Not as Green as it appears.

[Two_Sheds]

It's crazy.
It's also sad and cynical that the ideas being peddled as 'green' really aren't ...

But its just the same as so-called 'healthy' ready meals, 'healthy' cakes etc.

We need to read the labels/small print !!

It IS such hard work, and confusing, to be greener/more ethical. I still think we should try though, and live lightly on this planet.

Probably the single greenest thing we could do is stop breeding (all those extra consumers) ... yikes, light the blue touchpaper ....

[Alison]

The breeding thing is something I can be smug about as we don't have kids, however even if we all stopped now, it wouldn't actually make much difference as it takes a generation for the reduction to kick in and by that time predictions show it would be too late, we need to make proper reductions now - as Two Sheds says above we need to make the effort to live lightly on the planet, after all we owe it a lot when you consider what an amazing place it is.

[SueA]

I think we can all do our bit in whatever way we feel comfortable with, there are up & downsides to all 'green' products etc. I do think that councils nowadays are pretending to have a 'green' conscience whereas what they're really trying to do is avoid fines imposed by the government for not meeting targets on landfill. Our council offers cheap & sometimes free compost bins & also a garden waste bin for those who have a garden but no composter for whatever reason. They've also recently introduced 2 new bins for paper/ cardboard & tins/plastic/metals to replace the small box & collection bag we already had.This means people now have four multi-coloured huge bins to try & hide, not easy when you live in a small terrace so I've since negotiated with them & we now have no bins at all - we share next doors! This took several emails & phone calls & a visit from the 'Waste Management Respnose Team' to arrange, on one call I was told sharing a bin was not an option but along with a nice young man from the Response team convinced them that sharing would encourage less waste production.
Talking of Fiddlers Ferry Piglet, we pass that quite often & I don't know what they're burning now but it's still one of the dirtiest power stations around & the nearby buildings are always coated in grey fallout!

[jacob marley]

Arent we all being a touch SANCTIMONIOUS about how green is green perhaps we should start where we are on computors all the parts inside made in far east and the printers and scanners all made in far east .
Next mobile phones most people have one some have more all made in the far east .
Next TV's most people have them some two or three youv'e got it right the far east again .
Now whats next any thing elecrical turn it over and se where it was made probably the far east.
Oh motor Cars most of us drive Imported models i do have done for years .
The only stuff that is going to the far east is scrap iron and the lead of church roofs because the only people doing any sort of manufacturing are in the far east .
so the war is lost just do the best you can we have seen the best in this world just feel sorry for the one's following us .
We are all doomed Mr Mannering jacob

[zebedee]

Speaking of green 'stuff', what the phud is this 'Carbon Friendly' car insurance that's been advertised on the telly? 'Ow do that work?

[Flummery]

Got an energy efficient light bulb 3 weeks ago (given to Mr F by Age Concern for filling in a questionnaire when he went for his flu jab) and it's gone already. Me - not impressed!

[Alison]

Is that why you've got the candles out then Flum? Seriously though never had an energy efficient one go yet and have had them for a few years. However, somebody did say that you have to store them vertically (I think!!!) otherwise they are more prone to blow. Don't know why though.

[pigletwillie]

Jacob, importing goods for consumption isnt green but then it doesnt pretend to be in the main so isnt realy sanctamonious.

The jist of this thread is about things that are lauded as being green when they are not, as per the example of fiddlers ferry power station. Its the plain deciet of it that angers me. Just because green is "in", the powers that be think that if they call it green were stupid enough to believe it.

Monty Don bleats endlessley about not using peat but coir isnt a real green alternative. However because he says it is, everybody and his dog rushes out to buy coir with a 5000mile carbon tag on every bag without thinking.

[Snadger]

Got an energy efficient light bulb 3 weeks ago (given to Mr F by Age Concern for filling in a questionnaire when he went for his flu jab) and it's gone already. Me - not impressed!

So it is pretty energy efficient then cos you aint using any electricity at all!

[jacob marley]

What i was hinting at the modern word carbon footprint because all these goods that we import have got a carbon footprint even though they were made on the other side of the world every thing has a price i do not normally get involved in environmental issue's because it become's to dogmatic but the other side has to be recognised before thing's can happen to change thing's .
I forgot Camera's in my other post millions of e'm being imported just in time for christmas .
Just another little thought i wonder what the carbon footprint was over the weekend 3 4 5 6 &7 of November ????? jacob

[rustylady]

The energy efficient light bulbs do seem to last a long time (got mine for free when the Council was having a green week). BUT - if you read the packaging you have to avoid putting your sticky fingers on them when inserting into the fitting. I think the grease/body fluids do something horrible to them. Use a duster or cloth to hold them. I've only had one go out on me in 2 years.

[NOG]

Low energy life bulbs actually cost more in energy to produce than a normal bulb uses in its lifetime, they also need to be taken back to a distributor to be disposed of and you have to pay for this.

IKEA will take tem back free for recycling.

[Tigerella]

Monty Don bleats endlessley about not using peat but coir isnt a real green alternative. However because he says it is, everybody and his dog rushes out to buy coir with a 5000mile carbon tag on every bag without thinking.

Hi

I fill my bin up with kitchen waste for the lotty compost heap.
But with it being winter, I don't visit the lotty very much.

But we all don't use shop bought compost or coir.

T

And I walk there most times.

[Nicos]

Do you think products will have their Total Carbon Footprints printed on their packageing ( like calories/carbs/proteins/fats etc on footstuffs) eventually???
Could be a useful comparison when buying things like loo paper, washing up liquid,petrol, apples etc.

[Snadger]

Do you think products will have their Total Carbon Footprints printed on their packageing ( like calories/carbs/proteins/fats etc on footstuffs) eventually???

Only the ones with nothing to hide!