Current Affairs Environmental Stuff

[orchard]

Would say packaging for sure. Also tonnes of unnecessary items like toothbrushes.

Wasn't it hard to get everyone in England to kick placcy bags?

Anyway, this net zero stuff's a load of bollocks. It seems to be based on dubious data, virtue signalling, creating a new trading market, politics and greenwash.

Personally, I'd rather we did something about it as a society.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Wasn't it hard to get everyone in England to kick placcy bags?

Anyway, this net zero stuff's a load of bollocks. It seems to be based on dubious data, virtue signalling, creating a new trading market, politics and greenwash.

Personally, I'd rather we did something about it as a society.

Was mad how much use dropped by charging 5p for a bag.

 

[roydo]

Owning cars is hugely inefficient as they're only used like 1% of the time. It's an area ripe for rental on a per-use basis, and I'd imagine if autonomous vehicles ever take off then they will operate on that basis.

If they are only used 1% of the time, why are they such an issue with the environment then?

Personally, I dont fancy having to hire a car to go to get a newspaper or a pint of milk.

 

[orchard]

Was mad how much use dropped by charging 5p for a bag.

Well mad. But so are the 'bags for life' solutions they came up with. Waitrose Have a good woven hessian solution, but most just have heavier plastics that may only do a couple of shops.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If they are only used 1% of the time, why are they such an issue with the environment then?

Personally, I dont fancy having to hire a car to go to get a newspaper or a pint of milk.

Because there are a lot of us. Transport accounts for around 25% of all carbon emissions with road travel around 75% of that total. There's a strong argument to be made for making towns and cities liveable such that people would walk or cycle to get a newspaper or a pint of milk rather than driving. For instance, the average car journey in the UK is around 7-8 miles, which suggests a great many journeys could be made under one's own steam. We haven't had a car in London for the last 15 years because things are within walking or cycling distance and the public transport is good. I think more towns will be designed with this in mind.

 

[roydo]

Because there are a lot of us. Transport accounts for around 25% of all carbon emissions with road travel around 75% of that total. There's a strong argument to be made for making towns and cities liveable such that people would walk or cycle to get a newspaper or a pint of milk rather than driving. For instance, the average car journey in the UK is around 7-8 miles, which suggests a great many journeys could be made under one's own steam. We haven't had a car in London for the last 15 years because things are within walking or cycling distance and the public transport is good. I think more towns will be designed with this in mind.

But for many, a car is an essential. I dont like being demonised or priced out of having one cos for some it isnt an essential, thanks very much.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

But for many, a car is an essential. I dont like being demonised or priced out of having one cos for some it isnt an essential, thanks very much.

Of course, I doubt cars will be outlawed, but made less impactful. Even now, a big Chelsea tractor will produce 3/4x as much as a smaller car, and I suspect electric vehicles will be even more efficient. I suppose one issue if cars do become rented as the standard model then that will fundamentally change the business model of the manufacturers that focus exclusively on volume at the moment. If we rent a car rather than use our own then they'd presumably sell far less, which might make it more expensive to buy one, especially as an individual rather than a fleet purchase. It's all quite speculative at the moment like.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Owning cars is hugely inefficient as they're only used like 1% of the time. It's an area ripe for rental on a per-use basis, and I'd imagine if autonomous vehicles ever take off then they will operate on that basis.

I'd argue it would be more beneficial if people moved away from getting a new car every few years as a lot of energy is used in production. Public transport is just not an option for a sizeable percentage of the population.

I also think its going to be difficult to get the infrastructure for all new cars to be electric by 2030. You're lucky if a car park has a couple of charging points at the moment and its less than 9 years away.

 

[roydo]

Of course, I doubt cars will be outlawed, but made less impactful. Even now, a big Chelsea tractor will produce 3/4x as much as a smaller car, and I suspect electric vehicles will be even more efficient. I suppose one issue if cars do become rented as the standard model then that will fundamentally change the business model of the manufacturers that focus exclusively on volume at the moment. If we rent a car rather than use our own then they'd presumably sell far less, which might make it more expensive to buy one, especially as an individual rather than a fleet purchase. It's all quite speculative at the moment like.

Its just that on balance, and with zero evidence to back it up, I reckon our carbon footprint is pretty sound. We have a large, naturally wild garden, (good for insects and the eco system etc), a dozen or so trees, (good for CO2 apparently ?), we grow wild meadow grasses and flowers, and wild herbs. Have a fully EU approved insulated house/double glazing, recycle as much as we can, re use bags, compost tons, and when we have an open fire, use smokeless fuel and reclaimed wood.

Does my daily 10 minutes in a car really outweigh all that? (Unleaded petrol). If it does, not much I can do about it then.

 

[dholliday]

Wasn't it hard to get everyone in England to kick placcy bags?

Anyway, this net zero stuff's a load of bollocks. It seems to be based on dubious data, virtue signalling, creating a new trading market, politics and greenwash.

Personally, I'd rather we did something about it as a society.

Was mad how much use dropped by charging 5p for a bag.

Well mad. But so are the 'bags for life' solutions they came up with. Waitrose Have a good woven hessian solution, but most just have heavier plastics that may only do a couple of shops.

Banning plastic bags was the most stupid counter-productive thing they could've come up with. The bulky replacements cost far more in transport emissions.

I've studied how such stupid decisions get made, and came to the conclusion it's because rich people 'donate' to politicians to push a certain program, then they sort out the contracts for that program, earning them far more money than they donated.

See also the next stupid thing they came up with (one for the germans):

Verpackungsgesetz – Wikipedia

de.wikipedia.org

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Its just that on balance, and with zero evidence to back it up, I reckon our carbon footprint is pretty sound. We have a large, naturally wild garden, (good for insects and the eco system etc), a dozen or so trees, (good for CO2 apparently ?), we grow wild meadow grasses and flowers, and wild herbs. Have a fully EU approved insulated house/double glazing, recycle as much as we can, re use bags, compost tons, and when we have an open fire, use smokeless fuel and reclaimed wood.

Does my daily 10 minutes in a car really outweigh all that? (Unleaded petrol). If it does, not much I can do about it then.

Oh for sure, if you're even considering these things then I reckon you're probably ahead of many.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Its just that on balance, and with zero evidence to back it up, I reckon our carbon footprint is pretty sound. We have a large, naturally wild garden, (good for insects and the eco system etc), a dozen or so trees, (good for CO2 apparently ?), we grow wild meadow grasses and flowers, and wild herbs. Have a fully EU approved insulated house/double glazing, recycle as much as we can, re use bags, compost tons, and when we have an open fire, use smokeless fuel and reclaimed wood.

Does my daily 10 minutes in a car really outweigh all that? (Unleaded petrol). If it does, not much I can do about it then.

It does yes by far - apart from the house insulation which is significant.

Energy costs of making a car are roughly equivalent to energy costs of driving it over its lifetime, and that's before you get to your daily 10 minute journeys.

But like you intimate it is what it is, you can't change it by just clicking your fingers - it's down to major life stuff like where you choose to live, where you work, how old you are etc etc.

 

[Chewbacca]

One of my justifications for owning an old car. It’s carbon intensity drops over its lifetime and a new one doesn’t have to be manufactured to replace it. In that context it’s CO2 emissions are much less significant a part of its lifecycle

 

[roydo]

It does yes by far - apart from the house insulation which is significant.

Energy costs of making a car are roughly equivalent to energy costs of driving it over its lifetime, and that's before you get to your daily 10 minute journeys.

But like you intimate it is what it is, you can't change it by just clicking your fingers - it's down to major life stuff like where you choose to live, where you work, how old you are etc etc.

Used car. £500. So I cant have the production cost/damage lobbed my way there.

I am not any eco warrior, just try to do simple things that make sense. Having a wildish garden is as much to do with being a bit lazy as anything, and we like what it looks like. The benefits to the eco system are a welcome result. Same when we had a large pond. We loved watching it develop as much as the insects and newts and frogs enjoyed it.

 

[orchard]

Banning plastic bags was the most stupid counter-productive thing they could've come up with. The bulky replacements cost far more in transport emissions.

I've studied how such stupid decisions get made, and came to the conclusion it's because rich people 'donate' to politicians to push a certain program, then they sort out the contracts for that program, earning them far more money than they donated.

See also the next stupid thing they came up with (one for the germans):

Verpackungsgesetz – Wikipedia

de.wikipedia.org

Of course, it's being distorted to maintain the status quo, even to the extent that technologies that don't even exist yet can be used to offset carbon.