Thanks, this is a good comprehensive overview. Climate change is not a simple issue where you can just change a thing or two to fix it; it requires deep changes in most aspects of life. And this...
Thanks, this is a good comprehensive overview. Climate change is not a simple issue where you can just change a thing or two to fix it; it requires deep changes in most aspects of life. And this change has to happen right now.
Good article from the BBC, I'll definitely be sharing this with a few people. I like how it talks about people being influenced by others sustainable behavior which is important. Also good that...
Good article from the BBC, I'll definitely be sharing this with a few people. I like how it talks about people being influenced by others sustainable behavior which is important.
Also good that while they mention about having less/no kids they don't push it too hard. I hate when these threads come up on reddit and the first response is "don't have kids". It's such an extreme statement that is likely to turn people off taking any action. Either they already have kids and the suggestion is pointless or they're being asked to not do one of the most basic human things. The birth rate in all developed countries (who are the primary reason for climate change) is already near/at/less than replacement level. We need to focus on smarter and cleaner energy use instead.
I've been meaning to write a post on overpopulation on Tildes for a fair bit now. While I can appreciate that those who say "just don't have kids" creates an attitude of elitism & seems like a...
I've been meaning to write a post on overpopulation on Tildes for a fair bit now. While I can appreciate that those who say "just don't have kids" creates an attitude of elitism & seems like a method of shutting people down; I think it's an important discussion to have—and as someone who is in support of population reduction, I'd like to do my absolute best to convince people by way of persuasive argument that family planning or considering not having kids is an incredibly climate friendly idea.
I understand that having children can be considered a primal instinct; but part of us being an intelligent species is that we've for the most part become masters of our environment and ourselves. This means making hard choices: when there's nearly 8 billion other humans on this planet, it is so fundamental to step back and actually consider that it may not be in either your potential child's, or our planet's best interests.
I also vehemently disagree with the the BBC's summary of "we need more problem solvers, not less". If we have less people, there's less problems to solve in the first place—most environmental issues are occurring not because of the effects they have, but because of the scale they're being performed at. Furthermore, scientific fields & careers are elastic. We already have over a billion people who don't have access to higher education or the ability to enter fields of their choosing. Shouldn't we focus on improving the lives of the existing before we begin focusing on new people entirely?
It's not a popular opinion; but given current resource consumption, the ecosystem decline we're inflicting on the planet, I'd probably estimate we can only support half a billion people if we want to be truly sustainable.
When discussing the environment and consumerism, I definitely believe "having kids" is something to discuss. I just find that it, as you've already mention, is really shuts down discussion. And...
When discussing the environment and consumerism, I definitely believe "having kids" is something to discuss. I just find that it, as you've already mention, is really shuts down discussion. And often, I find that no one really wants to discuss having kids or not in this respect, it's more of a "answer is always no" if you're for the environment.
Places like Canada and the US have carbon footprints 4-5x that of other nations, including China, on a per capita level. Personally, I would like to see more discussion about both population control and consumption control per capita. Even to the point of something like war-rationing for developed countries.
And both for environmental impact and social change, I would love to see discussion on topics like making adoption more accessible, redefining and normalizing different family make ups and more open boarders (immigration) to fill first world declining populations.
I think I'm getting a bit off topic, but ultimately, I see having kids as I see a lot of living, which is just "in moderation", both in having and in raising them. We need to live*, it's the gross over-consumption that we need to stop.
*This is a general statement. Just saying you can have a smart phone, not grow your own potatoes, drink milk, and still be part of the solution.
I can appreciate that. I think we're in agreement; I apologise on behalf of anyone who's devolved into just shouting "have less kids" without actually espousing a rationale—people need to provide...
I can appreciate that. I think we're in agreement; I apologise on behalf of anyone who's devolved into just shouting "have less kids" without actually espousing a rationale—people need to provide convincing arguments that can stand on their own feet.
At this point, the situation is so dire that I think an "all of the above" approach is going to be needed; which includes everything you've mentioned.
I generally really liked the article too, but this stood out as a nice change for me too. It really is a pet peeve of mine when people jump directly to "don't have kids" or "don't have pets". I...
Also good that while they mention about having less/no kids they don't push it too hard. I hate when these threads come up on reddit and the first response is "don't have kids".
I generally really liked the article too, but this stood out as a nice change for me too. It really is a pet peeve of mine when people jump directly to "don't have kids" or "don't have pets". I feel it just shuts down discussion so quickly.
Another tip that's surprisingly hard to convince people of: mow less lawn. It's ridiculous how much time, fuel, and fertilizer is wasted on lawns, just to keep them green and barren. I'm not...
Another tip that's surprisingly hard to convince people of: mow less lawn. It's ridiculous how much time, fuel, and fertilizer is wasted on lawns, just to keep them green and barren. I'm not saying you shouldn't have any lawn area, but consider reducing it. Let parts grow wild, plant wildflowers, or, even better, plant things you can eat (and reduce your dependence on wasteful industrial farming). And spend less time mowing!
I love the idea of mowing less lawn! However, unless I want to grow prickly weeds, grass really is the easiest plant to grow for where I am. I would love to start growing more veggies and such,...
I love the idea of mowing less lawn! However, unless I want to grow prickly weeds, grass really is the easiest plant to grow for where I am. I would love to start growing more veggies and such, but our growing season is pretty short, so I would have to fertilize and water the hell out of it. So for us at least, grass is surprisingly the best plant to grow.
I suspect that an experienced gardener in your area could swoop in and recommend several native plants that would be easier to maintain than grass... But I am definitely not that experienced...
I suspect that an experienced gardener in your area could swoop in and recommend several native plants that would be easier to maintain than grass... But I am definitely not that experienced gardener! I've only been reading and thinking about permaculture ideas for a couple years, which brings up the problem that I must admit my original comment glossed over: creating and managing a successful low-effort garden requires a lot of knowledge. I'm enthusiastic about it, and even I feel like I know very little.
I'm working on it, but I've managed to shrink only a small portion of my own lawn so far. I've expanded my vegetable garden area, planted some clover (which pulls nitrogen from the air and fixes it into the soil) that will hopefully continue to spread into the grassy areas, and started thinking about a flower garden. I've also been thinking about using biochar to retain water/nutrients/generally improve my soil, but so far have only added it to my compost piles. And I'm working on a hugelkultur, which does seem to be helping to retain moisture in my sandy soil, but that's just one small area.
All of this is pretty easy for me to say, though, as I have 14 acres on the edge of a national forest, and I have no ordinances telling me to keep weeds from overgrowing, no neighbors hoping I'll mow my lawn regularly, etc. In other words, I completely understand if mowing grass is actually the easiest option for you and for most people. You'd have to research a lot of local plants to find anything better--and maybe you have, and maybe grass really is the best option. Who am I to say?
If you're interested, though, you might consider some of the ideas I've tried: clover is easy to grow and helps fertilize the lawn, and biochar and small-scale hugelkulturs can help retain water and nutrients (though both admittedly steal them at first). Mulching is another option for keeping moisture in a garden--with woodchips, shredded leaves, or other organic materials. But hopefully I don't sound like I'm trying to tell you what to do (I feel like despite my efforts, I'm sounding a little bossy and judgmental...sorry!). None of us are perfect, and we all have different things we do to try to make the planet a better place, which is, to me, what matters.
Possibly. Hehe, I live in the prairies and various types of grass are the natural native plants here, though I currently grow kentucky green. We've also been dealing with some pocket drought....
I suspect that an experienced gardener in your area could swoop in and recommend several native plants that would be easier to maintain than grass...
Possibly. Hehe, I live in the prairies and various types of grass are the natural native plants here, though I currently grow kentucky green. We've also been dealing with some pocket drought. Between that and crazy amount of clay my house sits on, I can barely grow weeds. I wish I were exaggerating on this.
We did the mulch thing for a few years and just couldn't keep enough mulch down. I also live in a high wind area. Ended up switching to the heavier recycled tires mulch and they still blew away. Going to probably put down some low bushes to help keep moisture and top soil from being blown away.
Currently, I'm focused on keeping my existing trees alive and hopefully adding a couple more next year to break up the wind a bit, add some shade, and such so that they can protect any top soil (whatever I end up choosing) so that I can eventually grow some veggies. Also going to grow some simple herbs.
But hopefully I don't sound like I'm trying to tell you what to do (I feel like despite my efforts, I'm sounding a little bossy and judgmental...sorry!)
No worries. I'm actually a bit obsessed about my yard, so I'm always happy to hear suggestions. I grew up with a pretty nice garden both for flowers and veggies, so my goal is to eventually get back to something like that instead of just grass.
Sounds like you have more experience and knowledge than me, so I feel a little silly making recommendations, but I suppose that doesn't mean that we don't have different experience and knowledge....
Sounds like you have more experience and knowledge than me, so I feel a little silly making recommendations, but I suppose that doesn't mean that we don't have different experience and knowledge. You might consider visiting /r/Permaculture and asking questions there; there are a lot of very knowledgeable and helpful people who visit the forum. There are also some people there who aren't quite as friendly or nice (which always surprises me), but overall, it's a great forum. Just stay away from political discussion...
It's crazy that the wind blows so much away. I hope that you can find some good solutions and make the most of your yard!
This article made me want to put solar panels on my roof! I mean, I kind of do anyways, but it's a fairly big investment that I'm not thrilled about spending the money on. Plus they rezoned my...
This article made me want to put solar panels on my roof!
I mean, I kind of do anyways, but it's a fairly big investment that I'm not thrilled about spending the money on. Plus they rezoned my neighbourhood to allow taller buildings and the house beside me is rented so I'm a little worried it's going to become a row of townhouses at some point, blocking my best solar-array-spot.
Little eco changes are pretty viral though, I like that they mention that in the article because people often ask me what the point of me being the only person who is bringing a reusable food container around is. And, if a switch is truly good, people are often into it - I found a really nice shaving razor that uses razor blade replacement instead of anything disposable, and like 4 of my friends and family have one now, so none of us are disposing of plastic razors anymore. And I never shut up about the diva cup so a lot of people I know have switched there too (because it's BETTER) and while one person's impact is negligible I guess, if every one of us makes 4 other people make a good change, then that adds up.
Me too, but where I live, I'm pretty sure we won't get enough sun for them. (I did a check a few years ago, granted solar panels were a lot less efficient then, and they basically would never pay...
This article made me want to put solar panels on my roof!
Me too, but where I live, I'm pretty sure we won't get enough sun for them. (I did a check a few years ago, granted solar panels were a lot less efficient then, and they basically would never pay themselves off.)
Little eco changes are pretty viral though...
I totally agree. I know I switched to the diva cup because a friend talked about it. And more recently, I started using beeswax covers instead of cling wrap because I saw a friend had one in her fridge and asked her about it :P I meant to switch forever, but I guess I just needed the reminder.
Thanks, this is a good comprehensive overview. Climate change is not a simple issue where you can just change a thing or two to fix it; it requires deep changes in most aspects of life. And this change has to happen right now.
:) I really did like the article for covering both what needs to be done on a small and larger scale.
Good article from the BBC, I'll definitely be sharing this with a few people. I like how it talks about people being influenced by others sustainable behavior which is important.
Also good that while they mention about having less/no kids they don't push it too hard. I hate when these threads come up on reddit and the first response is "don't have kids". It's such an extreme statement that is likely to turn people off taking any action. Either they already have kids and the suggestion is pointless or they're being asked to not do one of the most basic human things. The birth rate in all developed countries (who are the primary reason for climate change) is already near/at/less than replacement level. We need to focus on smarter and cleaner energy use instead.
I've been meaning to write a post on overpopulation on Tildes for a fair bit now. While I can appreciate that those who say "just don't have kids" creates an attitude of elitism & seems like a method of shutting people down; I think it's an important discussion to have—and as someone who is in support of population reduction, I'd like to do my absolute best to convince people by way of persuasive argument that family planning or considering not having kids is an incredibly climate friendly idea.
I understand that having children can be considered a primal instinct; but part of us being an intelligent species is that we've for the most part become masters of our environment and ourselves. This means making hard choices: when there's nearly 8 billion other humans on this planet, it is so fundamental to step back and actually consider that it may not be in either your potential child's, or our planet's best interests.
I also vehemently disagree with the the BBC's summary of "we need more problem solvers, not less". If we have less people, there's less problems to solve in the first place—most environmental issues are occurring not because of the effects they have, but because of the scale they're being performed at. Furthermore, scientific fields & careers are elastic. We already have over a billion people who don't have access to higher education or the ability to enter fields of their choosing. Shouldn't we focus on improving the lives of the existing before we begin focusing on new people entirely?
It's not a popular opinion; but given current resource consumption, the ecosystem decline we're inflicting on the planet, I'd probably estimate we can only support half a billion people if we want to be truly sustainable.
When discussing the environment and consumerism, I definitely believe "having kids" is something to discuss. I just find that it, as you've already mention, is really shuts down discussion. And often, I find that no one really wants to discuss having kids or not in this respect, it's more of a "answer is always no" if you're for the environment.
Places like Canada and the US have carbon footprints 4-5x that of other nations, including China, on a per capita level. Personally, I would like to see more discussion about both population control and consumption control per capita. Even to the point of something like war-rationing for developed countries.
And both for environmental impact and social change, I would love to see discussion on topics like making adoption more accessible, redefining and normalizing different family make ups and more open boarders (immigration) to fill first world declining populations.
I think I'm getting a bit off topic, but ultimately, I see having kids as I see a lot of living, which is just "in moderation", both in having and in raising them. We need to live*, it's the gross over-consumption that we need to stop.
*This is a general statement. Just saying you can have a smart phone, not grow your own potatoes, drink milk, and still be part of the solution.
I can appreciate that. I think we're in agreement; I apologise on behalf of anyone who's devolved into just shouting "have less kids" without actually espousing a rationale—people need to provide convincing arguments that can stand on their own feet.
At this point, the situation is so dire that I think an "all of the above" approach is going to be needed; which includes everything you've mentioned.
I think we are in agreement too, though I guess I'm a bit more of "a little to some of all of the above" :P
I generally really liked the article too, but this stood out as a nice change for me too. It really is a pet peeve of mine when people jump directly to "don't have kids" or "don't have pets". I feel it just shuts down discussion so quickly.
Another tip that's surprisingly hard to convince people of: mow less lawn. It's ridiculous how much time, fuel, and fertilizer is wasted on lawns, just to keep them green and barren. I'm not saying you shouldn't have any lawn area, but consider reducing it. Let parts grow wild, plant wildflowers, or, even better, plant things you can eat (and reduce your dependence on wasteful industrial farming). And spend less time mowing!
I love the idea of mowing less lawn! However, unless I want to grow prickly weeds, grass really is the easiest plant to grow for where I am. I would love to start growing more veggies and such, but our growing season is pretty short, so I would have to fertilize and water the hell out of it. So for us at least, grass is surprisingly the best plant to grow.
I suspect that an experienced gardener in your area could swoop in and recommend several native plants that would be easier to maintain than grass... But I am definitely not that experienced gardener! I've only been reading and thinking about permaculture ideas for a couple years, which brings up the problem that I must admit my original comment glossed over: creating and managing a successful low-effort garden requires a lot of knowledge. I'm enthusiastic about it, and even I feel like I know very little.
I'm working on it, but I've managed to shrink only a small portion of my own lawn so far. I've expanded my vegetable garden area, planted some clover (which pulls nitrogen from the air and fixes it into the soil) that will hopefully continue to spread into the grassy areas, and started thinking about a flower garden. I've also been thinking about using biochar to retain water/nutrients/generally improve my soil, but so far have only added it to my compost piles. And I'm working on a hugelkultur, which does seem to be helping to retain moisture in my sandy soil, but that's just one small area.
All of this is pretty easy for me to say, though, as I have 14 acres on the edge of a national forest, and I have no ordinances telling me to keep weeds from overgrowing, no neighbors hoping I'll mow my lawn regularly, etc. In other words, I completely understand if mowing grass is actually the easiest option for you and for most people. You'd have to research a lot of local plants to find anything better--and maybe you have, and maybe grass really is the best option. Who am I to say?
If you're interested, though, you might consider some of the ideas I've tried: clover is easy to grow and helps fertilize the lawn, and biochar and small-scale hugelkulturs can help retain water and nutrients (though both admittedly steal them at first). Mulching is another option for keeping moisture in a garden--with woodchips, shredded leaves, or other organic materials. But hopefully I don't sound like I'm trying to tell you what to do (I feel like despite my efforts, I'm sounding a little bossy and judgmental...sorry!). None of us are perfect, and we all have different things we do to try to make the planet a better place, which is, to me, what matters.
Possibly. Hehe, I live in the prairies and various types of grass are the natural native plants here, though I currently grow kentucky green. We've also been dealing with some pocket drought. Between that and crazy amount of clay my house sits on, I can barely grow weeds. I wish I were exaggerating on this.
We did the mulch thing for a few years and just couldn't keep enough mulch down. I also live in a high wind area. Ended up switching to the heavier recycled tires mulch and they still blew away. Going to probably put down some low bushes to help keep moisture and top soil from being blown away.
Currently, I'm focused on keeping my existing trees alive and hopefully adding a couple more next year to break up the wind a bit, add some shade, and such so that they can protect any top soil (whatever I end up choosing) so that I can eventually grow some veggies. Also going to grow some simple herbs.
No worries. I'm actually a bit obsessed about my yard, so I'm always happy to hear suggestions. I grew up with a pretty nice garden both for flowers and veggies, so my goal is to eventually get back to something like that instead of just grass.
Sounds like you have more experience and knowledge than me, so I feel a little silly making recommendations, but I suppose that doesn't mean that we don't have different experience and knowledge. You might consider visiting /r/Permaculture and asking questions there; there are a lot of very knowledgeable and helpful people who visit the forum. There are also some people there who aren't quite as friendly or nice (which always surprises me), but overall, it's a great forum. Just stay away from political discussion...
It's crazy that the wind blows so much away. I hope that you can find some good solutions and make the most of your yard!
I appreciate your input! And yeah, I hope I'll eventually sort our my yard too.
This article made me want to put solar panels on my roof!
I mean, I kind of do anyways, but it's a fairly big investment that I'm not thrilled about spending the money on. Plus they rezoned my neighbourhood to allow taller buildings and the house beside me is rented so I'm a little worried it's going to become a row of townhouses at some point, blocking my best solar-array-spot.
Little eco changes are pretty viral though, I like that they mention that in the article because people often ask me what the point of me being the only person who is bringing a reusable food container around is. And, if a switch is truly good, people are often into it - I found a really nice shaving razor that uses razor blade replacement instead of anything disposable, and like 4 of my friends and family have one now, so none of us are disposing of plastic razors anymore. And I never shut up about the diva cup so a lot of people I know have switched there too (because it's BETTER) and while one person's impact is negligible I guess, if every one of us makes 4 other people make a good change, then that adds up.
Me too, but where I live, I'm pretty sure we won't get enough sun for them. (I did a check a few years ago, granted solar panels were a lot less efficient then, and they basically would never pay themselves off.)
I totally agree. I know I switched to the diva cup because a friend talked about it. And more recently, I started using beeswax covers instead of cling wrap because I saw a friend had one in her fridge and asked her about it :P I meant to switch forever, but I guess I just needed the reminder.