Anonymous wrote:I mean, passenger vehicles of all types make up only about 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. All residential energy use is something like 11%. So you can try all you want but the reality is that industry is responsible for almost all global emissions and you're just making your life harder to not even put a dent in this.

I am the original poster, and I also used to share this thinking, but when I analyzed my own carbon footprint, and compared it the worldwide average, the results were shocking. This led me to make various lifestyle changes.

A typical family in this area -- simply by driving their SUVs, and excluding all of their other CO2 emissions -- produces twice the global per capita CO2 emissions average. So I think Americans could indeed make a significant difference by changing our driving habits.

PP here. Probably more important is whether you vote for politicians who will do something about climate change.

Honestly, I feel like anything I do is a drop in the bucket compared to the changes that need to by implemented in the form of government policy and / or corporate decisions. My not taking an international trip barely registers compared to the emissions by China or India.

How many kids do you have OP? More than 1? Then you and your spouse and kids and their kids will always be impacting the environment for decades to come, far more than you could have...regardless of having a car and riding a bike.

Anonymous wrote:In North Arlington, my wife and I feel like we are completely alone in our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. We have just one car that we use sparingly, and we use bicycles for our local errands. We keep our thermostat at 65F in the winter (and wear sweaters) and 79F in the summer, using ceiling fans to make the bedrooms more comfortable. We greatly limit our international and domestic travel. We eat mostly vegetarian meals, and we never eat beef.

All of our neighbors have multiple large SUVs, and many neighbors have knocked their 2000 square foot houses down and replaced them with 5000 square foot homes. Some neighbors with 5000 square foot homes have only 1 child, so they don't truly need a huge living space. Many neighbors drive to work in their SUV without any other passengers to accompany them. They go on multiple international vacations a year (lots of CO2 per flight). Huge amounts of garbage are generated each week and placed on the curb, presumably to make way for yet more stuff that they are buying for their homes -- stuff that will probably end up on the curbside, destined for the landfill, a year or two down the road.

I've posted my frustrations in the "car and transport" section of this forum, only to be told by other posters that I'm jealous of my neighbor's SUVs and large homes. Despite a high level of education among DCUM posters, most don't appear concerned about the consequences of their consumerism, and can't even conceive of a high-income family exercising some restraint.

We are, in fact, a high net worth family, but we are striving to reduce our carbon footprint. We feel completely alone, like strangers in a foreign country. I'm curious if anybody else here feels the same way.

OP, you are taking so many positive steps and should be applauded for them but until you do more than just "limit" your domestic and internatinal air travel (esp the international) you are doing far more harm to the environment than all the good you are doing put together. It is just the facts.

I agree, I don’t know anyone who has really altered their lifestyle. The biggest issue is international travel. All the liberals and democrats I know air travel as much as they can afford.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, passenger vehicles of all types make up only about 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. All residential energy use is something like 11%. So you can try all you want but the reality is that industry is responsible for almost all global emissions and you're just making your life harder to not even put a dent in this.

It's an all-round effort, PP. We have a highly energy-conscious home, for example. You can't really curtail energy use in your house while continuing to gaz-guzzle every time you use your vehicle - it makes no sense. We need to change hearts and minds by modeling energy conservation, alternative energy use and lower consumption of plastics, in all aspects of our lives. I'm not saying you need to suffer! But if you're informed and aware, you can make choices everywhere that are better for the environment and the long-term health of humans. And if your kids and your community sees your efforts, they'll be more likely to make them too. It needs to become a societal reflex. It's the only way people are going to prioritize voting for environmentally-conscious representatives at all levels of government, and the only way companies and businesses will understand they cannot risk the wrath of public opinion by continuing to pollute.

We've outsourced our pollution to east/south Asia. You can pretend all you want but our "local communities" can't do jack to meaningfully impact global emissions. Keep dreaming though

^ not OP, by the way.

Anonymous wrote:I mean, passenger vehicles of all types make up only about 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. All residential energy use is something like 11%. So you can try all you want but the reality is that industry is responsible for almost all global emissions and you're just making your life harder to not even put a dent in this.

It's an all-round effort, PP. We have a highly energy-conscious home, for example. You can't really curtail energy use in your house while continuing to gaz-guzzle every time you use your vehicle - it makes no sense. We need to change hearts and minds by modeling energy conservation, alternative energy use and lower consumption of plastics, in all aspects of our lives. I'm not saying you need to suffer! But if you're informed and aware, you can make choices everywhere that are better for the environment and the long-term health of humans. And if your kids and your community sees your efforts, they'll be more likely to make them too. It needs to become a societal reflex. It's the only way people are going to prioritize voting for environmentally-conscious representatives at all levels of government, and the only way companies and businesses will understand they cannot risk the wrath of public opinion by continuing to pollute.

I hear you, OP. I can't claim that I'm great about reducing my carbon footprint but it's certainly something I'm aware of. I understand the tragedy of fast fashion and planned obsolescence.

If I need a piece of wood furniture, I try to go to the antiques store . . . the quality is way better than what you'll get unless you have a craftsman make it anyway. I do try to walk to run errands but I'm handicapped and it's not always possible. I try to use my dryer as little as possible. I hate flying so I'm naturally inclined to avoid it and I realize how terrible it is for the planet, but the rest of the family isn't as conscientious as I am so we do take regular trips (though we always take the train when we can). Because of my illness I can't tolerate cold temperatures but I do try to heat up only the part of the house I'm using. I hate hate hate that companies are making electronic items to die and become junk after a certain amount of time, so when possible I buy the longest-lasting brand (e.g. SmartQueen for our washer and dryer). I try to educate myself about little swaps you can make, like I use the old baby wipes from our cloth diapering days when I need a small wipe instead of a tissue or paper towel. I've tried to find good bamboo toilet paper but ultimately it just clumped too much, so we used recycled paper. I could definitely be better about eating meat.

And I know that REDUCE is a huge part of it. Don't run out and buy 25 cotton totes for grocery shopping (cotton is a huge water guzzler) . . . up-cycle or reuse what you already have.

But all of this knowledge is the result of committing a fair amount of time to research. Unless you hang out with crunchy types, who tend not to have the HHI that we have, then most people are just completely unaware. It's one of those things where you feel like you know the asteroid is coming but most people don't. How can people really not KNOW? But then again, how much am I missing?

Nope. You are the best!

I mean, passenger vehicles of all types make up only about 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. All residential energy use is something like 11%. So you can try all you want but the reality is that industry is responsible for almost all global emissions and you're just making your life harder to not even put a dent in this.

I also live in an affluent neighborhood and have noticed many of my neighbors have electric cars. Also starting to see more solar panels.
We switched from gas to a heat pump but I have no idea who else has done the same since my heat pump is behind the house and kind of looks like a regular A/C unit.
Some neighborhoods in the area have banned leaf blowers or offer curbside compost pickup.
So I think things are starting to change, just slowly.

I live near downtown Bethesda and over the years I've seen many more electric vehicles than say, 10 years ago. I've also seen many more households composting, since the little buckets are left out on trash day. But unless I get to know people, these are the only two visible signs of environmental awareness I can see.

Sadly, to compensate for these decent folks, the pick line at my kids' schools is CHOCK-FULL of large gas SUVs. It's shocking and I judge these families big time.

In North Arlington, my wife and I feel like we are completely alone in our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions. We have just one car that we use sparingly, and we use bicycles for our local errands. We keep our thermostat at 65F in the winter (and wear sweaters) and 79F in the summer, using ceiling fans to make the bedrooms more comfortable. We greatly limit our international and domestic travel. We eat mostly vegetarian meals, and we never eat beef.

All of our neighbors have multiple large SUVs, and many neighbors have knocked their 2000 square foot houses down and replaced them with 5000 square foot homes. Some neighbors with 5000 square foot homes have only 1 child, so they don't truly need a huge living space. Many neighbors drive to work in their SUV without any other passengers to accompany them. They go on multiple international vacations a year (lots of CO2 per flight). Huge amounts of garbage are generated each week and placed on the curb, presumably to make way for yet more stuff that they are buying for their homes -- stuff that will probably end up on the curbside, destined for the landfill, a year or two down the road.

I've posted my frustrations in the "car and transport" section of this forum, only to be told by other posters that I'm jealous of my neighbor's SUVs and large homes. Despite a high level of education among DCUM posters, most don't appear concerned about the consequences of their consumerism, and can't even conceive of a high-income family exercising some restraint.

We are, in fact, a high net worth family, but we are striving to reduce our carbon footprint. We feel completely alone, like strangers in a foreign country. I'm curious if anybody else here feels the same way.