Environment

Climate Change Actions

Environment

Posted by: CafestudyAdmin

7th Feb 2019 12:01pm

In today's news, the UN reported that last year was the fourth warmest on record. We would like to hear what our Cafestudy members are doing to help slow down climate change. Have you changed your habits recently? Or maybe you are meaning to but haven't got round to it yet? Please let us know!

Comments 79

Caperteewaratah
  • 15th Jul 2022 06:24pm

I was brought up to be frugal with the use of things - like electricity and water in particular and not to waste food. This is something I have practised all of my life and I am appalled when I go to the local tip and see just how much is thrown away that should be recycled and reused. Plastic packaging, cardboard and containers which if washed are able to go into the recycling bins we all have. Not to mention the return and earn containers - I have tracked what I have earned with this - and have bought 3 large UV sails for my yard - each costing around $400. All from rubbish - and not mine as I have very few containers of my own, but I pick them up from the tip and elsewhere, wash them and cash in. In fact where I go to the return and earn there is often a line up or the machines are full!

Debbie
  • 30th Mar 2021 11:17pm

I am doing the best I can with keeping energy cost down by using less power and power saving appliances. I also recycle like a mad Woman which my Hubby think is overboard. I feel we all need to consume less, and recycle everything we possibly can. I also believer that every creature, Human & Plant matter:)

Timbo
  • 17th Mar 2021 06:31pm

I don't subscribe to the climate alarmism peddled by people such as Greta Thunberg. I think we need to take a realistic approach to the whole question of whether human activity has any effect at all on the climate. The problem seems to be that rational investigation and debate has gone out the window.

Scott31656835
  • 27th Feb 2021 02:57pm

I want to get solar and an electric car but I don't have enough money yet. Would be awesome if the government did a rebate for electric cars like overseas.

khal123
  • 18th Feb 2019 04:47am

In my point of view I believe it is governments, UN and environmental organizations duty to tackle this big issue. As individual I can't do anything.

Ben31627335
  • 15th Feb 2019 09:27pm

It’s a natural phenomenon for the earth to heat up, I do believe the industrial age may have sped up the process though.
Still not going to stop me driving my gas guzzling V8

l0lapx
  • 14th Feb 2019 08:25pm

NOPE...

The climate is managed by crazy scientists from all countries including Australia.
THE UN is LYING..and they and their scientists have been lying for years.
SHOOT USA used weather modifcation in Vietnam,, USA MURDERED a whole village in UK manipulating extra rain... what idiot would do that test in UK which has plenty of rain...???
You can find the Patents for these weapons, on NASA, Australian and every other countries gov sites.

They can vaporise your house car whatever as they have been doing in California since before 2016 house is dust yet all plastic rubbish bins, and pine trees around the house intact.... pretty fancy wild fires.
they have the equipment to steer and increase the damage of hurricanes, wild fires, floods, droughts.....etc.etc.

We have always live frugally,,,, if we used less we would be in a tent in back yard.

and why volcanos go off everyday and they produce more polution carbon dioxcie co2 etc in one explosion than every human on this planet in a year.

People need to get away from the IDIOT box, the so call smart gadgets.. because they are making you dumb as door nails. and that is sad to see.

SO I SOUND ANGRY yes I am.... people cant even tell that 1 & 1 does not equal 3...

and they swallow the vomit instead of checking.... because NASA etc are all bragging and now you better watch out for theses ALIENS that are supposed to invade the earth....

When the world is not spinning.... the moon is not 283 thousand miles away.... if I was able to post a photo I could show you some beautful photos of the moon that I take regularly with a normal Nikon P900 no telescope etc.

WAKE UP SHEEP, the pied piper is play a hypnotising tune and you are like mice following to your destruction.

kay62
  • 14th Feb 2019 06:00pm

No,its a big scam

Marian
  • 13th Feb 2019 10:00pm

I'm not sure about all this climate change stuff. I'm sitting on the fence about it, but tending to believe it may be true. Reason being, all these natural disasters happening very regularly around the world. By natural it means the weather in the atmosphere causing most of them, not man. I listen to the ABC world news on the radio over night because I don't sleep well. The latest being the week long wildfires in New Zealand, fires in Greece and Pakistan and floods in India and Korea if I remember rightly, and our country in Townsville. Many deaths. And what about that earthquake in New Guinea end of last year I think it was.
I'm not too sure how I can slow down this climate change. I've never really thought about it. I think industry around the world could do a lot to help. There should be more publicity on what we can all do as a whole.

Marian
  • 13th Feb 2019 09:58pm

I'm not sure about all this climate change stuff. I'm sitting on the fence about it, but tending to believe it may be true. Reason being, all these natural disasters happening very regularly around the world. By natural it means the weather in the atmosphere causing most of them, not man. I listen to the ABC world news on the radio over night because I don't sleep well. The latest being the week long wildfires in New Zealand, fires in Greece and Pakistan and floods in India and Korea if I remember rightly, and our country in Townsville. Many deaths. And what about that earthquake in New Guinea end of last year I think it was.
I'm not too sure how I can slow down this climate change. I've never really thought about it. I think industry around the world could do a lot to help. There should be more publicity on what we can all do as a whole.

aedna
  • 13th Feb 2019 11:53am

I try to recycle where possible. I am concerned about plastic. Whether global warming is real or not we have to take care of our planet. I own a very small home. I am continually having to renew, repair and monitor my home. If I don't I just wont have a home in the future. If we don't take care of our planet [ our home] it will get so polluted that we won't have healthy soil to grow food. We won't have protection from the sun because our atmosphere will be cluttered with rubbish. Our seas will be full of plastic and poisons from rotting rubbish. It just makes sense to put back what we take, to replant when we cut down and to tidy up. When there is an event Xmas, New Year, Concerts etc, I a amazed at the amount of rubbish that people leave behind at the end of the event. Don't say "You wouldn't live like that in your own homes", because some people do live like that. Our water also needs to be cleaned not only from diseases but also fro chemicals, antibiotics, steroids, hormones. All these things are now in our water. In the past it wasn't an issue but now it is.

EileenW1
  • 13th Feb 2019 10:58am

Since moving house 18 months ago we have become very much aware of the changes in climate living here on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. This year we have experienced record breaking temperatures, the wettest month, the driest month on record and the longest spell without rain. As a result in the past six months we have installed skylights, solar panels and two air conditioners. I can only manage an air conditioner being on for a limited time as I get an sneezing allergy attack and stream from my eyes and nose. Never before have I had to sleep with a fan on in my bedroom but for the past three months I have needed a pedestal fan to enable the room to cool down. We have lived on the Coast for 40 years and have noticed huge changes since we moved here. You only have to look at what is happening elsewhere in Australia and even the World, with extreme weather happening that has never been recorded before.

Phillip_
  • 13th Feb 2019 07:35am

Climate change is a consequence of a huge imbalance in our ecosystems. For the regular consumer, such as myself, the little changes that I make have very little effect. The key is many millions of people engaging in small environmentally-minded decisions such as turning off the lights whenever possible and consuming less time in front of screens and using that time for exercise or reading or just relaxing. In my own home, I have insisted on reducing plastic waste, minimising use of air conditioning and going to bed that little bit earlier. It's not just what I currently do that makes a difference, there's so much more I can do. Often when I see the volunteer organisations based around planting trees I think that I don't have the time, but looking at those that volunteer, it's clear that making time to plant a tree or two can make a huge difference when we become more focused on what it means for our future rather than trying to live for instantaneous results and pleasure that is provided by our unhealthy habits.

Chris31610113
  • 13th Feb 2019 06:54am

I believe in Climate change. I believe there is substantial evidence to support it and even if it turns out to be false or quality of life will be made better for living with mindfulness and care.

I have made the decision not to have children recently. While it is something I've wanted all my life, I feel like it is no longer an ethical decision. This is probably the only thing I have done recently in terms of changing my habits for climate change. I always intend to start a veggie garden but as I am a renter, it always feels like it could be a lot of work for not much pay off. I suppose I've started paying a bit more attention to politics and try to keep myself at least a tiny bit informed in terms of science news and how climate change is affecting the world.

mysteron347
  • 13th Feb 2019 12:23am

Ah - the holy statistics based on "the record".

Fact is that reliable records have only been kept for the past century or so - so we're only looking at a tiny portion of a cycle that may be many thousands of years long.

Let's take a few facts from history. The Great Fire of London in 1666 was supposed to have happened in an exceptionally hot summer - before the invention of the thermometer. About 100 years later, it's recorded that there was a "little ice age" when the River Thames was frozen with ice so thick that fairs were held on its surface. Had the records been kept from 1600 rather than 1900 (and I'm not going to argue about a couple of decades either way here) then we'd be worried about the coming Ice Age. A hundred years later and we'd have been warned of Global Warming as the 1750s passed into history.

Having said that, there's really no reason to continue on our destructive course. Of course, reduce pollution and gas emissions if practicable. But also realise that the big-stick approach with legislation isn't ideal. We have the "authorities" in control of electricity production for instance who at first opposed Solar power. They threatened producers because they were producing electricity when the state had a legislated monopoly. Can't let the solar power systems be attached to the grid - then simply oppose and regulate it. Every possible obstacle - they could have left the existing metering regime in place, but that would cause home-produced energy to be the same rip-off rate that they charge, so you have to have a new meter installed (at your own expense, although THEY own the meter). Then they pay you the wholesale rate for returned energy (~7c/KWh) but charge you 24c/KWh for supply in the hours of darkness.

And of course, the political machinations - the NSW government offering unrealistic rebate rates for returned energy (like 60c/KWh) to ingratiate themselves with the gullible public for instance - and locking that rate into a contract to make it impossible for a succeeding government to revise. Or on federal level, the system introduced by one party (effectively a 50% subsidy to encourage Solar energy use) which then gets used by their replacements as some sort of magic dollar amount which allowed them in turn to offer the systems "for free" as the wholesale price of an installation dropped - even to the point that the installers maintained an inflated price to make greater profits after system costs fell even further.

So why should I assist the government (which makes political capital from these schemes)? Oh - because of "the future" and "the children".

Well, the government (of each tribe) has done absolutely nothing to assist me in finding work since I became unemployed in 2001. No dole for me as I'd saved and invested my money rather than squandering it on self-indulgence and self-entertainment. Not that I wanted the dole - much rather have a job, but if you're not getting the dole, the "recruiters" have no interest in placing you as they get paid a handsome bonus for taking people OFF of the dole. Then the recruiters want to "represent" you if they find you a position - IOW, a commission which can be more than 50% of the charge to the employer. And then, the better you are, the more likely you are to have your contract extended - so the recruiter gets even more for LESS work.

Even then, they're not satisfied. They can bring in "graduates" from third-world countries to fill the demand. Well - no criticism of the candidates attracted in. They're only looking after their own families, after all. They are however routinely underpaid by local standards (as the recruiter further inflates profits) and unfortunately are "green" - have academic qualifications, but no experience and no knowledge of local law or business practice. And of course, the recruiters and the politicians who support them, can rely on the empty barrels' cacophony to accuse anyone opposing this abusive practice as "racist".

So - after 17 years of at-best grudging support, I really no longer give a damn. I have no family but have the spectre of a future government policy to be to tax what I have saved from my own prudence. I'll do what suits me - not them, their supporters and their children.

Jude30693100
  • 12th Feb 2019 10:25pm

Climate change is real and we cannot ignore it. We need to work individually and as a community to care for our earth. The habits we have changed are trying to reduce waste, use less disposable/singe use items and taking keep cups to the coffee shop, using less electricity including less air-conditioning in hot days, recycling paper and plastic and taking shorter showers to conservie water.

ketan
  • 12th Feb 2019 09:00pm

I don't ask for plastic bags when I go out for shopping. I use my reusable cloth bag for shopping every week when I go out to grocery.

Aaron31552852
  • 12th Feb 2019 08:53pm

Yes, Climate Change and Global Warming are clearly happening. They have ben happening for as long as the Earth has been around. The problem is that now it is happening at a much faster rate than predicted. Interestingly though, I think a lot of people who believe in climate change have very skewed, innaccurate beliefs about what climate change will involve. I don't think that most people are aware that we are still in an Ice Age at the moment - and coming to the end of one. A lot of people seem to think of an ice age as a completely frozen over Earth and this is far from true. Ice ages are defined as times when the world has ice at its poles. What people often think of when they think of an ice age is actually a "Snowball Earth" which scientists think is extremely unlikely to ever occur on our planet. By the same token people who believe in Climate Change and Global Warming also make extreme assumptions about how the climate and weather will be affected. Some of my friends seem to think that Global Warming will dry up the oceans, and turn the land into a desert wasteland. This is also extremely unlikely and most climate scientists rule out the possibility. We are moving towards a Greenhouse Earth - a very tropical earth where there will be no Ice at the Poles. If we go into a Greenhouse Earth again it is possible that Sea Surface Temperatures will rise to (or beyond) 7 degrees celsius and that could again probably result in tropical plants in the arctic regions. This wouldn't be good. Sea temperatures near the equator could also rise above 30 degrees celsius after all the ice on the poles melts and this would not only equate to maximal sea levels, but also and far warmer conditions as the last of t which, make no mistake, will kill people in already hot areas of the world. Sure, winters in a lot of countries would be a lot nicer and a lot of places could do with the tropical weather but here in Australia adding seven degrees to a 40 degree day would seem unbearable..But the idea that the oceans will boil off into space and we'll all fry instantly is quite ludicrous and it astonishes me that these beliefs are so pervasive. I wouldn't be completely against a more tropical world but it will not be good news for Australians in general.

I mention all these factor because the Cafe Study Picture for this discussion shows a world that appears to be on fire - I wanted to clarify for you that this is a ridiculous image, and one that furthers the misconceptions that people have about climate change in general. Yes we definitely need to reign in the use of greenhouse gases. Water vapour is also a greenhouse gas and if carbon dioxide levels continue to pressurise the atmosphere it will lead to increased vapour which will eventually lead to a vicious cycle of global warming that will be disastrous for many around the world. Fear mongering, however; by leading people to think that the world is going to turn into the sahara desert is not helping to educate people in such a way that they can understand the problems we face, and solve them in the future.

What have I done about climate change? I try not to needlessly use my air conditioner because it makes people more susceptible to feeling extreme changes in temperature as they leave the house - often it is this change in feeling temperature extremes suddenly that has many psychological problems associated with it. I also try to educate people about the ludicrous extremes people think are based on science - such as frozen wasteland ice ages, and desert wasteland greenhouses.

MRfuzzy
  • 12th Feb 2019 08:53pm

Yes,we have put solar hot water and solar panels for energy use as well as a battery system which just about covers our energy footprint.We water the gardens with bore water during the shady part of the day, and we are going to increase our storage capabilities by another 2 kw per day if possible. We try to grow most of vegetables as we can get horse and pig compost from our neighbour which is great for growing tomatoes and cucumbers and some of our fruit trees get a top up too when it's not too hot to work in the garden.

Jimmy01
  • 12th Feb 2019 08:38pm

We're trying to minimise how much energy we use. Its alarming that the climate change is real, and yet, there is policy vacuum by our government. So its reinforced how important it is for me as a consumer to do our bit. We're reusing anything, like cardboard boxes when we go shopping, making sure we take our shopping bags,, trying to walk when we can and not drive the car. Ensuring that the car is serviced regularly, not braking and accelerating quickly so we use less fuel. Have really made an effort to keep the tyres pumped at the right level to maximise fuel efficiency. Making sure that non-essential items aren't added weight in the car and consuming more fuel. Have been more vigilant in turning lights off when we;re not in the room, replacing light globes to LED (which was not cheap), but know its worth it in the long term. We were fortunately enough to put solar on our roof a few years ago, and have started to get quotes to see if we can expand our solar, or see if we could afford to install a battery. This is another way we can reduce the use of greenhouse gases via electricity produced by coal. Haven't got around to: 1) checking the insulation in our celiing and subfloor to see what state its in, we could save a lot of energy, and make the house more comfortable if this was better 2) install outdoor blinds on one of our north facing room to reduce the heat gain/loss during the year 3) look at more drought resistant plants / natives in our bare patch in our backyard that we've been meaning to do something about.... life just gets in the way!!

Katousha
  • 12th Feb 2019 08:15pm

I try to make a conscious effort to recycle whatever I can. We have also installed solar panels on our roof - this is helping to reduce our total usage of electricity from the grid. Trees are also an important part of preserving the environment and help to slow down climate change. We have a garden full of Australian natives - this also attracts many native Australian birds which is important for the enviroment also.
It is difficult not to use air conditioning in this heat but as we have solar panels it is not too draining on the electricity grid.
It would be good to have an electric car but we cannot really afford it now. I try to use public transport when I can to save polluting the air with petrol fumes.
I try to be recyclable grocery packaging and make an effort also not to waste too much food. It is important to use food wisely.

Aaron31552852
  • 12th Feb 2019 07:18pm

Yes, Climate Change and Global Warming are clearly happening. They have ben happening for as long as the Earth has been around. The problem is that now it is happening at a much faster rate than predicted. Interestingly though, I think a lot of people who believe in climate change have very skewed, innaccurate beliefs about what climate change will involve. I don't think that most people are aware that we are still in an Ice Age at the moment - and coming to the end of one. A lot of people seem to think of an ice age as a completely frozen over Earth and this is far from true. Ice ages are defined as times when the world has ice at its poles. What people often think of when they think of an ice age is actually a "Snowball Earth" which scientists think is extremely unlikely to ever occur on our planet. By the same token people who believe in Climate Change and Global Warming also make extreme assumptions about how the climate and weather will be affected. Some of my friends seem to think that Global Warming will dry up the oceans, and turn the land into a desert wasteland. This is also extremely unlikely and most climate scientists rule out the possibility. We are moving towards a Greenhouse Earth - a very tropical earth where there will be no Ice at the Poles. If we go into a Greenhouse Earth again it is possible that Sea Surface Temperatures will rise to (or beyond) 7 degrees celsius and that could again probably result in tropical plants in the arctic regions. This wouldn't be good. Sea temperatures near the equator could also rise above 30 degrees celsius after all the ice on the poles melts and this would not only equate to maximal sea levels, but also and far warmer conditions as the last of t which, make no mistake, will kill people in already hot areas of the world. Sure, winters in a lot of countries would be a lot nicer and a lot of places could do with the tropical weather but here in Australia adding seven degrees to a 40 degree day would seem unbearable..But the idea that the oceans will boil off into space and we'll all fry instantly is quite ludicrous and it astonishes me that these beliefs are so pervasive. I wouldn't be completely against a more tropical world but it will not be good news for Australians in general.

I mention all these factor because the Cafe Study Picture for this discussion shows a world that appears to be on fire - I wanted to clarify for you that this is a ridiculous image, and one that furthers the misconceptions that people have about climate change in general. Yes we definitely need to reign in the use of greenhouse gases. Water vapour is also a greenhouse gas and if carbon dioxide levels continue to pressurise the atmosphere it will lead to increased vapour which will eventually lead to a vicious cycle of global warming that will be disastrous for many around the world. Fear mongering, however; by leading people to think that the world is going to turn into the sahara desert is not helping to educate people in such a way that they can understand the problems we face, and solve them in the future.

What have I done about climate change? I try not to needlessly use my air conditioner because it makes people more susceptible to feeling extreme changes in temperature as they leave the house - often it is this change in feeling temperature extremes suddenly that has many psychological problems associated with it. I also try to educate people about the ludicrous extremes people think are based on science - such as frozen wasteland ice ages, and desert wasteland greenhouses.

Aaron31552852
  • 12th Feb 2019 06:12pm

Yes, Climate Change and Global Warming are clearly happening. They have ben happening for as long as the Earth has been around. The problem is that now it is happening at a much faster rate than predicted. Interestingly though, I think a lot of people who believe in climate change have very skewed, innaccurate beliefs about what climate change will involve. I don't think that most people are aware that we are still in an Ice Age at the moment - and coming to the end of one. A lot of people seem to think of an ice age as a completely frozen over Earth and this is far from true. Ice ages are defined as times when the world has ice at its poles. What people often think of when they think of an ice age is actually a "Snowball Earth" which scientists think is extremely unlikely to ever occur on our planet. By the same token people who believe in Climate Change and Global Warming also make extreme assumptions about how the climate and weather will be affected. Some of my friends seem to think that Global Warming will dry up the oceans, and turn the land into a desert wasteland. This is also extremely unlikely and most climate scientists rule out the possibility. We are moving towards a Greenhouse Earth - a very tropical earth where there will be no Ice at the Poles. If we go into a Greenhouse Earth again it is possible that Sea Surface Temperatures will rise to (or beyond) 7 degrees celsius and that could again probably result in tropical plants in the arctic regions. This wouldn't be good. Sea temperatures near the equator could also rise above 30 degrees celsius after all the ice on the poles melts and this would not only equate to maximal sea levels, but also and far warmer conditions as the last of t which, make no mistake, will kill people in already hot areas of the world. Sure, winters in a lot of countries would be a lot nicer and a lot of places could do with the tropical weather but here in Australia adding seven degrees to a 40 degree day would seem unbearable..But the idea that the oceans will boil off into space and we'll all fry instantly is quite ludicrous and it astonishes me that these beliefs are so pervasive. I wouldn't be completely against a more tropical world but it will not be good news for Australians in general.

I mention all these factor because the Cafe Study Picture for this discussion shows a world that appears to be on fire - I wanted to clarify for you that this is a ridiculous image, and one that furthers the misconceptions that people have about climate change in general. Yes we definitely need to reign in the use of greenhouse gases. Water vapour is also a greenhouse gas and if carbon dioxide levels continue to pressurise the atmosphere it will lead to increased vapour which will eventually lead to a vicious cycle of global warming that will be disastrous for many around the world. Fear mongering, however; by leading people to think that the world is going to turn into the sahara desert is not helping to educate people in such a way that they can understand the problems we face, and solve them in the future.

What have I done about climate change? I try not to needlessly use my air conditioner because it makes people more susceptible to feeling extreme changes in temperature as they leave the house - often it is this change in feeling temperature extremes suddenly that has many psychological problems associated with it. I also try to educate people about the ludicrous extremes people think are based on science - such as frozen wasteland ice ages, and desert wasteland greenhouses.

Brad
  • 12th Feb 2019 05:40pm

We're committed. Sustainability is our lifestyle. We've even provided all our tenants with Solar Electricity Systems... and Solar HWSs. We ride eBikes, after ridding ourselves of fossil-fuel ICE vehicles.*

* I realised we'd gone too far when my GPS stopped working. :)

gdtrue
  • 12th Feb 2019 05:12pm

Climate change scare mongering is like 'the Ozone hole over Antarctica' that was introduced by two American scientists (Rowland and Molina) in the mid 70s. They had to come up with something novel for a new study. And their proposal for the cause of this ozone depletion (hole is so more dramatic) was CFCS in the atmosphere (CFC =Chlorinated Fluoro Carbons). They were used extensively as propellants in aerosols and refrigerants (helped cooling) in your standard fridge. They are now banned extensively but are still used in 'ventolin puffers' so that the medicine can be introduced into asthma sufferers. A TV show in Australia in 1989 (called something like "The World Tomorrow' on Thursday nights, 7:30 p.m. on 7) with presenter Kareena Kelly tested their theory over industrial Osaka, Japan. It should have been a big win but fizzled out as an abject failure with no Ozone depletion and no apology from anyone about this clear failure to match large CFC concentrations with a corresponding reduction of Ozone (O3).

bearman
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:42pm

I close my sunblock curtains during the heat of the day so I use my air con less and anything else I do is to cut down my expenses not to slow down climate change. If people were serious about this we would not have car races, night football or any other sport or horse racing for that matter that involves the use of the big light towers. New years eve fireworks or events like sydneys vivid that lights up the Sydney opera house. The earth is in an orbit through the milky way and we have only done 1% of that so of course our climate cannot be sustained forever.
The magnetic poles have changed twice that we know of and the north pole is even now moving rapidly away from Greenland so it has got scientists worried as this is affecting GPS for such things as planes. There are so many variables happening here and as for proving we are causing global warming it cant be done because every model they have done on this has been proven wrong. But just imagine that the world governments told everyone that the world will cease to exist in say 100 years due to things beyond our control there would be world wide panic and killing. So lets give people hope and tell them if they turn off lights and try to save power they might be able to stop global warming and save the world; Ha Ha dream on!

ybot
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:32pm

We recently bought our own place moved house. We have air conditioning and other cooling systems installed but go to work straight away in having non electricity reliant heat extraction fans (otherwise known as whirlybirds) installed to help with the relentless Queensland heat. As we speak, I have a low draw fan cooling the room I am in and regularly keep windows open to allow the heat to pass through and keep the overall temperature down. Also during investigating the house, we found there is no insulation in the roof to allow to keep the energy reliance to cool the house down. This will be addressed in the very near future. Solar panels and solar appliances will be the next major investment to be added to the property to assist our part in climate change.

As for shopping, we stopped using plastic or single use bags some 3 years ago now, opting for a no bag option or using cardboard boxes from the shelves of our supermarkets. For those playing at home, the egg boxes are the best along with soft drink or orange juice / other chilled 2L+ sized boxes will last a while. Regardless all cardboard is biodegrable and recyclable.

We often buy in bulk when shopping and avoid as much waste as possible, for several months probably even over a year, our rubbish bin landfill waste consisted of about 5 or less litres in volume. Our recycling bin however was always full by the time the fortnightly cycle had finished and bin was emptied.

We use as much recyclable materials as possible, even when camping. Using kitchen equipment or suitable camping alternatives without being disposable. After several years in hospitality, I was introduced to Bamboo plates, bowls and cutlery, Despite the higher price, they are a monumentally better alternative to plastic disposable equipment. I hated how much was wasted and often encouraged guests to take home the food that was still available or gave it to someone in need if they were unable to take it all the way home.

When we recently moved house, we cleared out a significant amount of clothing. Instead of simply putting it in the bin, it was donated to a family in need or suitable charitable organisation that would accept it.

My workplace recently phased out single use plastic bottles in our vending machines and similar avenues of dispensing. Together with our social club we have sold a number of reusable lexan(polycarbonate), metal and glass water bottles all made to order.

Our backyard is fortunately fully landscaped and requires minimal maintenance that requires machinery such as a lawn mower or similar motorised equipment. For the times that we do need to use these, almost all of them are electric powered, charged from car batteries which have been recharged by solar panels.

If everyone played a small part in reducing their waste, it would go a long way to helping out.

gdtrue
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:32pm

It is the politicians of the left wing lunatic fringe who are ruining this planet with their inept doctrines and practices. Along with the swinging supposed conservatives who cannot hold the line against false and emotive claims. It should not be climate change (a lie) but the climate changes (the truth).
The amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere is very very small to start with. It is the byproduct of respiration by animals and humans and cannot be avoided unless you kill off all human and animal life on the Earth. if we want to eat nice plant based products which come about by plants photosynthesising and using CO2 to produce O2 (oxygen) and food for themselves and for animals and humans then keep CO2 in the equation. The other terrific use of CO2 and (water vapour) is to act as a shield or barrier in the atmosphere against deadly cosmic rays from the sun (X-rays, gamma rays). These destroy all organic matter. Without CO2 there would be no plant life nor animal life nor human life on the Earth. It is the perfect balance

Gillywonks
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:10pm

Recycling and not using air conditioning even in this heat

jvanes
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:08pm

We have solar panels, a water tank and a compost pile. I collect water in the shower and kitchen and put it onto garden plants. We recycle and Coles now take plastic product bags etc so I collect them and take them into Coles for recycling each week. We have planted native trees and shrubs to attract bids and to reduce the use of water in the garden. We only have one car in our family and walk to shops whenever possible. We are long-time vegetarians as using animals for meat takes up so much agricultural land and cows emit environmentally damaging gases and we grow some of our own food and buy organic products wherever possible to reduce pesticides in the environment. We also donate to environment and wildlife groups.

raci
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:07pm

I believe weather is cyclic and too many unqualified sheep are jumping on this perceived idea of global warming without looking back through history.
I am not qualified at all, nor do I know all the stats, but if over history there were 3 hotter years than last year, which were spread out with large spans of time between each occurence, it would seem to be more likely an even that happens occasionally. If however, the last 4 years were progressively the hottest ever recorded and temperatures are continuing to increase, I would be more inclined to believe climate change is actually happening.
That said, I do want to reduce my impact to the environment, which I work towards on a daily basis. I have solar power and try to run most appliances during the day when the sun is out, I recycle as many items as possible, I look for 'earth friendly' products when there is a choice and I own an off-grid rural property where all manner of frogs and wildlife reside, and I continue to increase the native plants there. I always look out for new suggestions to create a better world for all.

Joshed
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:54pm

I have not been using so much airconditioning at home because the freon will subject the air to more heat therefore it will contribute to climate change - which in a way I believe is global warming.

jonask
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:13pm

I've known about climate change for 20 years, what I do personally is recycle everything I can, plus plant trees and flowers which use CO2 I do not vote for people who deny climate change because they probably have shares in coal mines.

1234
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:05pm

I am more aware of the environment especially in regard to reusing and recycling products ie a reusable cup or bottle instead of a disposable one. This is more to do with trying to preserve our environment for future generations than specifically linked to climate change. I remain unconvinced about climate change- I think it is just the cyclonic nature of weather patterns.4th warmest on record?-dont think that means much- there have been many examples of massive heatwaves in the forties (i was not alive then but anecdotially from family who were.I think we all just have a responsibility to look after the planet as best we can regardless of whether climate change is a fact or not

Katerob
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:03pm

I think climate change is real but is largely a natural phenomenon and human activity doesn't contribute as much as we're being led to believe. I try to do my bit by recycling, conserving water and energy, and not using single use plastic or buying bottled water. I don't like paying higher prices for things in the name of climate change - Australia is responsible for only 3% of global emissions, so when the biggest contributors (USA, China) have reduced theirs considerably, then I'll look at doing more.

Buggy
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:47pm

Climate change is real. We are recycling as much as possible as well as reducing our usage of high electricity usage equipment to limit our carbon footprint

Jaynestel
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:40pm

Regarding single use plastic bags being banned. In my home there is no such item. The bag carries my shopping, lines my kitchen bin, picks up my doggy's droppings, holds the lemons I give to my neighbours and would never, ever be wasted. Such a bonanza for the manufacturers of plastic bags to do all these jobs.

momi
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:36pm

So far, we've done a lot of watching of documentaries (Al Gores 'an inconvenient truth', the one Leonardo DiCaprio made recently, ABCs war on waste to name a few). In terms of actual concrete changes, we've become more particular about recycling and composting in the house, and we've also made a conscious effort not to buy fast fashion or plastic junk. Instead we are op shopping and going to the library more often. It's quite daunting when I think of the enormity of what is happening to the Earth and what awaits future generations if we don't stop climate change in its tracks now, and it's also disheartening when I contemplate the minute effect my small family's actions may have to help the situation, but we have to start somewhere, and hopefully by more and more individuals putting in more effort, we'll be able to spark a significant change.

Jaynestel
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:33pm

I use all of my vegie peelings and waste to feed my Worm Farm that in turn makes fertilizer for all of my plants. A very happy arrangement.

MariaG
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:27pm

I have a bit of a problem getting my head around äre you doing anything about....".
Today, my feeling is that it's a mute point. My household does the right thing for the environment. The words climate change do not determine our behaviour.
So, what do we do???
We recycle, don't waste food, have a water tank, have solar panels, have solar hot water, never toss trash irresponsibly, watch for eco friendly packaging,and, just do the right thing. If we had a garden we would compost, but sadly that's not the case for us. We do allow the neighbour, who has a big garden, the full use of our green waste bin though.
To say that individuals are responsible for changing climate change is too broad an expectation. Isn't it better to suggest that every household should, and can, do better for the environment, no matter how small the action may be?
Parents should make it their business to teach by example. Children need to understand why they are doing things in a certain way, and, at the same time learn that all those small positive actions add up.
So, in summary. Climate change is a myriad of many things. Surely it's not a case of being a goodie two shoes, but more about being kind to our planet.

Amu
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:20pm

Yes, i am trying to do less plastics to use. I always use normal air, doesn't use Ac, just to avoid pollution.

AnneS
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:19pm

It is very hard for the average person to do much about climate change. I always try to make sure I think about the enviroment in my daily life. I try to recycle things and save on the use water and power. I grow my own vegetables and compost all vegetable waste so our garbage bin very rarely has more than one bag of rubbish in it that goes to land fill. I share any excess vegetables I grow with family and friends. I try to cool the house down by opening windows and doors in the early morning and keep curtains shut during the heat of the day to save on the use of air conditioning. It is hard to do much more when the temperature climbs to the high temperatures we have had in Melbourne this summer but I try to do my bit!

Martin Hefer
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:11pm

Anthropogenic climate change is a myth -- a religion and ideology only, with no scholarly base of facts. A seemingly large percentage of climate change disciples confuse pollution and reducing waste with climate change. It is not the same thing. Humans cannot slow down climate change to any significant measure, but they can do a lot about pollution and improving quality of life and resources.

Tony
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:11pm

Having spent my younger years travelling this wonderful continent, working and living in each State and mainland Territories, my wife and I have managed our way through the seasons. Despite the increasing broadcasted rhetoric and false claims of possible environmental chaos caused by climate change, our lives have not changed nor been negatively impacted by the climate. Our view is that in our eight decades of living, the four seasons consistently occur and the 'weather' has repeated itself albeit extremely hot in summer, extremely cold in winter. We still experience hailstones the size of 'cricket balls' as we did on numerous occasions over the years. We expect the city and urban areas to get warmer as there are more people as the population has increased four fold, more high and low rise buildings with heat retaining and generating apparatus, and more vehicles with higher volumes of fuel consumption to produce higher levels of pollution. We recall the Year 2000 scare that hysterically claimed that clocks would no longer tick or tock, planes would fall out of the sky, trains would collide, business and the public services would collapse, and people would go more beserk that they already were. I also recall that nothing happened : Nada, amigos. May I suggest we wait for the next prophesy.

dave7072
  • 12th Feb 2019 02:01pm

The climate always changes, thats how it works. Regarding 'the hottest temp since..' is not a reliable onservation since they changed many historical temperature records and have decided to Homogenise current temp records, a few years ago. The question is does CO2 drive Climate Change and the answer is: No. CO2 is a trace gas that can have a very minor warming effect but that is all. Methane is another gas that is said to be 'really bad' & increases Global Warming, but that simply isnt true. Methane in out atmosphere is quickly affected by the presence of Oxygen and oxdises to produce CO2 & water. It's affect on Global Warming is negligible. Global Warming or AGW, now called Climate Change is a busted and disproven myth.

Izzy bee
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:42pm

I know that our weather is over the top it is out of control with hale a week before Christmas and these crazy hot days and then the temperature can drop 10 - 15 in an hour. Winter time hardly any rain I don’t know what people are doing about our climate control but it is all over the place

Yafffy
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:36pm

I guess there's not much I can do, no-one REALLY knows the cause. I do as much as I can for the environment though. I cannot afford solar panels, but if I could, I would. I recycle, I compost, I grow my own fruit and veggies. I love seeing the bees pollinate my garden. My garden is all organic and I buy organic where I can. I have a rainwater tank to water my garden. We have 1 car for the household, but my husband walks 45mins each way to work and back, and I walk to school with my children. I also walk to the city when I need to.

Informal
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:28pm

Lucripetous awarmists push their pseudo-scientific “global warming” hoax mainly by “adjusting”—i.e., counterfeiting, forging, falsifying, manipulating, altering, extracting from their arses, and generally faking—the data. The stories we continually see that last year or last month was the hottest ever are usually lies.
See Tony Heller, “61% Fake Data”: https://youtu.be/pgk3xFHvWLE
Global warming—now called “climate change” because the scary stories, that we’d all be boiling or flooded by now proved wrong—is a scam.

anglesea
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:24pm

As an individual we can do a lot which along with the similar actions of millions of other people will make a substantial difference. Recycling, reducing waste, shopping sensibly and only using products and services from companies that are active in protecting the environment. But the most important thing that we can do is vote to elect people and parties at a local, State and federal level that accept climate change as a reality and are prepared to make the hard decisions to reduce pollution and waste, protect and enhance the environment and build a sustainable future.

GarryM
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:18pm

I am reducing my energy and use of plastics

LokiAura
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:13pm

I have made more of an effort over the last 12 months or so in terms of making sure items I buy have packaging that can be recycled or re used (coffee jars make great canisters) I spend less time in the shower and when it comes to shaving my legs I sit on a seat with a bit of water in a bucket - no water wastage this way. I use grey water on my little patch of garden, don't use lights at night unless I want to read, do my washing during off peak times and don't use a clothes dryer at all. The town where I live has just put a can/bottle recycling machine near our local pool - lots of people are making use of it and in return for recycling these items you get either pay pal; voucher for coles or donate to charity. Personally I find the concept of 'Climate Change' as a scare mongering tactic by scientists and in turn our Government responds/reacts and then bombards Australians with never ending articles/ television new reports/advertisements suggesting things that individuals can do to try help reverse something that may or may not even exist. Our world has been polluted and impacted in so many ways in varying degrees and those in charge/'researching'/'reporting' so called findings for Climate Change to be a 'thing' in my opinion is false and something I don't believe in. We have pollution we have a changing climate and more natural disasters as years pass - I feel this is part of a cycle and nothing more.

ybot
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:05pm

We recently bought our own place moved house. We have air conditioning and other cooling systems installed but go to work straight away in having non electricity reliant heat extraction fans (otherwise known as whirlybirds) installed to help with the relentless Queensland heat. As we speak, I have a low draw fan cooling the room I am in and regularly keep windows open to allow the heat to pass through and keep the overall temperature down. Also during investigating the house, we found there is no insulation in the roof to allow to keep the energy reliance to cool the house down. This will be addressed in the very near future. Solar panels and solar appliances will be the next major investment to be added to the property to assist our part in climate change.

As for shopping, we stopped using plastic or single use bags some 3 years ago now, opting for a no bag option or using cardboard boxes from the shelves of our supermarkets. For those playing at home, the egg boxes are the best along with soft drink or orange juice / other chilled 2L+ sized boxes will last a while. Regardless all cardboard is biodegrable and recyclable.

We often buy in bulk when shopping and avoid as much waste as possible, for several months probably even over a year, our rubbish bin landfill waste consisted of about 5 or less litres in volume. Our recycling bin however was always full by the time the fortnightly cycle had finished and bin was emptied.

We use as much recyclable materials as possible, even when camping. Using kitchen equipment or suitable camping alternatives without being disposable. After several years in hospitality, I was introduced to Bamboo plates, bowls and cutlery, Despite the higher price, they are a monumentally better alternative to plastic disposable equipment. I hated how much was wasted and often encouraged guests to take home the food that was still available or gave it to someone in need if they were unable to take it all the way home.

When we recently moved house, we cleared out a significant amount of clothing. Instead of simply putting it in the bin, it was donated to a family in need or suitable charitable organisation that would accept it.

My workplace recently phased out single use plastic bottles in our vending machines and similar avenues of dispensing. Together with our social club we have sold a number of reusable lexan(polycarbonate), metal and glass water bottles all made to order.

Our backyard is fortunately fully landscaped and requires minimal maintenance that requires machinery such as a lawn mower or similar motorised equipment. For the times that we do need to use these, almost all of them are electric powered, charged from car batteries which have been recharged by solar panels.

If everyone played a small part in reducing their waste, it would go a long way to helping out.

Valerie31416015
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:00pm

Our climate has been changing rapidly in the last few years due to an increase in factors such as pollution. Often, there are people who adopt a not-in-my-backyard attitude towards the issue of climate change and continue contributing to pollution.

Personally, I have been struggling to change my lifestyle such that I move towards a zero-waste one. Glass straws, lunchbox, fibrous table cloth, foldable cups, snack bags... I’ve got them all! However, lugging them around on days when all I want to do is bring a small bag out can be a challenge. Even remembering to bring my own recyclable bag can be a challenge sometimes. However, to avoid contributing to the waste, I choose not to take a plastic bag whenever I can if I forget to bring my own bag. Order drinks and decline taking a straw if I forgot to bring my own. Skip buying my favourite bubble tea (aka boba) for the day if I forgot to bring my cup. These are ways that I use to overcome the challenges of moving towards a zero-waste lifestyle.

Furthermore, I have taken to making my own beeswax wraps so that I can avoid using cling wraps. These are small steps we can take to move towards a zero-waste lifestyle!

What would be really interesting for me is to come up with an alternative for tin foil!

Another thing that I have been meaning to do but have yet to start is to make my own compost. This has been extremely challenging because being around creepy-crawlies dont sit well with me! However, given time, I hope that I will be able to overcome my fears and start composting.

Lastly, I have been trying to walk to a nearby destination rather than drive in order to reduce my carbon footprint. It is especially challenging especially on a hot day though! What I could do with is an air-conditioned suit that can magically turn hot air into cool air without adding to the pollution problem! :)

lynndi
  • 12th Feb 2019 12:36pm

I believe its just a natural cycle of evolution.

Damo1982
  • 12th Feb 2019 12:31pm

There is absolutely no doubt that climate change is occurring and that humans are responsible for it completely. You only need to look at the news at see that natural disasters are occurring more frequently and with much more intensity than ever before. The ice shelves in Greenland, Canada, Alaska and the Antarctic are breaking up which leads to higher sea levels and warmer oceans. This alone is contributing to coral bleaching in our beautiful Great Barrier Reef and means that low-lying island nations are disappearing with frightening speed.

The more we burn fossil fuels the worse it will get.

Australia is uniquely placed to be the leaders in renewables as we have vast amounts of land that enjoy 300+ days of sunshine every year.

I believe that we are nearing the point of no return and if every nation on earth doesn't act quickly than the planet that we leave to our children and their children will be a very different and hostile place to live.

KennethS
  • 12th Feb 2019 04:33pm
Its basic science. If you pump countless chemicals into the atmosphere, trapping CO2 molecules of course the planet will heat up. Try a simple experiment in a greenhouse and see what happens

The level of CO2 in the atmosphere is approx 405 part per million or 0.000405%, with an ideal of 350ppm
The question is how much is mankind responsible for, and what effect this increase of 55 parts million has on climate if any.
The vulcanos in Iceland put significantly more pollutants into the atmosphere than mankind does, not that this is an argument for mankind to pollute,
The theory of anthropogenic climate change is a hypothesis, namely this is no uncontestible proof that makes it a fact, and a consensus of learned people does not change a hypothesis to a fact, although the popular press would like to suggest it does, the only thing that counts is uncontestible scientific proof, and that is notable by it's absence.
i don't know what your scientific credentials if any are, mine are somewhat sketchy, an MSc in Physics and Mathematics, but when I did my degree facts were proven ( beyond any doubt) not by consensus of interested parties.who may gain some advantage ( like research funding, or a plumb appointment)

Damo1982
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:39pm
"climate change is occurring and that humans are responsible for it completely"

And what actual uncontestable evidence do you have to support this statement - because if one strictly...

Its basic science. If you pump countless chemicals into the atmosphere, trapping CO2 molecules of course the planet will heat up. Try a simple experiment in a greenhouse and see what happens

KennethS
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:30pm
There is absolutely no doubt that climate change is occurring and that humans are responsible for it completely. You only need to look at the news at see that natural disasters are occurring more...

"climate change is occurring and that humans are responsible for it completely"

And what actual uncontestable evidence do you have to support this statement - because if one strictly applies the rules of scientific evidence to this issue, it is still an unproven hypothesis.
Incidently, consensus has never constituted proof in science, May i remind you that 500 years ago the consensus was that the world was flat.

More to the point, quite a few people are becoming obscenely wealthy on the coat tails of the hypothesis of man made climate change

Olugbenga30903842
  • 12th Feb 2019 12:24pm

I have been using Eco friendly products and not using plastic bags anymore.

traceyh09
  • 11th Feb 2019 11:08pm

We recently installed solar panels. We also actively recycle everything (paper, plastic, bottles/cans) that we can, and try to minimise waste. We use water bottles over buying new ones. We compost, which is also great for the garden. I don't buy new clothes and things until they fall apart and can't be used. I buy second hand items where possible. One person/family is not enough, but I hope that my efforts rub off on others, especially my children -the generation of the future.

Alex31632144
  • 11th Feb 2019 11:47am

For a long time I had been privy to the affect of animal agriculture on climate change. It's impact is by far the highest on the environment even though it is a little known contributor. However, it was only in August last year that I was finally convinced to go vegetarian in order to make an impact. I think because in Western society we are the ones who will least feel the impact of climate change it is easy to dismiss for the instant gratification of a steak of taking for granted our resources. But the injustice of that concept is so large and given our unwillingness in the current political climate who suffer as a result I realised that because my bubble of ignorance had been burst, it would almost be barbaric not to take action. Out of sight, out of mind is simply not good enough.

Lachlan31575362
  • 11th Feb 2019 11:39am

I have seriously tried to reduce my purchasing of plastic and plastic products.
I have been buying ethically and environmentally sourced and produced products.
I donate to Greenpeace an am part of a few other climate change groups

sidra
  • 20th Apr 2019 01:09pm
I have seriously tried to reduce my purchasing of plastic and plastic products.
I have been buying ethically and environmentally sourced and produced products.
I donate to Greenpeace an am...

I am selling eco friendly bags and toothbrushes at wholesale prices ...please contact if interested

vichic
  • 10th Feb 2019 02:38pm

Yes, global warming...just the thought terrifies me. I am vigilant now in sorting rubbish, very aware of not using single use plastic, conscious of wasting water & leaving lights on. All things that ten years ago I thought were only done by “tree hugging greenies” now I might be one of them lol.

Mikaren
  • 9th Feb 2019 02:23pm

I no longer use a dryer and count on the sun to dry my clothes and I keep curtains closed until the sun starts to cool down

Caperteewaratah
  • 9th Feb 2019 02:10pm

I have always been aware of waste even before climate change became a news item. I grew up in a family who were depression 2ndWW children and we were taught to turn off lights and not waste anything. More so now, to see people waste resources and have little care for the environment, I find upsetting - I wonder what they are thinking when they throw drink bottles out the car window or rubbish on the ground. These are learned behaviours and we need to teach our children to respect the planet and others human animal and plant life living on it as it is our home and source of life. I don't buy drinks in bottles, I preference food not packagaed such as vegetables and take my own bags and boxes to put them in. I hope we get more of being able to take our own containers to buy meat and other products. I buy staples like flour etc from our food co op and am frugal using electricity with solar power and hot water and use the power I generate by using washing mahine dishwasher during the middle of the day when I am using my own power.

trumby
  • 9th Feb 2019 06:49am

I just try and use the least amount of resources as possible

Bella4927
  • 8th Feb 2019 10:00pm

I have changed my habits lately; I have had a huge cleanse buy removing lots of electronic devices from the household such as ipod charge docks, ipods, 5 tv's in (one in each room) etc; I have removed alot of technology because I think consuming and consuming contributes to global warming.
I want to live a comfortable but sustainable lifestyle that recycles, and doesnt consume too much.
I feel like I contribute to a better environment and a better world for future generations.

Michael
  • 8th Feb 2019 04:39pm

I belong to Environment Victoria and done a few meetings and street campaigns for the elections in respect of solar power. I recycle and use less power(not that my bills show it) and travel more & more on public transport.

Harshanie 30779333
  • 8th Feb 2019 03:35pm

Planting fruits and vegetables in our back yard and used recycle water to watering the plant and using solar power for energy and recycle bottles, cartens and cans.

Ruskie30748487
  • 8th Feb 2019 03:14pm

I try to grow and plant many species of plants, trees, etc in my 2 acre garden. I am surrounded by mostly natural bushlands of 40 acre farm I own. I recycle everything I can. I have a worm farm where my vegetable scraps get turned into fantastic fertilizer for the plants.

mare
  • 8th Feb 2019 03:13pm

I am doing the best I can...

Brenton30587344
  • 8th Feb 2019 03:04pm

Climate change is nothing but a big scam ,these weather changes having happening for hundreds of years .

Jeeves01
  • 13th Feb 2019 01:47pm
Climate change is nothing but a big scam ,these weather changes having happening for hundreds of years .

Humans are just fantastic aren't they? It's incredible that we can cut down half the trees in the world, destroy fish stocks, throw plastic everywhere, pump out billons of kgs of CO2 and other polluting gases, overpopulate, use millions of lts of pesticides, drain rivers, use hundreds of millions of cars and trucks and never cause a single problem. Really amazing isn't it?
It's also amazing that we go to hospital to have life saving surgery and use drugs and machines invented by scientists which we trust, TV, space exploration, etc etc...all invented by scientists but apparently they are scaming us about climate change ?????
Of course it's all a giant joke....man hasn't caused a single problem...it's really not happening...it's fantastic to know I am not doing any damage at all..phewww!!! I was really worried before reading your informative and decisive post. Thanks for the insight. I am sure I will sleep better tonight.

roalfe
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:56pm
The earths Climate has been going through cycles for millions of years, it has been significantly hotter in the past, just as it has been much colder, for example during the various ice...

Hi Kenneth - I agree with you on all of your points. The Earth has been changing climatically for millions of years, however, it is our over population that is affecting us together with the natural climate changes. We have too many dictatorships around the World who are in power and want it to stay that way. The dictatorships are only interested in their own well being and not their fellow citizens. They do nothing to help the poor in their countries. We are ruining our planet. - regards Kerry Mac

KennethS
  • 12th Feb 2019 03:19pm
Climate change is nothing but a big scam ,these weather changes having happening for hundreds of years .

The earths Climate has been going through cycles for millions of years, it has been significantly hotter in the past, just as it has been much colder, for example during the various ice ages.

The question about man made climate change is not proven, it is a hypothesis for which no unquestionable compelling proof has been found to move the hypothesis from theory to fact.
Various volcanic activity throughout the world throws more crap into the atmosphere than mankind does.
Nevertheless, mankind has nothing to gain and a lot to lose by continuing to pour pollutants into the atmosphere, be they fluorides that interfere with the ozone layer, or Oxides of nitrogen and sulphur that cause resperatory problems and also acid rain.

By far the greatest pollutant that mankind is inflicting on the world is grossly excessive human reproduction, and if there is man made pollution then it is proportional to the total human population.
The tragedy of excessive human reproduction is that those peoples whose reproduction rates are the highest are least capable of supporting their offspring, and least capable of educating their offspring so that their burgeoning numbers are all detriment and no benefit to humankind, ensuring millions more suffering from famine, disease and living in abject poverty. The problem will not go away, it will only continue to get worse, and politically correct thinking on such issues only makes the problem worse, Ignoring the problem, kicking the can down the street will only ensur that when the problem finally boils over the outcome will be the worst imaginable.
It is amazing that in Africa, where extreme poverty is the most serious problem, that in the backward dictatorships the nations are awash with weapons such as the Kalashnikov AK47 which cost about $1000 each with rounds costing $1 a piece, money for weapons but not to support the needy.
When this problem does explode, it will become a struggle for the survival of modern civilisation.

LokiAura
  • 12th Feb 2019 01:13pm
Climate change is nothing but a big scam ,these weather changes having happening for hundreds of years .

totally agree with you Brenton

mandal
  • 7th Feb 2019 03:12pm

We always close all the curtains to keep the summer heat out of the house, even if we're at home but then it's only in the rooms we're not using at the time. If we use the air conditioner, we have it set to 25 or 26C, which is enough to cool us down but doesn't use as much energy as a lower temperature. As soon as a cool change comes through, we open up all the windows and doors to get cross ventilation through. In winter, we have heaters set at no more than 22C and just wear more layers, again to use less energy while still being comfortable.

We've just installed solar panels and can't wait for them to be connected up so we can start using energy generated by the sun rather than coal.

Single-use items not only pollute the environment but their manufacture contributes to climate change by using energy. For Christmas I bought all my family sets of stainless steel straws so we can stop using plastic straws. My daughter takes her own straw when she buys bubble tea. I have been trying to get into the habit of taking my own cutlery when I know I'm going to be eating somewhere that gives you disposable cutlery, eg. food courts, casual Japanese restaurants. In fact, when we went on a holiday to Japan last year, we took chopsticks everywhere we went and were able to refuse at least 100 pairs of disposable chopsticks. We also rarely use cling wrap or aluminium foil - sandwiches for school go in a box, leftovers are stored in lidded glass containers etc.

All our laundry is washed in cold water as that uses less energy (with the exception of when someone's been sick and then we wash their sheets etc with a hot wash).

We try to use public transport whenever possible, rather than taking our own car.

des
  • 7th Feb 2019 01:46pm

As individuals I think it's sometimes hard to get your head around what we could possibly do to help climate change, as it's up to countries/governments to rue on and implement such things. But when you think about it there are things you can do even if only on a small level. I close the curtains early in the day before it gets too hot so that the solar block curtains keep the heat out of my house for longer and therefore use air conditioning less. In Winter months leave the curtains open so the sun heats up the house with less use of heating appliances. I still have buckets in the shower and use that to water plants in the garden sure it's a pain but I believe every little bit is a help to "OUR" environment. Use reusable drink containers and straws it amazes me just how much of this garbage goes into our oceans. I was reading an article just this week about how the micro plastics have now been found in humans so what we throw out has now come back into our own bodies. And what will be the outcome of this ???? for sure it won't be good. Makes me think twice about eating fish now and I find that very sad. Not only are we hurting our environment but now ourselves as well. And how many more generations ? I'm sure there is more I could be doing and will keep on the lookout for them. I recently saw bamboo toothbrushes so no more plastics ,haven't done anything about it yet but will keep my eye out for it in the future. Can't wait to hear what other people are doing too. Might hear some more things I can implement into our lives.

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