Just Watched David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, Let's Talk Being Sustainable!

Pandaboss on 14/11/2020 - 01:58
Last edited 17/11/2020 - 02:44

David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet

Trailer

I have just watched this on Netflix and I have to say that it was worth the watch. It really puts it into perspective on how the world has changed and how we contributed to it, the effects and consequences of our advances.

In such, it has got me thinking on how I can be sustainable and help. I want to know what you are currently or planning to do to also achieve sustainability, no matter how small the action or goal, it is worth speaking about as I do believe that we are going to F' this planet up sooner rather than later.

Things that I will consider to help in the long run;

  • Solar Panels
  • Hybrids or full electric car
  • Growing vegetable garden, produce own at home

Yes I know that the effects of manufacturing can outweigh the benefits, but it will help pave the way for the future and as we advance in technology I believe this could be overcome.

All we require is…

wisdom.

Entertainment

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 14/11/2020 - 09:54
    +24

    Don't buy unnecessary landfill items from China just because they are on ozbargain and cheap.

    • AnneThrope on 14/11/2020 - 12:15
      +11

      Similarly, don't buy stuff from Amazon just because they price-match your local supermarket.
      Having things like toilet paper and soft drinks delivered to you when you're capable of picking it up on your next shop adds unnecessary carbon miles and increases burden on delivery systems.

      • This Guy on 15/11/2020 - 11:13

        Short term, yes. When that business model has gained popularity elsewhere, local distribution hubs are used and part of increasing profitability for that model is more efficient routing, reducing fuel usage and decreasing emissions.

        • cloudy on 15/11/2020 - 21:57
          +1

          yea, but they wont reduce the plastics used.

          Wife bought 3 dishing liquid. each individually sealed in its own plastic bag, each with massive sticker saying bag not a toy, all in a box with 3 other stickers.

          Compared that with just picking it up at the supermarket yourself.

          ofcourse woolies didnt have $3 cashback, but amazon price matched, but certainly wont be getting amazon just because of convenience

          • This Guy on 16/11/2020 - 16:27

            @cloudy: Amazon's distribution network in Australia is currently tiny.

            Think Wollies or Coles delivery, but optimised like Amazon. That has the potential to be more sustainable than the current grocery store model.

            • cloudy on 17/11/2020 - 22:05
              +1

              @This Guy: more sustainable on a logistic basis? yea, maybe. Shrugs.

              But more sustainable, in terms of using less plastic? or boxes? no way. Amazon overpackages things by a mile, its so bad, it makes a mockery of the single use plastic laws.

              • This Guy on 18/11/2020 - 19:26

                @cloudy: Not what I wrote but I can see how you thought that was what I meant.

                Think Wollies or Coles delivery.

                Think Amazon's efficiencies (which definitely aren't packaging).

                Less cooling. Less locations. Less traffic. More efficient delivery roots. No plastic bags as clients would be moved to creates like commercial clients.

                • cloudy on 18/11/2020 - 21:35

                  @This Guy: Yea nar, what you are saying is good if all I wanted is dishing liquid. Truth is after the liquid I still needed milk and fresh bread. So I could have added the liquid for no marginal environmental cost.

                  Amazon, might be very (somehwat) Environmentally efficient one day, but never as efficient as zero cost. Which is what it is as long as one still needs to get milk, bread, fresh fruits veggies etc.

                  • This Guy on 19/11/2020 - 15:06

                    @cloudy:

                    Amazon, might be very (somehwat) Environmentally efficient one day, but never as efficient as zero cost.

                    You are hung up on Amazon… Amazon already has free delivery if you subscribe. But they don't have the supply chain in Australia for fresh goods or the willingness to change their UI to a style that resonates with Australians. And unless their market share increases they would be stupid to over invest in Australia and build out their supply chain. I highly doubt they will offer a competitive fresh grocery delivery solution in Australia without a partnership with an establish supply chain.

                    We use trucks to supply stores because it is massively more efficient than everybody buying straight from the manufacturer or importer.

                    We have successful businesses already offering cheap, efficient delivery. PFD is significantly cheaper than Woolies and includes free delivery. The two catches are the minimum order quantity and the next day delivery limitation. If Woolies' purchase of PFD goes ahead, there is the potential for a more efficient delivery system for consumers.

                    If Woolies or Coles can increase the uptake of home deliveries in a controlled manner, they have the potential to use the efficiencies that PFD sees to massive reduce costs/increase profits. They could still offer $10 dollar with in the hour delivery, but they could also offer next day delivery and enjoy all the benefits of organised logistics, massively reducing their environmental impact at the same time.

                    Stop thinking Amazon. Think commercial fresh food supply. That style of service has significant growth potential if it branches out to consumers.

  • GettingThePlus190s on 14/11/2020 - 10:58
    +8

    Changing the type of meat/animal products, and/or reducing their consumption E.g.:

    • avoid ruminants (who produce methane) like cows, lamb, and instead try more chicken etc.
    • dairy—> Soy milk
    • try meat-free monday

    I'm also doing WFH around 4 days a week. Great for saving commute time as well!

    • MIKEPICKARD on 16/11/2020 - 12:37
      +4

      or, y'know, just go vegan.

  • yellowfever on 14/11/2020 - 11:40
    +3

    piss in the garden is my contribution to saving the planet

    • ihbh on 14/11/2020 - 11:54
      +1

      Good nutrients for plants and saves water flushing.

    • Pandaboss on 15/11/2020 - 20:22
      +1

      Do you piss on your vegetable garden too and then eat it? Full of nutrients and helping out greatly!

      • yellowfever on 15/11/2020 - 23:12
        +1

        Aww someone got offended poor thing

      • yannyrjl on 16/11/2020 - 16:56

        in many please they still use untreated sewerage as fertiliser

        that's why you wash the veggies

  • ihbh on 14/11/2020 - 11:53
    +3

    Sustainability is a lifestyle. Just make small changes over time, rather than wait to make big investments/changes.

  • pharkurnell on 14/11/2020 - 12:51
    +1

    Cant wait for my 59 Fairlane with 460ci bored and stroked to ~532ci to land from USA

    Some magic mid-life crisis summer cruising comin up.

  • goegge on 14/11/2020 - 12:52
    +5

    You might be surprised but the fashion industry, especially the fast fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters. Cotton is probably the world's most commonly used natural fiber. It needs a large amount of water to grow and is one of the most chemically dependent crops in the world. The fashion industry produces 1/5 of global wastewater and produces morel carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping. Textile dyeing is the biggest offender in the fashion industry and is the second-largest polluter of water globally (https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/putting…)

  • CircularIllusion on 14/11/2020 - 16:52
    +2

    A few that others haven't mentioned:

    • Train yourself to drink only water. Not only will it tremendously reduce the amount of plastic you use, it's good for your body too. Obviously, stay away from bottled water.
    • Stop streaming everything. You don't need music to be streamed to your device. Just have it stored on your device. You don't need your files to be stored in a cloud service. Get something like a portable SSD and save all your files locally. Not only does it reduce the workload of the infrastructure that brings you your data, you also get a boost in privacy and security by having your data on you.
    • Catch the water that would normally go down the drain when you wait for your shower to heat up and use it to water plants.
    • Slippery Fish on 15/11/2020 - 12:29
      +6

      Lol stop streaming, what a crock… if every person has a ssd it all still gets distributed via a source so rant we just adding in the long run…

      • CircularIllusion on 17/11/2020 - 20:36

        Fair enough. That point was more of the data privacy side of me talking. I still believe that music streaming is completely unnecessary and it's just people being lazy. Spotify has an offline mode at least.

    • ihbh on 15/11/2020 - 14:05

      Re last point, in addition to pre-shower water, water gardens with water used to wash/rinse veg (if you don't use soap water/detergent).

    • netjock on 16/11/2020 - 16:33

      First point is valid.

      Problem is the two following points makes you sound incompetent and even point one is dubious.

      • CircularIllusion on 17/11/2020 - 20:38
        +1

        I want to know what you are currently or planning to do to also achieve sustainability, no matter how small the action or goal, it is worth speaking about as I do believe that we are going to F' this planet up sooner rather than later.

        🤷

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 14/11/2020 - 23:40
    +3

    The 'government' needs to make being sustainable affordable

    Ie in Norway it is cheaper to drive a electric car then a petrol one due to government subsidises and tax exemptions

  • ash79 on 15/11/2020 - 08:36
    +11

    Plant based diet is the easiest I could do. Planting native trees is another action being added in my kitty.

    • Deals For Days on 15/11/2020 - 17:41
      +3

      Going vegetarian is incredibly easy. Especially if you live anywhere urban where options are plentiful.

      I've managed vegan for a few months - certainly takes a bit more effort and forward planning but it's not huge stretch if you live urban.

      • MIKEPICKARD on 16/11/2020 - 12:38
        +3

        As a vegan of over ten years, I'm intrigued to know how much effort and forward planning you think the planet is worth… ?
        ;-)

      • Bren20 on 17/11/2020 - 08:28
        +3

        I do think it's hard to go vegetarian, but it's easy to reduce your meat consumption. I used to have meat in every meal, it's just how I was raised.

        In the last 5 years I've reduced my meat to 2-3 dinners per week, and am much healthier now, and it hasn't felt like hard work. It just took me some time to realise that meat actually isn't a key ingredient in many meals (pasta sauce, curries)

  • jedimaster on 15/11/2020 - 10:26
    +1

    A Life On Our Planet*

  • StBilko on 15/11/2020 - 10:44
    -5

    Uh the world is still going to last billions of years regardless of what we do, we are on this earth for 100 years if we're lucky, so in the grand scheme of things we are like a blip on the earth's life span, if you want to make itself feel better by being more sustainable great but it's not going to make much difference to the billions of years that lay ahead and NO matter what we do, we still all become human compost!!!

    • EFC94 on 15/11/2020 - 12:18
      +10

      It's people like you that are the problem. Do you not have any form of compassion or care for the future generations?

      • StBilko on 15/11/2020 - 12:25
        -3

        I'll be dead in like 50 years

        • EFC94 on 15/11/2020 - 12:31
          +9

          I didn't ask when you will be dead. I asked if you had any form of compassion or care for future generations?

    • Deals For Days on 15/11/2020 - 13:02
      +1

      Ah great, the classic Nihilistic take that always pops up in these threads.

      Yes, we're all going to die eventually and death cannot be escaped. No, that does not mean we shouldn't take better care of our planet - our home - so that future generations and the billions of other animals on it have better lives.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 15/11/2020 - 14:30
      +2

      You do realise that there are humans before you and after you right?

    • Pandaboss on 15/11/2020 - 20:27
      +1

      Yes I am more talking about the future generations. The thought of having people suffer for our actions when they have no idea why is just what plays on me.

      Sure we may be a blip, but hopefully and eventually there can be some change and it will benefit everyone now and the future generations.

      We don't know how bad it could get but if we can do something now to help ease or reduce impact, im all for it.

  • Slippery Fish on 15/11/2020 - 12:35
    +6

    If you really want to save the world you need to just kill off 65% the population.

    Covid etc are the world's way of trying to right itself, yet we keep trying to become resistant.

    • greatlamp on 15/11/2020 - 13:31
      +7

      Population growth is not occuring in most of the OECD.

      Population growth is only occuring in nations where poverty is commonplace.

      The solution is to lift nations put of poverty, and increase health and education in those nations.

      Saying you need to kill people is just a way of ignoring the real solutions.

      • whooah1979 on 15/11/2020 - 13:43
        -1

        This is why Australia should be selling more coal to India. It will help them produce affordable electricity. Cheap electricity will help them lower manufacturing costs.

        • Bren20 on 17/11/2020 - 12:13
          +1

          What's with you and coal!

          How about we don't use the methods of electricity generation that ruin the planet, but manage the downsides of other generation methods (i.e. solar + pumped storage or hydrogen generation)

          The argument for building new coal assets is dead, banks won't touch it anymore, they dress it up as a social cause but it's really plain economics, banks and other investors don't see a coal future in 15+ years, so investment in dead technology will just become more costly to operate down the track.

      • Slippery Fish on 15/11/2020 - 14:48
        +3

        Lol and wealthy country's covered the earth in concrete, I'm no environmentalist or human hater but the fact is the earth would be better off without us, more trees mean more co2 converted, more trees mean more natural habitat.

        Humans don't live in an ecosystem we destroy and manipulate it to our benefit. We behave more like a virus then an a creature in that way.

        He'll what's our large fixation, let's find another planet and change host… :)

        Even medicine to a degree, the way we treat disease in us is to make the environmental conditions within us unfavorable to all that we don't choose to have in our ecosystem. It is inbuilt into our very way of being.

        • greatlamp on 15/11/2020 - 17:02
          +2

          You are 100% correct, but it is not a solution to remove concrete and go back to horse and carriage.

          It is possible to solve our issues, we need to focus on what is realistic, not just giving up because we can't live like 500 years ago anymore.

          We can lower population without killing people. We can have more trees without going back to caves.

          • Slippery Fish on 15/11/2020 - 17:08
            +2

            @greatlamp: You asked for a solution, I gave one. We can plant more trees, but humans are also our fault, when people in 3rd world were dieing of starvation we shipped in food they continued to breed even further than their land could sustain.

            The solution nature gives for over population is deaths, we interfered. Lol I'm surprised my views hadn't been negged to death 🤣

            • MechEng on 18/11/2020 - 12:10

              @Slippery Fish: The only solution to that problem is education. Evidence shows that more educated people have less children.
              All solutions take time.
              Even if we let people starve nature is for populations under stress actually reproduce more, this is to ensure your offspring to survive.

        • [Deactivated] on 16/11/2020 - 21:40

          but the fact is the earth would be better off without us

          Better is quite subjective since without humans, there's no one to really define what is best. It just comes back to nature and nature can be extremely harsh. As humans, we can save entire species from extinction, albeit mostly from ourselves and we have caused several. Humans are currently the only hope of life continuing in the universe whereas nature on Earth will eventually die out. If anything, we are Earth's best bet but we can also be it's worse enemy.

          • Slippery Fish on 17/11/2020 - 09:21

            @[Deactivated]: Well better is not the mass destruction of growable land to create housing etc.

            You don't need a judge to be able to have better or worse.

            Yes we save animals that might be destroyed but we also raped and pillaged the environment. They might have died off anyway but that's natural selection at work.

            • [Deactivated] on 17/11/2020 - 10:26

              @Slippery Fish: That's what I mean by we can be a cancer or we can save Earth's life from it's inevitable death.

              • abuch47 on 17/11/2020 - 23:17

                @[Deactivated]: For most species it's already to late.

                I hope we can save as much as possible

    • ihbh on 15/11/2020 - 14:00

      So Thanos snap not sufficient?

    • payless69 on 16/11/2020 - 17:22

      Just support the anti vaxers and we see a new balance.

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 15/11/2020 - 13:06
    +2

    Growing vegetable garden, produce own at home

    Hahahaha…. most people don't know what's in their ground. Traces of asbestos means no veggie patch. Let's not talk about heavy metals…

    • whooah1979 on 15/11/2020 - 13:23
      +2

      Are you saying that people may get asbestosis from eating tomatoes grown in soil with ACM?

      • Lord Fart Bucket on 15/11/2020 - 14:12
        +1

        No, but growing something, like tomatoes, then pulling the plants out when they're done will disturb the soil.
        Some plants have very strong roots, it may increase the risk of disturbing what's burred underneath.

        Also, forget about having chickens, for obvious reasons.

        • whooah1979 on 15/11/2020 - 14:21
          +1

          Use the wetting method.

    • ihbh on 15/11/2020 - 14:01
      +1

      Soil test from Macquarie Uni for small donation.

    • Pandaboss on 15/11/2020 - 20:29
      +1

      Ok, what about making your own garden box from recycled material and compost?

    • MessyG on 15/11/2020 - 20:33
      +1

      Vegepod solves all of that. Can do a cheap DIY wicking bed with pest-cloth.

  • funnysht on 15/11/2020 - 14:21
    +3

    Everytime someone goes out they should aim to chuck one piece of rubbish in the environment into the bin

  • Autonomic on 15/11/2020 - 14:23
    +9

    Vote for politicians with sustainability agendas & pressure government officials to action green policies. Doing your best in your personal life is important, but you're not going to have any significant impact without structural change.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 15/11/2020 - 14:26
    +2

    https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.smh.com.au/politics/fede…

    Not a good start, but I guess we're only just changing from using big v8 petrol engines to more economical diesels. 20 years behind Japan and 10 years behind Europe

    • whooah1979 on 15/11/2020 - 14:37
      +1

      A loaded corolla hybrid is about $38k. Use the spare $6k to invest in passive income.

      The five cheapest electric models available in Australia cost between $44,000 and $64,000 and are expensive compared to the cheapest petrol models

      • ihbh on 15/11/2020 - 15:20
        +1

        Actually sensible advice. Many people don't have time (earning some income) to be more sustainable.

  • [Deactivated] on 15/11/2020 - 17:07
    +1

    This movie should wake everyone up that fossil fuels and green house gases form a PART of the equation and are by no means the largest slice in the pie

    While we continue to over populate the planet, burn down and destroy forests and have unsustainable farming practices we will never get to the end goal.

    We will continue to be fixated on "green house gasses", change nothing else but wonder why its not changing the outlook for the world.

    Green house gasses and fossil fuels are the hip popular buzz word at the moment. I tend to ignore anyone who doesn't take a holistic approach to this, as they clearly dont understand the problem, more interested in pushing an agenda than fixing a problem

    • greatlamp on 15/11/2020 - 18:57
      +2

      I do like how the movie pointed out that the gasses far far worse than CO2.

      A dirty coal power plant or diesel engine does multiple times more damage to the environment.

      VW should have got a lot more punishment than they did when they intentionally made their cars run dirty to increase performance.

      • payless69 on 16/11/2020 - 17:11

        I agree and switch your middle finger from Volo's to Volkswagen drivers!

    • MessyG on 15/11/2020 - 20:35
      +3

      At the moment? Clearly you weren't around in the 80s. I still remember when CFCs got banned and remember the contraction in the hole in the ozone layer as a result many years later. These concerns aren't remotely hip or new.

      A major reduction in air pollution will slow down global warming, nothing wrong with that. Massive push against it because geopolitics - too many vested interests losing the money that comes from geographically concentrated resources. You can't fight a war over the sunshine (yet).

  • s1Lence on 15/11/2020 - 17:08
    +3

    die before the consequences of my actions can catch up with me

  • whooah1979 on 15/11/2020 - 17:38
    -2

    The hot topic before COVID was global warming. We are talking about global warming again is a sure sign that COVID is now over. It won’t be long until extinction rebellion starts a lockdown of the CBD.

    • MessyG on 15/11/2020 - 20:35
      +4

      It's been a hot topic since the 1980s.

      • whooah1979 on 16/11/2020 - 10:46

        Are you sure? I can't remember global warming being a thing before the mass adoption of social media.

        • syousef on 16/11/2020 - 11:36
          +1

          I remember TV documentaries in the 80s, and learning about it in school back then, so not sure how you missed it.

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BU1hFrrsHg

          Also no one stopped talking about it. The media just shifted focus. The media is fickle. Covid is under control in Australia, but has accelerated overseas. It won't be "over" this year.

  • Tasmaniac on 15/11/2020 - 18:44
    +3

    You can't leave a 7/11 in South East Asia without seven straws and a plastic cup.
    Telling everyone about your worm farm when billions of people are throwing away titanic amounts of waste everyday is symbolic of why the world is in this mess.

    • whooah1979 on 15/11/2020 - 18:57
      +2

      The world is in this mess because the rich countries raided the poor ones many decades ago. They are now telling the poor countries how they should to behave while enjoying their spoils.

      • Bren20 on 17/11/2020 - 12:28

        Do you have any source for this argument?
        My understanding of climate agreements (Paris / Kyoto et. al.) is that they acknowledge that poorer countries shouldn't have to bear the load, while reflecting the reality that these countries can't end up with comparable GHG emissions to developed countries without disasterous environmental consequences.

  • timmy_tam on 15/11/2020 - 21:11
    +3

    Become Minimalists

  • The Wololo Wombat on 15/11/2020 - 21:12
    +1

    Live how you want… but have only one kid (or none). Best impact you'll make. Better than anything else!

    • duchy on 17/11/2020 - 00:50
      -1

      That's not a problem in Australia, where there are more kangaroos than humans. :D

  • you know who on 15/11/2020 - 21:26
    +1

    Stop buying latest and gratest gadgets every year.
    Encourage recycling.

    Make Electric vehicles cheaper, rebates for using solar power etc

  • connorlo on 16/11/2020 - 08:38
    +5

    Push for Nuclear power

    • MechEng on 18/11/2020 - 12:15

      This will have the largest impact for sure.
      Shipping liners working with nuclear power, rather than the lowest and dirtiest oil, cars powered by hydrogen produced in a nuclear reactor, and a lot of energy in a relatively low footprint.
      Waste, which is the most controversial point, is small and manageable.
      The technology is already there, but needs strong people support, otherwise politicians will never make it happen,

  • tooblue on 16/11/2020 - 09:01

    that we are going to F' this planet up sooner rather than later.

    How arrogant! Planet earth exists billions of years before human being and will keep spinning long after human kind extinct.

  • eek on 16/11/2020 - 10:04
    +1

    MMmmmm, I import lots of goods, eat a lot of meat, use disposable nappies, work for a multinational oil and gas owner/operator, own two turbocharged cars with no cats, but have solar panels on my house :)

  • syousef on 16/11/2020 - 10:34
    +1

    Quick, someone do an MS Paint diagram of a stick figure living on a plant. Or maybe a screenshot of someone tree camping in Fortnite.

  • foxpants on 16/11/2020 - 11:06

    Wife and I decided a couple of years ago to really try and push being more sustainable and green, perhaps having a kid gave us some extra perspective. Here's a list of some of the things we do/have done, surely I'll forget some too. Across all of this is generally making a strong effort to waste less and be smart about things from a sustainable perspective.

    -Cloth Nappies
    -Hand-me-down clothes for kiddo
    -Rooftop solar (which I enjoy gaming as much as possible to maximise benefit)
    -Fuel efficient modern family car (wish we could afford electric)
    -Commute to work on electric scooter (charge on solar)
    -Compost
    -Recycle diligently
    -Separate soft plastics and dispose of at coles/woolies receptacles
    -Rechargeable batteries wherever possible
    -Reusable shopping bags
    -Avoiding/replacing single use items with reusable/washable etc
    -Waterwise garden
    -House is all led lights
    -Strong attention to power efficiency when buying electronics
    -Keeping mobile phones longer

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