Christmas is destroying the planet

[Ray Gin]

The amount of waste at this time of year is ridiculous, from non-recyclable wrapping paper, to useless plastic novelty crap that is destined for the bin after barely being looked at, to the needless chopping down of trees so you can stick one in your house for a month.

 

Good article on it here:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/christmas-killing-the-planet-environment_uk_5a26d453e4b0e383e63c3d05

[davemclaren]

Bah Humbug. 
 

good point actually. 

[Old Hearts]

21 minutes ago, Ray Gin said:

The amount of waste at this time of year is ridiculous, from non-recyclable wrapping paper, to useless plastic novelty crap that is destined for the bin after barely being looked at, to the needless chopping down of trees so you can stick one in your house for a month.

 

Good article on it here:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/christmas-killing-the-planet-environment_uk_5a26d453e4b0e383e63c3d05

Accept the non-recyclable paper and plastic tat points, but not convinced by tree argument.

 

Most Christmas trees come from Christmas tree farms, no? For every tree cut down, more are planted in their place, on a rotational basis? .... Surely could be argued that this planting of trees and existence of Christmas tree farms are good for environment?? .... And if disposed of properly once January comes, discarded trees fully recyclable for other uses?

[Ray Gin]

14 minutes ago, Old Hearts said:

Accept the non-recyclable paper and plastic tat points, but not convinced by tree argument.

 

Most Christmas trees come from Christmas tree farms, no? For every tree cut down, more are planted in their place, on a rotational basis? .... Surely could be argued that this planting of trees and existence of Christmas tree farms are good for environment?? .... And if disposed of properly once January comes, discarded trees fully recyclable for other uses?

 

And the land wasted on these farms? The water wasted? The carbon emissions from the delivery, fuel, machinery, chainsaws etc? Admittedly they are less bad than plastic trees.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Ray Gin

[Old Hearts]

Just now, Ray Gin said:

 

And the land wasted on these farms? The water wasted? The carbon emissions from the delivery, fuel, machinery, chainsaws etc?

Most are on land totally useless for any other purpose? ..... Water? Seriously? .... We live in Scotland, not Africa.

 

Carbon emissions would be negligible, compared to carbon emissions used for other consumables for example.

[Ron Burgundy]

You Christians are stealing my dreams

[Cade]

My friends and family have all gotten sick of the waste too.

We tend to give each other day out experiences as gifts rather than some physical thing we don't want or need.

Xmas trees are plastic ones that will last pretty much forever and some of the ones available these days look really good.

 

[Ray Gin]

2 minutes ago, Cade said:

My friends and family have all gotten sick of the waste too.

We tend to give each other day out experiences as gifts rather than some physical thing we don't want or need.

Xmas trees are plastic ones that will last pretty much forever and some of the ones available these days look really good.

 

 

Plastic trees are even worse for the environment. Can't be recycled and their production has a huge carbon footprint.

 

[The Internet]

I'd rather give up cars than Christmas. 

[Bauld]

We've cut right back. My son is 6 and spends his TV time fully absorbed in David Attenborough programmes and any other nature related stuff he can find. He wants no christmas crackers or glitter crap this year because it is polluting the oceans and doing terrible things to the planet.

 

6 years old and wants to make a difference. We could all learn from that example. 

[Ray Gin]

2 minutes ago, Bauld said:

We've cut right back. My son is 6 and spends his TV time fully absorbed in David Attenborough programmes and any other nature related stuff he can find. He wants no christmas crackers or glitter crap this year because it is polluting the oceans and doing terrible things to the planet.

 

6 years old and wants to make a difference. We could all learn from that example. 

 

Good on the wee lad. You must be doing something right.  

[¼½¾]

1 hour ago, Ray Gin said:

 

Plastic trees are even worse for the environment. Can't be recycled and their production has a huge carbon footprint.

 

An artificial trees apparently needs to be kept for at least 10 years, to have the same environmental impact as a single real tree which goes to landfill. You'd have to keep it even longer to compensate for trees being recycled or burnt.

[Horatio Caine]

What about the extravagent illuminations out in front of people's houses?  Yes, they're probably LED so don't use too much juice, but there's hunners and hunners of them!  In my street alone, Blackpool, eat your heart out!

[Ray Gin]

1 minute ago, Horatio Caine said:

What about the extravagent illuminations out in front of people's houses?  Yes, they're probably LED so don't use too much juice, but there's hunners and hunners of them!  In my street alone, Blackpool, eat your heart out!

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/christmas-lighting-equal-to-228-days-electricity-2132113.html

 

GoCompare calculated that a display of 100 five-watt bulbs switched on for six hours a day over the festive period will consume 207 Kwh, the equivalent of 22.8 days of the average British household's electricity consumption.

[Craig_]

3 hours ago, Old Hearts said:

Most are on land totally useless for any other purpose? ..... Water? Seriously? .... We live in Scotland, not Africa.

 

Carbon emissions would be negligible, compared to carbon emissions used for other consumables for example.

 

You could probably make an argument for the trees being a carbon sink and therefore carbon negative, if anything.

[Turkishcap]

We could go back to an old fashioned Christmas where we could have a satsuma but I am sure that would upset someone somewhere.There would always be some greedy git who wanted 2 thus doubling the amount of fruit picked.

[ri Alban]

2 hours ago, Turkishcap said:

We could go back to an old fashioned Christmas where we could have a satsuma but I am sure that would upset someone somewhere.There would always be some greedy git who wanted 2 thus doubling the amount of fruit picked.

Cannae whack a tangerine on Christmas Day.

[The Gorgie]

**** it lets stop doing absolutely everything until the world ends on it own accord.

[Irufushi]

Everything a problem nowadays. Relax , it is what it is. 

[Ray Gin]

2 minutes ago, Irufushi said:

Everything a problem nowadays. Relax , it is what it is. 

 

[Irufushi]

[indianajones]

Trees aren't really an issue to be honest. 

[Jambothump]

16 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

You Christians are stealing my dreams

Ha ha ha 😧

[iantjambo]

19 hours ago, Bauld said:

We've cut right back. My son is 6 and spends his TV time fully absorbed in David Attenborough programmes and any other nature related stuff he can find. He wants no christmas crackers or glitter crap this year because it is polluting the oceans and doing terrible things to the planet.

 

6 years old and wants to make a difference. We could all learn from that example. 

 

 

 

[jack D and coke]

Just don’t think about it. It’s a runaway train, it’s all too late. 
Merry Christmas

[AlimOzturk]

It will take an extinction event of apocalyptic levels before humanity will change. Billions will have to die and the surving generations live in utter dire conditions for generations to come. 

 

I can not foresee a scenario (lest a gamma ray burst or something extreme like that which is.outwitn our control) which will wipe humanity out completely. 

 

However, I think we have the ability to totally **** the planet up sufficiently which will cause life on here to be pretty god dam awful. So enjoy all the luxuries  we have as we.may be one the last remaining gegeneration to actually a good standard of living

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by AlimOzturk

[Bauld]

33 minutes ago, iantjambo said:

 

 

 

 

[jack D and coke]

37 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

It will take an extinction event of apocalyptic levels before humanity will change. Billions will have to die and the surving generations live in utter dire conditions for generations to come. 

 

I can not foresee a scenario (lest a gamma ray burst or something extreme like that which is.outwitn our control) which will wipe humanity out completely. 

 

However, I think we have the ability to totally **** the planet up sufficiently which will cause life on here to be pretty god dam awful. So enjoy all the luxuries  we have as we.may be one the last remaining gegeneration to actually a good standard of living

 

Yeah this is how it’ll go. People don’t care.

Look how they mock a wee lassie relentlessly and get raging at any green protestors. As much as I wouldn’t like my day to put out I can see what they’re trying to do. 
We’re all hypocrites though. 
Im like everybody I just want it to go away and live exactly how I have been. 
We’re ****ed. 
People say they’re terrified of things like Jeremy Corbyn or brexit or Scottish Indy  
We’re selfish *******s and deserve everything coming our way. 

Enjoy it while it lasts. 

Edited December 4, 2019 by jack D and coke

[AlimOzturk]

6 minutes ago, jack D and coke said:

Yeah this is how it’ll go. People don’t care.

Look how they mock a wee lassie relentlessly and get raging at any green protestors. As much as I wouldn’t like my day to put out I can see what they’re trying to do. 
We’re all hypocrites though. 
Im like everybody I just want it to go away and live exactly how I have been. 
We’re ****ed. 
People say they’re terrified of things like Jeremy Corbyn or brexit or Scottish Indy  
We’re selfish *******s and deserve everything coming our way. 

Enjoy it while it lasts. 

 

Rolling out a 16 year old lasie like that, crying and moaning about how folk are ruing her life was pretty cringe TBH. I get it - the world is going to be ****ed if we do change. However, that was just a political stunt from rich folk using a wee lassie for their own gains. 

 

I live in hope that the penny will drop but nothing short than an extreme world wide change will solve this crisis. Extreme population control measures would have to implemented 

 

[jack D and coke]

3 minutes ago, AlimOzturk said:

 

Rolling out a 16 year old lasie like that, crying and moaning about how folk are ruing her life was pretty cringe TBH. I get it - the world is going to be ****ed if we do change. However, that was just a political stunt from rich folk using a wee lassie for their own gains. 

 

I live in hope that the penny will drop but nothing short than an extreme world wide change will solve this crisis. Extreme population control measures would have to implemented 

 

Yeah she’s been used defo but if not her someone else. 
I don’t worry about it anymore or try not to. 
Nobody will do anything. Or it won’t ever be enough or fast enough. We’ve been programmed to consume and aspire to buy more and more shit, bigger cars, fly more etc and governments only focus on short term you’ll pay slightly more tax and people lose their shit. 
Chances of us turning it around are slim and none and slim ****ed off 40 years ago. 

[ri Alban]

22 hours ago, AlimOzturk said:

It will take an extinction event of apocalyptic levels before humanity will change. Billions will have to die and the surving generations live in utter dire conditions for generations to come. 

 

I can not foresee a scenario (lest a gamma ray burst or something extreme like that which is.outwitn our control) which will wipe humanity out completely. 

 

However, I think we have the ability to totally **** the planet up sufficiently which will cause life on here to be pretty god dam awful. So enjoy all the luxuries  we have as we.may be one the last remaining gegeneration to actually a good standard of living

 

Extinction? Humanity changing? That'll be a better trick than the first time.

[Bridge of Djoum]

On 03/12/2019 at 08:59, Horatio Caine said:

What about the extravagent illuminations out in front of people's houses?  Yes, they're probably LED so don't use too much juice, but there's hunners and hunners of them!  In my street alone, Blackpool, eat your heart out!

You should see Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. Below is a sample... and there are many MANY more homes in that neighborhood adorned in a similar fashion for Xmas. 

 

[Bridge of Djoum]

3 minutes ago, weehammy said:

The Pol Pot of environmentalism.

Are we back onto attacking children with difficulties?

 

Really?

[Bridge of Djoum]

3 minutes ago, weehammy said:

Not my own work. Spotted it in an article somewhere and thought it was apt re the Year Zero stuff.

Classic bit of victimhood in your accusation.

Oh is that me virtue signalling, is it? 

 

Dearie me.

[Cade]

Victoria Falls, this week:

 

[redjambo]

If it's of any consolation to other JKBers, I'm on my own this Christmas so won't be having have any tree or decorations, I've virtually no presents to buy anyone (and those that I do buy will all be drunk by the recipients by the end of the year), and generally I won't be indulging in much Christmassy at all. So, go on and have a ball, I'll be compensating for your excesses.

 

Bah feckin' humbug.

[Irufushi]

1 hour ago, Cade said:

Victoria Falls, this week:

 

needs some tinsel to brighten it up . 

[Bridge of Djoum]

35 minutes ago, redjambo said:

If it's of any consolation to other JKBers, I'm on my own this Christmas so won't be having have any tree or decorations, I've virtually no presents to buy anyone (and those that I do buy will all be drunk by the recipients by the end of the year), and generally I won't be indulging in much Christmassy at all. So, go on and have a ball, I'll be compensating for your excesses.

 

Bah feckin' humbug.

I envy you. 

[redjambo]

1 minute ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

I envy you. 

 

😀 The grass is always greener.

[OBE]

1 hour ago, Cade said:

Victoria Falls, this week:

 

 

These falls are over a mile wide, shame the snapper never panned left to where the river is still thundering over the edge, just saying like.  

Edited December 7, 2019 by Old Blue Eyes

[Bridge of Djoum]

1 minute ago, redjambo said:

 

😀 The grass is always greener.

I’d like to spend Xmas with a good single malt, a couple bottles of Merlot, a ton of food, on my couch

 

ALONE.

 

Watching anything I like, doing what I like. Instead I have to drive up to the in-laws, spend 4 days there, bored out my nut. Once the thrill of my kids opening their presents is over, I’d rather just go back home. 

 

Ha...just read this and I sound completely miserable. I’m sure it’ll be fine... as long as I drink enough. 

[Jambo-Jimbo]

39 minutes ago, Old Blue Eyes said:

 

These falls are over a mile wide, shame the snapper never panned left to where the river is still thundering over the edge, just saying like.  

 

 

Sky News had live reports from Victoria Falls this week, whilst the falls are much reduced from normal, it was in sections and not the whole falls, despite what some photo's seemed to portray.  

 

It still doesn't look good, but there is a drought in that part of Africa right now and as in any drought the amount of water flowing over the falls is reduced.

 

Edit:  Zambia & Zimbabwe are experiencing the worst drought in a century right now, little wonder the falls look like they do.

 

Edited December 7, 2019 by Jambo-Jimbo

[redjambo]

34 minutes ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

I’d like to spend Xmas with a good single malt, a couple bottles of Merlot, a ton of food, on my couch

 

ALONE.

 

Watching anything I like, doing what I like. Instead I have to drive up to the in-laws, spend 4 days there, bored out my nut. Once the thrill of my kids opening their presents is over, I’d rather just go back home. 

 

Ha...just read this and I sound completely miserable. I’m sure it’ll be fine... as long as I drink enough. 

 

Sorry to break it to you, but that's almost exactly what I'll be doing (except that I've got some Rioja in as my favourite red, and I'll also be doing some walking/running if the weather permits it). I imagine I'll be burning through Netflix series like nobody's business.

 

However, the grass is definitely greener. It would be quite nice to have someone sharing that couch with me. As long as they like the same sorts of stuff that I do of course. It would be a nightmare having to spend the festive period watching romantic comedies, historical dramas and the like...

 

Are you an outdoors person and are your in-laws in the countryside? If so, you could get some walks in with a trusty hip flask, alone. I know, it doesn't sound very exciting. Are there no pubs nearby?

[OBE]

29 minutes ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

I’d like to spend Xmas with a good single malt, a couple bottles of Merlot, a ton of food, on my couch

 

ALONE.

 

Watching anything I like, doing what I like. Instead I have to drive up to the in-laws, spend 4 days there, bored out my nut. Once the thrill of my kids opening their presents is over, I’d rather just go back home. 

 

Ha...just read this and I sound completely miserable. I’m sure it’ll be fine... as long as I drink enough. 

 

Sorry to here that about your in-laws. Sadly mine are no longer here, I miss them and their mental party's. Father in-law and myself could say anything to each other. On occasion I'd get "hey you, that's my Dad your talking to" Her Dad became one of my best friends, I was fortunate I guess. 

[Cade]

1 hour ago, Old Blue Eyes said:

 

These falls are over a mile wide, shame the snapper never panned left to where the river is still thundering over the edge, just saying like.  

It isn't "thundering".

It's dribbling at best.

Just saying like

[Jambo-Jimbo]

Sky News video from 4 days ago showing sections of Victoria Falls which are thundering over the edge whilst other sections are dribbiling over the edge.

 

 

[Alex]

For anyone who will be on their own but not wanting to be, or perhaps could do with some time away from the family, Big Hearts have a Christmas lunch and you can register as a volunteer or a guest until the 16th December.

 

http://www.bighearts.org.uk/news/3rd-christmas-day-lunch/

 

 

[OBE]

4 hours ago, Cade said:

It isn't "thundering".

It's dribbling at best.

Just saying like

 

One photo taken when in spate, the other in drought. What about posting a photo between the two extremes?  Thought not, the photo would illustrate how thunderous they really are...50% of the time. Nothing more to say.

[John Gentleman]

15 hours ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

I’d like to spend Xmas with a good single malt, a couple bottles of Merlot, a ton of food, on my couch

 

ALONE.

That's been my Xmas for the last 12 years, just substitute the merlot for a hearty IPA plus a visit from my daughter in the morning (son can't visit - he's in the UK).

I'd thoroughly recommend this approach. Elsewhere, families are getting together for that one 'joyous' occasion a year. Engaging robustly in the theatre of the absurd, the members and siblings pretend to like and love each other, while the opposite holds true. The get-togethers rarely end well and are certainly not joyous.

I'd describe my Xmases as 'minimalist', with just enough indulgence to put a smug, self-satisfied grin on my face.

You're on the right track BoD. Just conjure up a cunning plan to escape your annual shitfest...

Edited December 8, 2019 by John Gentleman

[Mikey1874]

Santa's air miles are the problem

 

It would be better if he left presents to the parents and others.