Extinction Rebelion roadrage

[tbourner]

Well this seams to be the big push at the minute as to cut down on plastic which is good but does nothing for whats in the system currently and to be frank we will still have plastics, so recycling is where we should be starting, as a consumer we are told to separate all our waste so then to put it in a hole in the ground is crazy.
if plastics are not biodegradable within a short allowed lifetime or recyclable then we should not use it and find another material. if around the world they sell 20,000 plastic bottles a second, there is a demand for 20,000 bottles a second so there is no reason for any to go into landfill.
Think of it like water, there is an amount of water on earth, we cant make more its all we have so that very expensive bottled water folks buy will of had dinosaurs pee in it at some point.
We need to move away from the throw away attitude and use whats in the system first before producing new and do this in a clean way.

Definitely. Maybe we should protest to force people and decision makers to do more.

 

[Scott_F]

Well this seams to be the big push at the minute as to cut down on plastic which is good but does nothing for whats in the system currently and to be frank we will still have plastics, so recycling is where we should be starting, as a consumer we are told to separate all our waste so then to put it in a hole in the ground is crazy.
if plastics are not biodegradable within a short allowed lifetime or recyclable then we should not use it and find another material. if around the world they sell 20,000 plastic bottles a second, there is a demand for 20,000 bottles a second so there is no reason for any to go into landfill.
Think of it like water, there is an amount of water on earth, we cant make more its all we have so that very expensive bottled water folks buy will of had dinosaurs pee in it at some point.
We need to move away from the throw away attitude and use whats in the system first before producing new and do this in a clean way.

Whilst we like to congratulate ourselves on our improved rates of recycling, a lot of what we think is going to be recycled ends up being incinerated or dumped - either here or abroad.

China recently announced a ban on imports of foreign plastic waste which has left global recycling capacity woefully short. Other countries have been willing to take in waste (it's a good earner) but often lack the capacity to process it meaning that much of it is dumped in landfill, rivers or anywhere they can find. The situation in Indonesia is happening elsewhere:

In Indonesia, splits emerge over efforts to stem plastic tide - Reuters

Also, material sent for recycling, often to the Far East, can be sent back here or dumped if it is deemed to be contaminated - in other words it hasn't been properly sorted so there is plastic mixed with paper etc.. Local Authorities know that this goes on but are happy to ignore the problem as they just want rid of the waste so that they can continue to tick the "we recycle lots of stuff" box.

 

[GeordieN]

Definitely. Maybe we should protest to force people and decision makers to do more.

Don't agree with interrupting others lively hood, that recent method would of cost the general public money as in lost wages ect. yes has got attention but now annoyed a lot of people who might of been open to what they are saying but now wont be. I agree things have to change but as i said before this country is a drop in the ocean of the worlds problems and normally in life if you have multiple problems you start with the biggest first and work backwards so getting the quickest gains.
We all know we need to change the decision makers in this country as, well they cant decide anything can they.

 

[Yugguy]

Greta answers her critics.

Greta Thunberg

 

[190]

A thoughtful young women. Having read that, it's a little more difficult to apply the usual criticism of young people; that they may have strong and genuinely felt views but are inherently idealists that lack the experience of supporting themselves to have a realistic view of things.

I'm surprised they didn't target air travel before anything else. It's the one use of fossil fuel that goes largely untaxed. Air travel is still growing and many cases for trivial reasons. I worked for a multi national for 30 years and was guilty of much unnecessary air travel. It's time the world started to take an ethical view of air travel.

 

[tbourner]

3 years in my job and so far have refused to travel despite several requests for me to visit China, Italy and Germany. I do drive for work every couple of months though.

 

[John]

Heavy oil used in shipping is another big one which needs sorting out as well as the speed the ships move at.

On the subject of plastic in the oceans, who on here or know of anyone that's actually chucked anything plastic waste related into the sea or river. Is there a country or a company that's dumping plastic waste straight into oceans and why is this not just recycled.

Yes, I watched a TV programme a while ago on plastic pollution and there are countries (far East I think) who have in recent times started using sealed pouches for all the things they never had before (toothpaste, food etc.) and they literally chuck their waste in the local river as there is no system in place there to deal with the waste.

It's crazy.

 

[markjay]

As a side note... when I worked in West Africa, there was near-zero pollution from plastic or glass or tin containers etc.

The population were poor, and nothing was thrown-away. There were stalls in the local markets selling empty water bottles, engine oil containers, etc. Metal was melted and reused. Waste was minimal.

It's a sign of our affluent society that empty containers are considered waste.

Perhaps a mandatory deposit per container (say 20p) will encourage people to take them back to the store or recycling point instead of throwing it away.

 

[GeordieN]

It's a sign of our affluent society that empty containers are considered waste.

Perhaps a mandatory deposit per container (say 20p) will encourage people to take them back to the store or recycling point instead of throwing it away.[/QUOTE]

Just like the pop bottles when I was a lad, that way if some do get thrown the yougens would pick them up to claim the deposit.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

I worked & lived in Tokyo for a while. In one of our contractor offices had 11 recycle bins for plastics, paper and even metals - e.g. staples.

Starbucks had 3 bins - cardboard cup, plastic lid, wooden stick.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

It wasn't that long ago that water came from a tap rather than a bottle.

 

[markjay]

It wasn't that long ago that water came from a tap rather than a bottle.

Mine still does.

 

[Bellow]

It wasn't that long ago that water came from a tap rather than a bottle.

It wasn't that long ago that people could go about their daily business without having something to suck on.

 

[geraldrobins]

It wasn't that long ago that people could go about their daily business without having something to suck on.

Is that when the majority smoked!!

 

[Scott_F]

Also, material sent for recycling, often to the Far East, can be sent back here or dumped if it is deemed to be contaminated - in other words it hasn't been properly sorted so there is plastic mixed with paper etc.. Local Authorities know that this goes on but are happy to ignore the problem as they just want rid of the waste so that they can continue to tick the "we recycle lots of stuff" box.

Malaysia returns plastic waste to Britain saying it ‘will not be a dumping ground’

 

[Yugguy]

Aye, have to say I very rarely buy plastic water bottles. Just fill a bottle from the tap.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Aye, have to say I very rarely buy plastic water bottles. Just fill a bottle from the tap.

Glass or plastic?

 

[Scott_F]

Glass or plastic?

White Rhino hide trimmed with Giant Panda fur.

 

[219]

All I see is the bunch of anarchists disrupting the traffic and making it hard for working people to get to their offices and homes. What do they want? What is their ideology except bringing chaos?
Disrupting the DLR and tube services, vandalizing, why, what is the message they are sending this way?
After all how did they get there, by foot?! Certainly not.
And to be clear I am for looking after the environment but not in this way.
Pillocks and scumbags.

I think they are doing a great job of peaceful protest , not doing anyone any harm , and gaining great publicity for their cause .

Hardly anarchists - more like concerned citizens exercising their right to peaceful protest .

Good on them !

 

[219]

BS just look how many "green" regulatory changes we had in last few years from plastic shopping bags to new ULEZ charges plus low CO2 emission demands imposed on manufacturing businesses. So from my point of view the government/s are doing enough and in some instances more than that.

ULEZ charges only affect tiny areas , and smack of NIMBY-ism