The Planet in Peril

We have even managed to surround the earth with rubbish its now so bad they are sending up nets to bring some of it down for fear of satelites being wiped out ! how are we going to cope no communication  like wise  some of your WI Fi extends and plasma tvs at home  are polluting the air waves 

I'm doing my bit as well TW. Now I have retired I do many fewer miles not driving to and from work and travelling all over Cheshire on works business.

Taking your question at face value, about changes we make to our present lives...

Practical measures, among others, include: solar panels on the roof, so helping cut generation emissions;  driving less; sourcing food more locally when possible (less "air miles"), also eating more organic food so cutting reliance on industrial farm fertilisers, often oil-based, which only make ground reliant on ever more use of them, reduce its ability to sink carbon, and create huge environmental problems in both production and use; cutting the amount of meat eaten; keeping old machinery like computers running longer rather than tipping them, so saving resources as well as landfill; little things like switching off unnecessary lights, not idling car engine' trying to find lower energy ways of running our household, and more.
Leisure - rarely using air travel for a start. Cycling holidays - sadly not practical in our case for health reasons. Only towing a small caravan with low drag while using a relatively economical car to do so, driving "conservatively" without being a drag on the road behind.

In general - reading research and trying to evaluate what's just bunk, what's scientifically rigorous, and what's got industry behind it trying to skew the truth and spin the statistics. Not trusting what some newspapers are keen to tell us.

There's lots more - others are welcome to add, but these are some of the ones we find to be workable. I'd love to have things like ground effect central heating but we'd need lots more capital (and also more land) for that to work.

I hope this helps.

And me. Haven't flown since mid 1980's (bar 20 minutes in a helicopter from Scillies!)  we don't rush to replace our cars every three of four years, don't leave the tap running when teeth brushing, and recycle and reuse as much as we can. 

So, my years to come are going to be spent doing exactly what I want, where I want, how I want. Mainly in a 4 litre petrol Jeep, a 2.8 diesel Jeep, a diesel Motorhome and a classic MG. with the odd plane, train and boat thrown in.

My carbon footprint as a none reproductive member of the species will still be in credit. 

It's a risk I'm taking

Well, recycling's a good start

Agreed, giving up towing would improve the mpg. Unhooked, the car averages 50-low 60's mpg. With caravan, the average so far is 40mpg. The 'van being only 2m tall in towing mode cuts drag usefully. But it's still burning the fuel, yes - hence my original hope that more would be done to encourage cleaner vehicles.

Giving up - we've only had it two years, after health issues stopped us using tents in our 60's, and other than the initial cost, it's cheaper to use than either self-catering rents or other accommodation, so is the source of most of our holidays now.

In its defence, at nearly 20 years old it's sort of recycling in itself - no new industrial products... and even po-faced eco-warriors need some breaks!

Thanks for this, Corners, and we'll hopefully agree to differ amicably here.

I can quite see the club doesn't want to get involved in politics as such, and that it would be dangerous for it to do so.

I'd see the CAMC's role of providing good services for members as including encouraging suppliers to provide decent equipment for the future - it already offers all sorts of improved gadgets, runs articles about them, and presumably accepts payment for advertising such stuff. I noted the one about new batteries in the most recent magazine - good.

This is where we'll differ.  I'm seeing taking what steps we can to hold back the speed of climate change as necessary. For one thing I want to improve the chances of our grandchildren, and those following, to have a decent place to live. Like most people, I'm still tied into the infrastructure our society has built. So I'd see appropriate development of the equipment we'll be using for caravanning and M-H-ing  as part of the role of the club.
Others still don't see the climate change and our part in it as something we need to take seriously, so would see my view as political.

But it's been a useful airing of views and information, and thanks to Mickysf for not objecting to this diversion on your thread

What changes to our leisure pursuits and lives do folk think will make that difference for our future generations?

Interesting to read people's views and comments on this subject and even the smallest change can make a big difference: eg I x plastic straw x 7 billion people; 1 x coffee cup x 7 billion etc etc

Whatever your views are on global warming, I was reminded on a recent trip to Iceland by the residents whose fears for their grandchildren are real, with the current rate of glacial melt. 

It will be interesting to see at the NEC show how the leisure vehicle suppliers are investing in change, end of life recycling, alternative fuels, lowering emissions, carbon footprints, rather than just manufacturing 'lighter' vehicles.

I take my hat off to the Scandinavians and their forward thinking. A German car manufacturer however, has just announced it's going to produce a diesel hybrid! No doubt it'll be 'better for the planet' and travel 10,000 miles on one tank 😉