point of the study.

We can pressure governments (or hotels etc) to do things, but for many, if not most, of us that won't happen. It's easy to say 'they should' do this or that, but the study was looking at what we could all do if we wanted to.

Is that 'dog offsetting' Iam64?

Yes Calistemon, why isn’t that champagne given to the poor -me?
As for large luxury dogs, I have a huge young labrador, show not working breed. I went show believing (the myth) that they’re less intelligent and active than the working breed. He eats copious amounts of food, takes up a lot of room in the house/car/world and his running costs are high. I suspect this puts me on some folks naughty step. I have another smaller dog ?

I always want to go and catch it!
Such a waste. I can't watch them but I hate noisy motor sports anyway.

On the subject of keeping cars until they really are defunct - shouldn't we be replacing our old cars with electric ones?

Mine is 8 years old, barely done 21,000 miles and apparently efficient but I did wonder if electric is the way to go.

It would be no good relying on public transport here.

I agree Callistemon21. I think we should start a two woman campaign to 'look after' that champagne. It's be safe with us.

Cheers! Hic!!

5. Stop or reduce sport which depends on use of oil e.g. Formula One. Why should elderly ladies have to carry shopping 4 miles whilst Lewis Hamilton is haring around Monaco for no good reason?

Oh wouldn't that be wonderful!
And stop them throwing perfectly good champagne all over each other.
Someone grew the grapes, picked them, made the champagne, distributed it then they throw it all over each other for someone else to clean up. ??
(Sorry, it's a minor concern, but it's pet niggle)

I agree with MissA.
I`m fed up with being told what to or what not to do.

I can do most of these things but:
Husband will never convert to eating only plant based foods. I eat much less meat than he does.
I hope the three items of clothing doesn’t include replacing socks and underwear, otherwise no problem.
No public transport at all here so car is essential.

I've been thinking about an alternative set of pledges which might make a big difference without making life harder or less joyful for the majority of ordinary people.

1. Stop providing all the fruit in hotel rooms. I wonder how much of it is eaten and how much is wasted.

2. Stop making 'fast fashion' and stop the seasonal fashion/colour changes. Make good quality basics that will last and last. They might be a bit more expensive, but it will work out cheaper as things will last.

3. Electrical industry get together to make a pact to reduce in built obsolescence. In the 1930s America a cartel of electric light bulb manufacturers agreed to reduce the life span of all lightbulbs by 50% to increase sales. That pact is still in place!

4. Reduce travel for business meetings. Provide financial incentives for meetings to be held by Zoom etc.

5. Stop or reduce sport which depends on use of oil e.g. Formula One. Why should elderly ladies have to carry shopping 4 miles whilst Lewis Hamilton is haring around Monaco for no good reason?

6. Vote for parties who have environmental concerns at the heart of their manifesto.

Josieann have you told him he's a lifestyle choice and to stop wrecking your lifestyle?

He's not just company, he's not just an excuse for you to get out and exercise in the fresh air, he's not just someone to talk to who listens when no-one else will, he's a luxury item!

Are we permitted to buy a new item of clothing if we promise to send three to the charity shop?

Doodledog

You can never have too many knickers?

And It will be unpopular but owning luxury animals is very bad for the environment. Working dogs have their uses but people will have to learn not to own a dog or cat just for a lifestyle choice. We have never owned animals apart from a couple of rescue goldfish years ago.
Ooops! Puppy has so far chewed about 6 pairs of knickers, and socks and slippers. Plus a leather purse, glasses case, and 2 hardback books. Plus a rug and 2 doormats. He needs a motor vehicle to get onto the moor daily for his run. The list goes on. He needs to sign a pledge! Sorry!
I rarely eat meat.

Is it just me that can't get their head around They are asking us to sign up for one, three, or six months, when most of the challenges except the diet one require commitment for years?

I've not seen my son in Canada for 3 years because of Covid, I am restarting my one long haul flight per year this summer. I would absolutely not be prepared to (voluntarily) go 8 years between visits. I don't do short haul flights.

Already with a green supplier, can't do anything about pensions. Eat an omnivore diet, but only small portions of meat on those days I eat it. I don't have a pet so am not using any meat there.
Run electrical appliances and cars (bought secondhand) until they die and can't be repaired or it's uneconomic to do so. Don't have a tumble dryer. Use public transport where it's practicable but even in London some journeys are ridiculous, involving travel into the centre to come out again rather than just transversing.

Clothes? Well it rather depends. Haven't bought much at all since the start of the pandemic, but a warm coat was a necessity for the open air meet ups we were permitted during lockdown.

I think it's a good idea to promote small easily achievable changes in the hope of encouraging larger more impactful ones. These suggestions get people thinking, but some will be too drastic and may actually discourage.

I've recently had a leaflet delivered promoting solar panels, endorsed by the London mayor and my local council.........it will have been sent to all 1400 homes in my conservation area where we are not allowed to change even our front fence without planning permission, and solar panels are a huge no-go. Now that was a complete waste of money and paper resources.

Our DD in Australia is planning a visit home this year. I won’t be telling her not to come.

I have to limit my veg. /fruit intake. Too much makes me ill.

The Pledge is nothing I haven’t been aware of for years and I will continue doing what my conscience allows.

Clothes - bought none during the covid years, just got new jeans, jumper and warm coat. I’ll wear them 10 years or more providing I’m still here

The new jumpers (not cheap) which I bought in the last three years are all rubbish, went to the charity shop labelled "Rags" so I am wearing old ones, some of which must be 10 years old but still look ok.

make-do-and-mend knowledge
DH is an expert!

I suppose I'd better forget about a new kitchen

PamelaJ1

lucca I’ve just been on a carbon calculator site.
I may have got my calculations incorrect but the site did most of them
If I go to Aus for 2 months, fly economy then I am responsible for 4.98 tonnes If I stay here and have heating on I use 5.42tonnes to keep warm. For the last calculation I divided the annual tonnage by 12 then x by 2 so didn’t take into account the weather. We do tend to use more oli in January and February than in July so the difference may be even greater.
Hope that makes you feel better.

So impressed with your maths ! Thanks

Galaxy

I dont know that we do know it to be honest. Or we certainly dont know the consequences of it as demonstrated with some of the results of the plastic bag charge.

I don’t think we do know, either. I think it’s another of the areas where people defend their own choices (sometimes smugly), and choose to ignore inconvenient truths about what they want to do.

I’m not being holier than thou here - there are lots of things I don’t know about what choices to make, and I can’t say hand on heart that I would always make the best ones if I did. The devil is in the detail anyway. Three items of clothing is suggested because it is easy to remember and count; but if those clothes are acrylic they won’t biodegrade, for instance, and if the come from somewhere like Bangladesh they have a huge carbon footprint. It might be better to buy six items if they are made from natural fibres in the UK (if that’s where we live) - I don’t know.

Little things like is it better to bleach dishcloths, boil wash them or throw them away? I don’t know that, and with that and similar examples unless someone is an expert who has done the modelling their choices are going to be based on guesswork too.

I didn’t see the report as ‘lecturing’, and neither will the research have been done to write a newspaper article - it will be part of a bigger project, I’m sure. The report will be the layman’s version- simplified for those of us who are not environmental scientists, but who want to do our bit.

Of course there will be those who sneer - that’s always going to happen when people are asked to do what they don’t want to do - and of course there will be things that we do already and those that are easier for some to do than others. But I do think that boiling it down to basics at least shows that what individuals do matters. I have often heard people say things like ‘until China is forced to cut emissions there is no point’.

DiscoDancer1975:

'This world’s not forever.' - true, but I think slowing down the destruction of our planet is a very worthwhile cause.

We live moderately, and with considerations to others all the time.

Whatever we do will make no difference in the long run. This world’s not forever.

No pledge from me either.
We are quite frugal already, live with the environment in mind and try to pass on our gardening and make-do-and-mend knowledge to our GChn.

lucca I’ve just been on a carbon calculator site.
I may have got my calculations incorrect but the site did most of them
If I go to Aus for 2 months, fly economy then I am responsible for 4.98 tonnes If I stay here and have heating on I use 5.42tonnes to keep warm. For the last calculation I divided the annual tonnage by 12 then x by 2 so didn’t take into account the weather. We do tend to use more oli in January and February than in July so the difference may be even greater.
Hope that makes you feel better.

I already do some of these, but I fear a lot of people will balk at the idea because of the extravagances of the rich and famous. If they were to set an example more 'ordinary' people might be persuaded. I watched Inside Dubai for the first time last night, and some of the extravagance on display was jaw-dropping. One woman had a room full of expensive designer bags. I mean what one person can possibly need or use that many bags?

Good point Lucca - I’m not pledging either. I know a few people who say they won’t fly (to Greece for example ?) they’ve done endless long haul holiday flights for decades. I haven’t so feel ok with my plan