The Planet in Peril

What changes to our leisure pursuits and lives do folk think will make that difference for our future generations?

Interesting to read people's views and comments on this subject and even the smallest change can make a big difference: eg I x plastic straw x 7 billion people; 1 x coffee cup x 7 billion etc etc

Whatever your views are on global warming, I was reminded on a recent trip to Iceland by the residents whose fears for their grandchildren are real, with the current rate of glacial melt. 

It will be interesting to see at the NEC show how the leisure vehicle suppliers are investing in change, end of life recycling, alternative fuels, lowering emissions, carbon footprints, rather than just manufacturing 'lighter' vehicles.

Interesting indeed! And slightly ironic entertaining that your comment appears on my screen next to an advert with C&MC logo on, pushing a Volvo D5 powered car; but there is hope: http://www.climateaction.org/news/volvo-to-stop-making-new-diesel-cars  (May 15 this year)

While they claim there that diesel's "not more dirty, just more complicated", it'll be very good if they do stick to their plan.

It was also interesting to hear no less than one of Shell's top executives saying explicitly that the era of oil-based fuels is passing, that they need to recognise this, and that's why they're currently getting much more into ways of supplying  electricity and other power sources. (BBC Radio4 interview earlier this week.) That is encouraging.

... but I'd bet they'll all sell all they can of the old technology first  ... and I can't help wondering how much the club makes on pages like this https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/membership/member-offers/volvo/

I take my hat off to the Scandinavians and their forward thinking. A German car manufacturer however, has just announced it's going to produce a diesel hybrid! No doubt it'll be 'better for the planet' and travel 10,000 miles on one tank 😉

The news item at lunchtime about the recommencement of fracking drew with it a comment by the presenter drawing attention to the withdrawal of Solar subsidies, reduction in electric vehicle subsidies and freezing of fuel duty and comparing such moves with the fanfare about carbon neutral by 2050. Talk about confused.com. I'm unlikely to be around to see the result although given the preservatives in our food, perhaps I will be.

One of the biggest polluters of our planet and getting worse is air travel,but itis not being demonized as are our vehicles

A lot of the environmental issues we are facing today is down to greedy companies who is more interested in profit and bonuses than the environment. 

Rural inhabitants are unable to reduce their use of a vehicle whilst local banks close branches and shops close and nearest town could be 20 miles away.

We are encouraged to use/ buy rechargeable phones, tablets etc, again at a cost to the environment. 

So until changes are made by manufactures etc It will be hard to make a difference.

It is the main reason that cremations are "encouraged?" because we have so many preservatives in our bodies that we would never decompose when stuck in the ground

"I've truly been trying to keep from making overtly political comments (!) but…"

……you’ve not succeeded!

The Guardian ran a passionately written article t'other day arguing that while us each doing our own bit is all very well, what's really going to count is us ganging up on governments to push them into making ecological things really happen, rather than just making the noises and actually achieving very little.

Isn't this what people were posting right at the start of this thread?