is anyone else considering their carbon footprint?

Excellent post.
We never fly and yes, we are all part of the problem, like it or not. We have all got used to convenience and belief that choice of consumer goods and services is ours by right whatever the cost to the environment. It's just...happened, over the decades.
We, and our descendents, will need to clear up the mess if there's a viable world left.
So we all need to extricate ourselves from consumerism as far as possible. Buying new to update? Forget it. Changing decor because you fancy something else you've seen in a magazine? Think again. Throwing gadgets away rather than fixing them? Buying strawberries in December, flown from somewhere we haven't ever been to or heard of? Again, re-think. Previous generations had to eat seasonally, and we can learn to do this more. Growing our own veggies and fruit is great for those with space and time. Make things last, clothes and furniture. Gradually cultivate a different mindset (and it's far from easy - I admit to being a massive hypocrite but I'm trying really hard not to be! It's like that old saying about sliding down a razor blade using your big toe as a brake.)
By far the biggest pollutors are industries and corporations and government is slow to impose laws forcing change. We can and should be part of that pressure. We can't change the world by knitting one dishcloth but it's all part of a move in the right direction.
Can we make the needed changes fast enough to make a difference? That's the worrying question.

Ive been considering my carbon footprint. I dont like flying so have generally used trains and have been on a cruise 3 times in my life. I generally take the bus or train everywhere. We do take our small car on a UK holiday 2 sometimes 3 times a year. I have been on a plane, furthest I have flown is either England or Southern Ireland. I know cruise ships arent meant to be that great, but I have only been on those for a special occasion. Also use Park and Rides when we can.

I do my best but, have a very poor local transport service. I get my groceries delivered (and usually manage to book the time when the website indicates the van is coming to my area anyway).

I have just had a holiday in the UK with friends. We use Advanced Booking and Senior Railcard on the railway to keep the cost right down. We shall be doing the same next year.

I shall be flying with my sister to Egypt for Christmas and New Year but, that will probably be the last time.

I will not buy bottled water, but use tap water to try to cut down on plastic,

There is a lot more I could do so must try harder,

I think most of us try in some small way to reduce our carbon footprint, and although most of us don't do anywhere near enough, it's good that we do something, however small. I don't think we should berate ourselves for not doing more, I think we should pat ourselves on the back, oak trees grown from little acorns and all that. But at the same time, we shouldn't get complacent, but should aim to do more each day.

Anything we do is just tinkering round the edges of the problem, which is that there are too many people. The global population is increasing at a ridiculous rate and our planet cannot support so many people.

It is easy to make small changes I find, using less plastic, more eco friendly wash stuff, cooking more food rather than plastic takeaways, using old clothes and shopping for new far less often. Also try not to put the heating on until really necessary. I love my thick wool jumpers. But, I do fly long haul twice a year. Thinking of cutting this down and staying longer at my chosen destination. But confess a hard habit to break for me. I eat out a lot when travelling and try to support local economies. That country relies on tourism too so a difficult choice.

If the poster who found an ethical offsetting site could post the link I would appreciate it.

ecci53 so who's going to volunteer for a suicide pact then? Or have you designated a group of people who are surplus to requirements?
IMO that's a cop out. Our consumer-led, profit-led polluting global society is to blame for the vast majority of the planet's ills. It's that which needs tackling head-on and it's governments who have to commit to laws forcing change, but many are dragging their collective feet and paying lip service to appeasing anyone concerned at the demise of our environments. Apologies for the mixed metaphors!

Thanks for your thoughtful answers.
I was reading an exhibition board today and the final panel suggested what we could individually do. I'll try to post it on here.
My own conclusion is that we should keep trying in whatever way we can. If young and energetic enough we can lobby people who make the decisions to help them to make better ones.

It's arguable that carbon offsetting could be akin to buying indulgences/forgiveness for one's sins....though whilst better than nothing, it's obviously more effective to make real changes in our lifestyles. Just pick up any magazine in a newsagent: they're all trying to prey on insecurities and con you into buying stuff you/we don't really need, again and again, season after season. They, and the rest of the media, need to do a serious re-think because they do influence people.
I wish I'd paid more attention in my Domestic Science sewing classes as a teenager..... :-(

My carbon footprint is probably lower than anyone that protests about the environment. For the first 50 years of my life I had never been on a plane and never eaten convenience foods or used plastic bags. In the 23 years since I have travelled by plane only 8 times. When we refurbished our house everything that came out of it was recycled including the windows and even the soil was taken to another building site for reuse.
We lived in a time when string shopping bags were the norm and waste not want not was on everyone's lips.

“Crusades” did someone post? How demeaning. It is hard to confront our consumption and like another poster notice that my children are less careful than I have been, but my grandchildren are getting worried... If plastic and disposables are to be kept for only really necessary things, maybe the NHS use is understandable. I recently had a major op where all the disposable blankets on the operating table were incinerated after use, washable blankets not entirely germ free and increase use of antibiotics. I’ve always loathed aerosols for cosmetic or more “frivolous” use - hair sprays, deodorants etc. Squirty cream! Where do the manufacturers or consumers think they will go?

We don't fly (we have in the past, once long-haul and several times short-haul, so we are no angels) partly to cut down our carbon footprint and partly because I am scared of flying. We are fortunate in having no need to fly to visit family.

It seems to be ok to say you are scared, but if you say you think it's a very silly way of getting about, crammed into a tin miles up in the sky while damaging the planet, you can come over as po-faced. I am quite happy to admit to being a coward!

I have been considering it for years. I haven't been on a long haul flight for over 10 years and have not flown short haul for some years either. Mainly, I admit, because I hate airports. I use train a lot. I have travelled to Spain, Switzerland and the mediterranean coast of France by train and loved it. I also use ferries a lot.

I have also given up swimming in favour of walking because I can walk from home while the pool was a 10 mile round trip and, living in a rural area plan my car trips very carefully to try and do as many things as possible on each trip out.

I have no intention of going veggie or vegan, but I am about to start buying my beef from pasture-fed farms, where the beef are raised and fed only on pasture and hay and are not given grain. It is environmentally sensitive at every level from reduced emissions to making more land to grow crops for human rather than animal feed. Here is their web site: www.pastureforlife.org/news/pasture-for-life-it-can-be-done/

Po-faced? Sod that. I can live with being called that. Also a hypocrite though we use the car far less now and travel more by train where we can. DD1 lives in Norwich and doesn't have a car so we sometimes train it and sometimes drive in order to take them out to places they couldn't otherwise reach.

When we holiday abroad we take the train. I used to grumble that we wouldn't see far-flung places, but again - sod that. It's not a right. Now we can be more creative, careful and thoughtful about travelling.
harrigran we need to re-learn how we (people) lived and move towards it again. Even in my lifetime, for us, I recall my mother's basket on wheels and wicker shopping basket; going to the butcher and greengrocer, bringing home a whole chicken to cut up and so on. My mother washed sheets and clothes in the bath for years, but when she finally did get a washing machine, it lasted 25 years before it packed up! How many last that long these days?

I know we can't uninvent the wheel, but I wish it was easier to have things mended instead of chucking them on landfill and buying new. Also it's worrying that companies will latch onto the 'green' movement by manufacturing more tat we don't need under the banner of being 'eco-friendly' when actually how much of it do we really need?

Personally I find it almost overwhelming and frightening just how far I have to go to reduce my own footprint.

I am now disabled and practically housebound only going shopping once a week by the Dial a bus. Home made cloth bags for shopping. Buy meat from the butcher if possible rather than packs from the supermarket which is in plastic trays shrink wrapped.
I have stopped my help from using wipes. Instead bucket of soapy water. Soap for shower and hand wash. Wait until I have a full load before using the machine. Same with the washing up.
Unless he wants to take me out my son comes to see me by train. Says it is much more relaxing. He rarely uses his car . Cycles much as possible.
I have to shop on line and it annoys me how much packaging is used. Three small books yesterday wrapped in plastic in a huge cardboard box.

If you are not considering your carbon footprint, you have been paying attention.

Yes.

Switching to reusable coffee cups wont make a dent. We have to CHANGE how we expect to live to make a dent, and that cant be done with "easy" switches or questionable offsetting schemes.

I know we can't uninvent the wheel, but I wish it was easier to have things mended instead of chucking them on landfill and buying new. Also it's worrying that companies will latch onto the 'green' movement by manufacturing more tat we don't need under the banner of being 'eco-friendly' when actually how much of it do we really need?

Absolutely agree!
So many "green switches" ARE JUST MORE STUFF
and are also designed so that people can think they dont have to reign in their lifestyles!

We fly quite a lot as we have a house in Greece and our son lives in Montreal. Would driving to Greece be any greener? I don’t think so. I do try in every day life to do my own little bit by getting on my bike for small journeys, recycling, etc etc but I do think that we can only try our best in our own small ways.
I do agree that whatever we do individually is a drop in the ocean but drops add up and it is better to do something than nothing.

We are at fault. We want our heating on cranked up, air conditioning in the summer or fans. We want convenience, we want cheap/ value for money. Luxurious long showers or baths. We want to do what's right for the planet but refuse to compromise by reducing our use of the above.
So, unless we are prepared to compromise the planet is doomed.

Places like China dump the plastic in the sea - no one is prepared to make a stand to stop that, or other countries where rubbish lines the streets.

What's the answer? What's the plan?

Like Harrigran I have very little guilt towards my CF . Never fly ( wish I could though) never been on a cruise , rarely ever have a holiday, a weekend away maybe once a year ( if we are lucky), drive as a necessity only ( to and from work and looking after others ) . Have had a water meter since forever do have always been very careful with water , rarely throw anything away that might be useful to someone else prefer to use freecycle and have managed to give away everything from electrical items and furniture to sand and cement.

What a boring and sh*tty, miserable life I lead .

I am changing my car (essentail where I live) to a hybrid to be more mindful of my footprint. I was somewhat disconcerted to discuss it is being shipped half way round the world!

Merryweather speak for yourself. Some people act as you say but certainly not all. On the contrary most people I know are concerned about global warming and are adjusting their lives accordingly, but we have to live in the world as it is now.

Anyway people tend to be far too gloomy. The fact is that UK energy consumption is falling and has been falling for over a decade. We now use less energy than we did 50 years ago. This is because all our efforts at insulation have been effective. We may have more electricity consuming gadgets but they use less and less electricity as they become more efficient. Look at cars. In the 1950 they averaged about 30 miles to a gallon of petrol. It is now nearly twice that.

The problem is falling energy consumption is not something we can see and governments will not highlight it in case it makes us feel complaisant. but the good news can be found here: www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-primary-energy-use-in-2018-was-the-lowest-in-half-a-century

So all our efforts are paying off. Keep going and we will get there.

On the contrary most people I know are concerned about global warming and are adjusting their lives accordingly

I dont agree. I think a lot of people are making "green switches" that allows them to continue their same lifestyles whilst easing their conscience.

But most green switches are just "greenwash".

We need to consume less and that means doing less. Not doing the same things but greenwashed

I am impressed by plenty of you who've posted. Grans are quite a thoughtful bunch or is that just this small sample?
I agree with Rowantree that it is hard to get things repaired but doubly satisfying if you can.
I'm currently waiting for a repair person to fix our 40 yr old gas cooker. He is in demand so I have to wait 4 weeks and that is just to assess it!
DIY was a big thing when we were younger. Now everyone goes to IKEA.
Real nappies anyone? Apparently not one of the billions of disposables have biodegraded yet.
Perhaps we are on the brink of a quiet revolution and it won't be long before our DGC are asking us, in horror, if we drove vehicles which polluted the very air we breathe!!