Do People Really Care About the Environment?

FTA69 · 08-11-2017 12:06PM #1

I was watching David Attenborough the other day and according I him the planet is in a terrible state altogether. The oceans are wrecked and in the Caribbean there’s a slick of plastic bottles and bags miles long and wide, it was an awful sight. Similarly the amount of stuff going into landfill is depressing; nearly all those Costa-type coffee cups are totally non-recyclable and the vast majority of food waste could be disposed of sustainably but ends up f*cked in the bin. Over here in England the bag levy doesn’t apply to small shops so even buying a litre of milk gets put into a plastic bag.

Apparently if everyone made some small but consistent changes we’d be a lot better off and I’ve started eating less meat and sorting my rubbish but it’s hard going. The sheer amount of packaging we’re presented with is ridiculous; bloody individually wrapped biscuits and bananas sold on polystyrene trays wrapped in clingfilm etc. On top of that half of the time our communal recycling bin gets rejected because some dope has dumped a load of food waste or sh*tty nappies on top of it while the food waste bin had a mattress in it last time I checked.

Is environmentalism something you factor in your daily life?

TLDR: planet’s goosed bring your own bags.

Ubbquittious · 08-11-2017 12:09PM

Mainstream environmentalism is something that got put on the backburner for 6-10 years when the recession hit in 2008. Just goes to show no matter how bad the environment gets the economy remains the top priority.

In tigering times environmentalism resurfaces as people wanting to be seen with their shiny new Tesla or their A-rated home. So it's really vanity dressed up as environmentalism that becomes quite prevalent

batistuta9 · 08-11-2017 12:10PM

I think the answer to your title question is no.

People are very myopic, they'll only start to care about something or do something about it when it's directly affecting then

branie2 · 08-11-2017 12:15PM

I do

CalamariFritti · 08-11-2017 12:17PM

We don’t care. We will start caring when it really hits us but most likely it’ll be too late by then.

So we carry on thinking ah fk it I’ll be dead by then or something or someone will sort it. Or burying ourselves in denial altogether.

Well be our own extinction event. And the way we carry on we deserve it too.

WoollyRedHat · 08-11-2017 12:23PM

Our government are still way behind in legislation to combat what will be fatal climate changes down the line. They kick the can down the road and fail to legislate ( and then some poor animal gets stuck in the can!)

How can you expect people on a wholesale level to properly care about the environment when their own policy makers fail to properly address it. It needs to be ingrained as part of a culture, from an early age. Plus there is only so much the individual can do. It has to be a collective effort, without a consensus it is futile.

FTA69 · 08-11-2017 12:33PM

I don't get why we can't legislate around packaging at least, it's preposterous really the way that the consumer ends up with mountains of wrapping and bags and sh*te and the onus gets placed on us then to dispose of it. Surely something like that is enforceable at a European level?

LaChatteGitane · 08-11-2017 12:37PM

branie2 wrote: »

I do

So do I, very much.

In general, humans only care about their own little bubble.

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 12:48PM

People don't care, it's not in our nature to care about things that we can easily detach from and isn't affecting us at the moment.
You want to do your bit? Don't have kids. I really don't know why you'd want to add more people to what we're doing to the planet at the moment. It's a lost cause anyway.

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 12:50PM

FTA69 wrote: »

I don't get why we can't legislate around packaging at least, it's preposterous really the way that the consumer ends up with mountains of wrapping and bags and sh*te and the onus gets placed on us then to dispose of it. Surely something like that is enforceable at a European level?

The morons in power are talking about some coffee cup levy. Why not put high taxes on the supermarkets etc who are producing all this unnecessary rubbish? It's the only way we could get them to reduce packaging or use biodegradable packaging.
I know there are some supermarkets in Berlin and London where there's no packaging, you just bring your own containers and products are weighed as you buy them. If they had the same in Dublin I'd certainly use it.

Mr. Incognito · 08-11-2017 12:53PM

We would have to drastically reduce our lifestyle and discard petroleum products, reduce usage of cars, heating, and plastics.

This is expensive and companies exist solely for profit

So no. We dont want to do that and the environment suffers as a consequence.

People are self absorbed and vain. Facebook, instagram, snapchat etc where there are thousands of vacous pictures of half naked people vying for attention showing me their home cooked carbonnara is a sympthom of that.

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 12:55PM

And we all need to eat less meat but most people dont want to hear that

freshpopcorn · 08-11-2017 12:57PM

I don't think people care a lot about the environment. Take recycling for example most people I know recycle but the only reason they do it is because it's free or cheaper than sending your rubbish to the land fill.

topper75 · 08-11-2017 12:59PM

There is too much emphasis on the carbon emissions climate nonsense by econuts. This lightbulb and that car. Pay more tax. Nonsense.

A far more pressing, immediate, and SOLVABLE problem is littering and dumping of non-biodegradable stuff.

Chief offender here is plastic.

It is fantastic - can be made thick or thin as you like into any shape and can hold the messiest of liquids and greases.

But it does not belong in our environment.

Another solvable but less media-sexy issue (not revenue raising either!) is habitat destruction. Are we going to keep going until all land is a giant farm? Not sustainable.

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 12:59PM

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I don't think people care a lot about the environment. Take recycling for example most people I know recycle but the only reason they do it is because it's free or cheaper than sending your rubbish to the land fill.

Most people do use them but I'm pretty sure we just send it all to China where God only knows what happens to it there...

biZrb · 08-11-2017 01:00PM

I care a lot about this, but I feel the lengths I go to reduce plastic is being thwarted by others. But I still try as a small reduction is better than nothing.

There was a picture recently of a sea horse gripping a cotton bud that made me think about the plastic in them (https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/15/16314928/justin-hofman-seahorse-plastic-pollution-photography) I looked into it and a few retailers have paper stems instead of plastic ones in their cotton buds, so I buy those now.

I also watched a video of some marine biologists pulling a plastic straw that had lodged itself in a turtles nostril, it was so distressing, I used to always have a straw with my drink, but I don't now. I read recently Weatherspoons is going to stop putting straws in drinks, they'll only do it if a customer asks as the waste is enormous.

I stopped buying cleansers or products with microbeads in them as fish think they are food and it harms them.

I also don't put any plastic down the toilet as I'm afraid it'll end up in the ocean.

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 01:01PM

topper75 wrote: »

Another solvable but less media-sexy issue (not revenue raising either!) is habitat destruction. Are we going to keep going until all land is a giant farm? Not sustainable.

We've already turned Ireland into a giant farm which is why I find it funny when you hear Irish people going on about the destruction of forests etc in other countries. We destroyed all our wilderness a long time ago.

Del2005 · 08-11-2017 01:05PM

FTA69 wrote: »

I don't get why we can't legislate around packaging at least, it's preposterous really the way that the consumer ends up with mountains of wrapping and bags and sh*te and the onus gets placed on us then to dispose of it. Surely something like that is enforceable at a European level?

Because the shops are paying into REPAK so can produce as much packaging as they like. It's the biggest environmental scam in the country.

The reason why the environment is not on the agenda is because it'll take more than 5 years to get a result and no politician is going to do something that another politician will get the benefit of. Look how Ken Livingston's bike share scheme in London is known as Boris Bikes. Do you think that a politician who solves a major environmental issue and gets voted out because it costs a lot for no immediate benefit will risk there name being associated with a failure while the next politician gets the credit.

c_man · 08-11-2017 01:08PM

Some people don't, some people really do. These people are borderline ridiculous, their faith is built upon a) mankind being an evil plague on the planet, b) treatment of the Earth as the divine and c) hopelessness. Any bad is gleefully consumed and confirms the pillars, meanwhile the battle against the heretics must continue.

Climate difficulties are a problem sure, but a solvable one (and no not the solution of the other religion that states we must go to Mars to save ourselves).

TallGlass · 08-11-2017 01:13PM

Small steps. What would have been nice to see this year would have been an introduction of a scheme to bring your cans back for say 5c.

They should make it cheaper and an option. If you go somewhere to buy a product. Like a kettle for example, would you like the packaging with the kettle, it's 5€ more expensive or the same kettle in a stock bio degradable box.

StereoSound · 08-11-2017 01:20PM

Most people only care about money and sex. Thats the drive in the world imo. Feck the emissions and the ozone layer.... You won't be alive to see it collapse and by the time it does humanity will already have inhabitted Mars.

branie2 · 08-11-2017 01:22PM

Al Gore also cares

seachto7 · 08-11-2017 01:22PM

Would it be fair to say that people who drive 4X4 who don't need them for work or carrying stuff around, don't think or care about the environment?
Or are the new ones environmentally friendly?

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 01:39PM

TallGlass wrote: »

Small steps. What would have been nice to see this year would have been an introduction of a scheme to bring your cans back for say 5c.

They should make it cheaper and an option. If you go somewhere to buy a product. Like a kettle for example, would you like the packaging with the kettle, it's 5€ more expensive or the same kettle in a stock bio degradable box.

It's not going to make a difference. For every can you recycle there will be 1000 new ones being produced. In order for things to improve environmentally, we would need to drastically reduce the population across the globe, and we would all need to consume less and have way less stuff, and fly less etc.
Do you really think that could ever work? There would always be some elite who'd still have all the stuff and options and that would lead to revolt etc. etc... See communism.
Our politicians only seem to be interested in growing the economy and making money, which in itself is bad for the environment. We're f*cked.

Del2005 · 08-11-2017 01:42PM

TallGlass wrote: »

Small steps. What would have been nice to see this year would have been an introduction of a scheme to bring your cans back for say 5c.

They should make it cheaper and an option. If you go somewhere to buy a product. Like a kettle for example, would you like the packaging with the kettle, it's 5€ more expensive or the same kettle in a stock bio degradable box.

The last few items I've purchased have been in cardboard boxes with minimal plastic. Cardboard is easily recycled so dumping it, biodegradable, is a waste. Some ideas aren't good for the environment.

FTA69 · 08-11-2017 01:44PM

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

The morons in power are talking about some coffee cup levy. Why not put high taxes on the supermarkets etc who are producing all this unnecessary rubbish? It's the only way we could get them to reduce packaging or use biodegradable packaging.
I know there are some supermarkets in Berlin and London where there's no packaging, you just bring your own containers and products are weighed as you buy them. If they had the same in Dublin I'd certainly use it.

Well as we've seen if a government takes action it can have an affect. Somebody earlier said people only recycle as it's free etc, well good. At least they're doing it and as a consequence of legislation and incentive we're dumping a lot less in landfill. Those coffee cups are a joke mate, billions of them ending up in the sea or landfill every year, like plastic bags that needs to be sorted.

I agree with you about the supermarkets too but I haven't seen any, only the usual conglomerates. The local market is what winds me up, spuds or bananas on polystyrene trays, enveloped in cling film and then stuffed into doubled plastic bags. I always want to support the local traders but that does wind me up.

Dr Crayfish · 08-11-2017 01:46PM

FTA69 wrote: »

Well as we've seen if a government takes action it can have an affect. Somebody earlier said people only recycle as it's free etc, well good. At least they're doing it and as a consequence of legislation and incentive we're dumping a lot less in landfill. Those coffee cups are a joke mate, billions of them ending up in the sea or landfill every year, like plastic bags that needs to be sorted.

I agree with you about the supermarkets too but I haven't seen any, only the usual conglomerates. The local market is what winds me up, spuds or bananas on polystyrene trays, enveloped in cling film and then stuffed into doubled plastic bags. I always want to support the local traders but that does wind me up.

If you're in London I used to buy from the corner shops where they have the veg in a bowl outside and they dump them into a bag for you. At least there was no packaging involved if you had your own bag!

With coffee cups, can't they just use some kind of cardboard/paper lid? Are the cups themselves made from plastic too?

razorblunt · 08-11-2017 01:47PM

Aye I break my balls sorting out my recycling every day only for Farmer Joe to dump into the stream at the back of farm.

Del2005 · 08-11-2017 01:48PM

seachto7 wrote: »

Would it be fair to say that people who drive 4X4 who don't need them for work or carrying stuff around, don't think or care about the environment?
Or are the new ones environmentally friendly?

They are better for the environment than the person who scraps a functioning car for a new "green" car.

They are also better than the environmentally sound people who keep pets.
https://www.salon.com/2014/11/20/the_surprisingly_large_carbon_paw_print_of_your_beloved_pet_partner/

Grayson · 08-11-2017 01:48PM

Dr Crayfish wrote: »

The morons in power are talking about some coffee cup levy. Why not put high taxes on the supermarkets etc who are producing all this unnecessary rubbish? It's the only way we could get them to reduce packaging or use biodegradable packaging.
I know there are some supermarkets in Berlin and London where there's no packaging, you just bring your own containers and products are weighed as you buy them. If they had the same in Dublin I'd certainly use it.

To be fair there has been a massive drop in the number of plastic bags used since the introduction of the levee.

If it makes people carry around a reusable cup it could result in a lot less paper cups.

Grayson · 08-11-2017 01:52PM

Del2005 wrote: »

They are better for the environment than the person who scraps a functioning car for a new "green" car.

They are also better than the environmentally sound people who keep pets.
https://www.salon.com/2014/11/20/the_surprisingly_large_carbon_paw_print_of_your_beloved_pet_partner/

But they are worse than buying a smaller car or as you said, keeping their previous car or even if they are trading anyway buying an electric car.

Everytime I see someone driving a new SUV I think they mustn't give a fcuk about their kids. (Although that's not fair, they almost certainly care about their kids. Just for some reason they never consider the damage they do to the environment and the effect it will have on their kids future).

Do People Really Care About the Environment?

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