The government is only harping on about the environment so much because they want the public to feel a false sense of worry about it; in the hope that they will be able to tax us more without us minding, as we feel that by paying more we will be helping... obviously it wont help at all, it's just another money making scheme. Even supermarkets are going on about recycling now... they are simply jumping on the bandwagon, they assume that if they market themselves as 'green' that people will be more likely to buy things from them. Have you seen the amout of material they now waste advertising the fact that they recycle stuff; especially considering the fact that they've been doing the same for years, it's just that before they didn't think of it as a way of attracting shoppers.
I agree, the government and the supermarkets are benefiting alot by encouraging the sense of fear into the brittish population. However whether you do or do not beleive in climate change we are still damaging the environment by dumping our waste! The way to prevent the supermarkets from benfiting is by not using them, you will be surprised about the quality of life you lead by using grocery stores and other specialist food shops, which in the majority of cases are cheaper than supermarkets, and you can choose your own packaging. As with the government, well I'm afraid the only thing we can do here is to vote in a greener government or leave the country!
Even if Global Warming is a perceived phenomenon we can still help the planet - try composting rather than landfill - Welsh Worms do a cheap starter wormery with everything included - www.welshworms.co.uk and get a wormery!!
Originally posted by Wobbletastic: The government is only harping on about the environment so much because they want the public to feel a false sense of worry about it; in the hope that they will be able to tax us more without us minding, as we feel that by paying more we will be helping... obviously it wont help at all, it's just another money making scheme. Even supermarkets are going on about recycling now...
You've got it the wrong way round. I don't know where you're living, but in my experience people have been talking about and concerned about the environment for a long time, and now with the overwhelming evidence for global warming it has become something that most people are extremely concerned about. The major political parties are belatedly getting on board, but their actions are being driven by public and scientific opinion. However, the government is not yet taking it seriously enough, as shown by their attitude to airport expansion, and so we need to keep the pressure on.
Just to take the issue of landfill - we dump all our rubbish in the bin, it goes to landfill. Land is a limited resource, therefore, we end up building on it. This leads to mass treatment of it, leading to higher house building costs. On this selfish level, it is worth our while to consider our waste levels.
Legjoints, you seem to be missing the point that the government and businesses are playing the ‘environment card’ to their advantage by using to it raise money for themselves. The sooner people just ignore them the sooner they will give it a rest, and stop pestering us with different coloured bins and winging on about carrier bags. Only last week I bought myself the biggest most powerful car I could afford; just to upset the bean chompers who'd rather I drove some pathetic electric contraption like the awful Toyota Prius. Smell my exhaust fumes swampy!
Hi there Fizz and bucket of... cant say i blame you for your views, a bit like those of Darren who walked out of the show - generally people either deny problems like this, or despair about the size of them. its a natural response. Personally I am not that worried about what governments think or do, I think they are way behind what people think, and have a lot of catching up to do on the environment as they have ignored it for so long.
All i can say to anyone, is find out for yourself, get your head out of the sand.. you don't have have to trust the government, you don't have to rely on information from the eco - charities, find out for yourself.. this is such a big issue it is not going to just go away, so the more we all think and talk about it the better.
I can assure you there is a lot of genuine concern out there, and I am not sure if coloured bins or whatever is much of a solution, but it is up to all of us as individuals to think about what we are prepared to do to make the big changes that will need to be made.
Haha I plan to! I'm making the most of it before they bring in stupid electric self driving cars that follow some boring wires in the road or whatever.
Originally posted by Wobbletastic: The government is only harping on about the environment so much because they want the public to feel a false sense of worry about it; in the hope that they will be able to tax us more without us minding, as we feel that by paying more we will be helping... obviously it wont help at all, it's just another money making scheme.
Actually the world is harping on about the environment. The alternative to taxes is probably some form of rationing such as Domestic Tradeable Quotas. Consumption has to be brought under control because it at unsustainable levels and population levels are very high. If people took more responsibility for their impact on the environment then there would be no need for government to take action, it is as simple as that. There is a great lack of responsibility in the UK, we have lost over the last 4 or 5 decades.
Darren on the show just highlights the extent to which it has gone, with his new daily underwear and socks. The farmland used for his addiction is wasted and there are many people in the UK that have very similar wasteful habits. It all mounts up to wasting resources and creating vast mountains of rubbish.
Originally posted by Fizzwizzle: Haha I plan to! I'm making the most of it before they bring in stupid electric self driving cars that follow some boring wires in the road or whatever.
The trouble is, it is your attitude that will result in governments bringing in legislation to get people to change. As things get worse they will have no choice because growing demand to take action will force them to bring in legislation on car manufacturers.
However if everyone makes a voluntary effort now, the legislation won't be needed.
Originally posted by Fizzwizzle: Legjoints, you seem to be missing the point that the government and businesses are playing the ‘environment card’ to their advantage by using to it raise money for themselves. The sooner people just ignore them the sooner they will give it a rest, and stop pestering us with different coloured bins and winging on about carrier bags. Only last week I bought myself the biggest most powerful car I could afford; just to upset the bean chompers who'd rather I drove some pathetic electric contraption like the awful Toyota Prius. Smell my exhaust fumes swampy!
Actually the so called bean chompers as you call them (i'm not one) are doing more to prevent government interference by taking voluntary actions then you would be if you really did buy a gas guzzler. The government will have no choice buy to legislate if everyone did but gas guzzlers. It is better for individuals to take action now than to wait for the government to do so.
About 90% of the energy consumed by car's is during their production, therefore people may as well stop bothering about the harm their exhaust gasses are doing and just buy a proper car in the first place, as it has made just as much pollution through its lifetime as some rubbishy little renault or something. The government only get involved because they see cars as a way of taxing a large proportion of the population.
Originally posted by Fizzwizzle: About 90% of the energy consumed by car's is during their production, therefore people may as well stop bothering about the harm their exhaust gasses are doing and just buy a proper car in the first place, as it has made just as much pollution through its lifetime as some rubbishy little renault or something. The government only get involved because they see cars as a way of taxing a large proportion of the population.
Are you seriously suggesting that exhaust fumes cause no harm?
Originally posted by Fizzwizzle: About 90% of the energy consumed by car's is during their production, therefore people may as well stop bothering about the harm their exhaust gasses are doing and just buy a proper car in the first place, as it has made just as much pollution through its lifetime as some rubbishy little renault or something. The government only get involved because they see cars as a way of taxing a large proportion of the population.
The reality is quite the opposite. Of the energy used in cars life cycle about 10% is at the manufacturing stage and 82% from fuel use driving it (this includes extraction, production and distribution). 8% was in servicing and maintenance.
This is based on the report of the US Institute for Lifecycle Energy Analysis.
Cars are a major problem in many ways, they enable people to live further a way from their work place which is a problem in itself because it increases emissions. They allow a business to locate away from public transport, which is also a problem. They require a lot of land to be used for parking, both at home and at businesses, entertainment locations etc.
At home, gardens are being concreted over which increases flooding risk and reduces the amount of habitat available for various species including the solitary bee and many others.
Many work places have huge parking lots, which again increases flood risk and uses up valuable land.
Retail parks (this one affects me everyday) have huge car parks, built on valuable land. My route into town is now covered by car park partly built on farmland. There was little thought for pedestrians when the car park was built.
Are you seriously suggesting that exhaust fumes cause no harm?
.. if only... Fizz is of course right that cars cause a lot of pollution when they are manufactured.. about 5 years worth of driving about.. so it does make sense to get the best (i.e. most efficient) new car you can afford etc... but also to note that its better for the environment to keep your old car as long as possible, unless of course its a gas guzzling wreck. I think people who buy big engined cars now are going to have a hard time selling them in a few years time, if the price of oil goes up anything like what they are predicting it will.
Are you seriously suggesting that exhaust fumes cause no harm?
.. if only... Fizz is of course right that cars cause a lot of pollution when they are manufactured.. about 5 years worth of driving about.. so it does make sense to get the best (i.e. most efficient) new car you can afford etc... but also to note that its better for the environment to keep your old car as long as possible, unless of course its a gas guzzling wreck. I think people who buy big engined cars now are going to have a hard time selling them in a few years time, if the price of oil goes up anything like what they are predicting it will.
It could be that the energy input at production is higher than 10% now (certainly no where near 90%) because parts have to be tranported long distances around the world and that they are assembled in a location away from their final destination.
I'm making the most of it before they bring in stupid electric self driving cars that follow some boring wires in the road or whatever.
