I think I am tired of being "Green".

Leper said:
I could bring you to housing estates in Cork where household waste surpasses the recyclables in the recyclable bin. It's easy to differentiate between recyclable and household waste and glass and unused cooked food.
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What I don't understand about this is WHY ??
It's not like they don't have the choice of bins to put their waste in
If you don't want to recycle then just put it all in the black bin
Is it a cost factor or just a simple two fingers to society in general??
Either way it's true reflection on the individuals who act this way!!
 
Cervelo said:
What I don't understand about this is WHY ??
It's not like they don't have the choice of bins to put their waste in
If you don't want to recycle then just put it all in the black bin
Is it a cost factor or just a simple two fingers to society in general??
Either way it's true reflection on the individuals who act this way!!
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Oh! Cervelo, to have your innocent mind! These people pay for nothing and never have paid for anything especially local authority services. They screw the system for as much as they can get and for how long they can get. They know their rubbish will be collected free no matter what amount has accumulated. They have no shame and are leeches of society and unfortunately, their good responsible neighbours get tarnished with the same reputation.
 
Between you commenting on my "Innocent mind" and Mr McGibneys in the "Extreme simplistic" thinking
I'm now wondering if I might be one banana short of the bunch ;)

In all seriousness I wouldn't consider my self in any way an environmentalist or a green activist and do believe that most of the solutions been suggested and acted on at the moment will actually in the long term cause more unintended/intended consequences for our environment
I have no intention of of improving the BER of my house and will not be changing my car any time soon to an electric one, yada yada yada

But where I do see the best thing that I can do and I believe if we all adopted it it would go a long way to helping us out of this mess we're in
It's very simplistic and innocent in its design and it is just to make the switch from consuming more to consuming less
It's things like not upgrading your phone every year, keeping a car for 10 or more years, not always having the latest and greatest of whatever, maybe look to see if somebody is selling one second hand instead of buying new, only buying food that you are going to consume and not food that you might should the occasion or feeling arise and of course disposing of the waste you have created in responsible way
To me that is the least we could all be doing to help the planet for the future generations to come
 
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Cervelo said:
But where I do see the best thing that I can do and I believe if we all adopted it it would go a long way to helping us out of this mess we're in
It's very simplistic and innocent in its design and it is just to make the switch from consuming more to consuming less
It's things like not upgrading your phone every year, keeping a car for 10 or more years, not always having the latest and greatest of whatever,
only buying food that you are going to consume and not food that you might should the occasion or feeling arise and of course disposing of the waste you have created in responsible way
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It would be great if the Greens (or any other party for that matter) proposed an initiative like this for a year or two. People would spend and consume less and hopefully have more money in their pockets. They might see that life doesn't fall apart if you don't have the latest iphone and that the neighbours really don't give a toss about what year is on the registration plate of your car.

Of course the vested interests would compain (e.g. car dealers).
 
Cervelo said:
only buying food that you are going to consume and not food that you might should the occasion or feeling arise and of course disposing of the waste
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For many years we have only bought what was needed at Christmas. I must be getting soft in the head but this year we decided to do it differently. We would have the gang over and instead of offering the traditional Christmas lunch we would have a cold lunch instead.

Huge amount of waste as a result. Not everyone likes coleslaw or pickled cabbage or smoked meats. The result, we have been eating this stuff for days after Christmas....stuff now out of date so having to dispose of a fair bit.

We both hate waste. So our moment of madness has passed and next year we will get back on track.
 
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PGF2016 said:
It would be great if the Greens (or any other party for that matter) proposed an initiative like this for a year or two. People would spend and consume less and hopefully have more money in their pockets. They might see that life doesn't fall apart if you don't have the latest iphone and that the neighbours really don't give a toss about what year is on the registration plate of your car.

Of course the vested interests would compain (e.g. car dealers).
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Ignoring the inconvenient facts that VAT receipts would fall significantly and retail outlets would close. So real people would lose real jobs, and the economy might go into recession.

But hey! The happy cheery campers will have made a minute contribution to saving the planet so Greta will be pleased and everything will be rosy on Planet PGF2016!
 
Marsupial said:
Ignoring the inconvenient facts that VAT receipts would fall significantly and retail outlets would close. So real people would lose real jobs, and the economy might go into recession.

But hey! The happy cheery campers will have made a minute contribution to saving the planet so Greta will be pleased and everything will be rosy on Planet PGF2016!
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One of us is certainly ignoring inconvenient facts.

The world changes and people lose jobs all the time as jobs become obsolete (e.g. blacksmiths). Not for a second saying it would be easy or that all could change careers but there are labour shortages in areas other than retail.

There are many problems (environment, climate, biodiversity etc.) caused by or exacerbated by over consumption. We can't continue as we are. There will have to be change. Some of it will be hard. Some of it will not be half as bad as people fear.

Repeating my previous comment - we need leaders who are willing to make unpopular decisions that will lead to short term difficulties for long term gain.

Also - the economy / VAT receipts / recession? We can't continue using one metric (the economy) to decide if we are on the right path. There's so much more to life than GDP growth.

And most of the goods consumed are from overseas (clothes, cars, electronics). How about we consume more local products and experiences and keep the money in our economy?
 
The level of myopia on this thread from certain posters is mindboggling.

If one was to take a small step back, look at the size of Ireland, look at what we produce/consume/dispose of and then compare our entire contribution to the likes of the USA, China, India etc. are we are a complete and utter irrelevance. NOTHING we do in Ireland in terms of climate change/recycling etc. makes ANY difference to over global figures or levels. A tiny island on the edge of the Atlantic. It might make some people feel better about themselves/more smug but at the end of the day, they are changing nothing. The emissions savings of using an electric vehicle vs an ICE one - even if everyone in Ireland had one - are infinitesimal compared to what the large economies are belching out.

Have a read of this:

A: Carbon Dioxide - Guide to Chinese Climate Policy

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse...
chineseclimatepolicy.oxfordenergy.org chineseclimatepolicy.oxfordenergy.org

The main headline is : In 2021, China’s CO2 emissions were roughly 11.3 Gt—almost one-third of the global total. Roughly 10.5 Gt were from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). Most of the rest were from cement manufacturing. China’s CO2 emissions exceeded those from the United States, European Union and Japan combined.

Climate change is real and it is a real concern and people can do what they like and spend their own money as they like. However, don't be fooled into thinking that they are 'saving' the planet or even making a difference. They are not.
 
tallpaul said:
The level of myopia on this thread from certain posters is mindboggling.

If one was to take a small step back, look at the size of Ireland, look at what we produce/consume/dispose of and then compare our entire contribution to the likes of the USA, China, India etc. are we are a complete and utter irrelevance. NOTHING we do in Ireland in terms of climate change/recycling etc. makes ANY difference to over global figures or levels. A tiny island on the edge of the Atlantic. It might make some people feel better about themselves/more smug but at the end of the day, they are changing nothing. The emissions savings of using an electric vehicle vs an ICE one - even if everyone in Ireland had one - are infinitesimal compared to what the large economies are belching out.

Have a read of this:

A: Carbon Dioxide - Guide to Chinese Climate Policy

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse...
chineseclimatepolicy.oxfordenergy.org chineseclimatepolicy.oxfordenergy.org

The main headline is : In 2021, China’s CO2 emissions were roughly 11.3 Gt—almost one-third of the global total. Roughly 10.5 Gt were from the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). Most of the rest were from cement manufacturing. China’s CO2 emissions exceeded those from the United States, European Union and Japan combined.

Climate change is real and it is a real concern and people can do what they like and spend their own money as they like. However, don't be fooled into thinking that they are 'saving' the planet or even making a difference. They are not.
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Not this again.

Being more 'green' is not just about climate change.

When you mention myopia have a look in the mirror first.
 
tallpaul said:
Sorry what now? So what is it about? And why should I bother if it doesn't make a difference?

Or are the facts just a little bit too inconvenient to fit your narrative?
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Let's take an easy example.

Why should I cycle down to the shops as opposed to driving when China is bringing a new coal powered station online every week?

Answer:
Reduced local air pollution.
Reduced local noise pollution.
Reduce traffic.
All of the above making my locality a nicer place to live.

(also cheaper and healthier).

All local benefits to being more 'green' that have little to nothing to do with climate change.
 
But what about all the posts in this thread and elsewhere bemoaning the world burning and we need to do something or the terribly hot summers and woeful wet winters will destroy us all and by cycling on my work commute from Drogheda (or wherever) to Dublin or buying a Tesla or putting plastic packaging in the correct bin that I am saving the planet?? Myopic the lot of them as they can't see the bigger picture.

Because it is not the local aspect (which is very worthy - in every sense of the word) but the saving the planet schtick that grinds my gears I'm afraid. Those that 'can't sleep at night for thinking of the climate emergency' types that hog the airwaves and the discussion forums. The Extinction Rebellion halfwits and Greta Thunberg wannabes. Until the large emission producer nations are reigned in, everything else is a waste of time.

Just look at the COP28 shenanigans for goodness sake.
 
Ceist Beag said:
You can already see how the Irish Farming industry responded to the very mild suggestion of reducing your meat consumption. What we need is for stronger government who can stand up to this type of lobbying.
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Don't agree on the specific issue, but I do agree with the thinking - however, unless you elect a true dictator, you won't get this. Irish politicans like to try and sit on the fence, offend no one, and milk their expenses and privileges, without notice.

Truely addressing real life problems - be it Healthcare, Public Safety, Housing, Sustainability etc. are never going to be really tackled, despite all the bull that we get told by various Government, and opposition, politicans. Long winded speeches, and even longer winded legislation to make only minor changes, is all we ever get.

So, let's all make an effort to influence something that we can influence, to help our country, and the planet - recycle, reduce waste, use solar, wind, hydro power when practical etc. Oh, and don't forget to vote, starting with the local elections, later this year ;-)
 
Marsupial said:
What I fail to understand is why, although literally every National School in my area of rural West Cork proudly flies one or more Green Flags on the playground flagpole, the kids who go to these schools (or their parents or older siblings) persist in throwing sweet wrappers and soft drink cans out of the windows of the cars that bring them to and from school every day. (I don't blame them for the occasional paper coffee cup or cigarette pack that I also encounter on my daily walks). It's as if they believe that the need to be green applies only while they are inside the school grounds.
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Excellent post. It's exactly why a deposit return scheme is required. It's like car speeding, unless a penalty applies, people will not change behaviour.
 
T McGibney said:
On our rural by-road, really a glorified lane, we regularly find the remnants of an entire family's McDonalds drive-through meal. It's likely that it's the same family doing it all the time and they have children young enough to be eating Happy Meals.

The mind boggles.
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So a plastic return levy is required
 
clinteastwood said:
Excellent post. It's exactly why a deposit return scheme is required. It's like car speeding, unless a penalty applies, people will not change behaviour.
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One of the worst examples ever, on AAM - do you not see the regular news reports on the numbers that are done for speeding? (and that is probably in no way reflective of the true numbers that do actually suited, many of whom are on rural roads, which relating largely unregulated by the Gardai, or private sites vans).

I fear that you may not be able to see past this rediculous idea, despite what anyone else on this discussion might say to you.
 
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