Ten Ways to Make a Difference to the Environment

youngdan wrote:

The misconception is that politicians are public servants. They are just out for themselves.

What does that say about the people who voted for them?

Couldn't be bothered to stand themselves?

Anybody gone to the below site to check their carbon footprint?

www.change.ie

I came out at 4.61

That is a good question Seinfeld. I believe people would rather accept a fantasy than accept an uncomfortable truth. Everyone knows that Enda and Cowen are just out for themselves but it is easier to pretend that their concern is our well being. This should be easy for a FG person to figure. Everyone would agree that FG would have a better chance with say Richard Brutan as leader. Therefore for the greater good of all Enda should make Brutan the leader. Needless to say Enda will cling to the hope that he will be Taoiseach and FG be damned. The mutts who vote for these transparent clowns deserve whats coming to them.

youngdan wrote:

That is a good question Seinfeld. I believe people would rather accept a fantasy than accept an uncomfortable truth. Everyone knows that Enda and Cowen are just out for themselves but it is easier to pretend that their concern is our well being. This should be easy for a FG person to figure. Everyone would agree that FG would have a better chance with say Richard Brutan as leader. Therefore for the greater good of all Enda should make Brutan the leader. Needless to say Enda will cling to the hope that he will be Taoiseach and FG be damned. The mutts who vote for these transparent clowns deserve whats coming to them.

YD - your view of democracies and the citizens who live in them is rather jaundiced is it not?

As much it is very hard to take any of your posts regarding party politics in this juristiction seriously.

Also - It mystifies me why there is so much abuse,vitriolic dissppointment and frustration about FG and commentary about internal FG matters by individuals who wouldn't vote for them in fit.

Edo. Is what I say about Enda true or not. Or do you believe they have your wellbeing above their own.

Edo wrote:

Anybody gone to the below site to check their carbon footprint?

www.change.ie

I came out at 4.61

6.12

I'm a Kilowatt mass murderer.

Edo wrote:

Anybody gone to the below site to check their carbon footprint?

www.change.ie

I came out at 4.61

1.96

I will have you know that on the one occasion that I exercised my franchise in Ireland it was for a FG ticket in East Galway. You answer your own question. How can anybody not be dissappoined in FG when they can not beat the most scandal ridden crowd ever. How can a party be an opposition when they have the same policies as FF.

seinfeld wrote:

Edo wrote:

Anybody gone to the below site to check their carbon footprint?

www.change.ie

I came out at 4.61

1.96

Holy God - are you living in a mountain cave with a solar powered Laptop?

Edo wrote:

seinfeld wrote:

Edo wrote:

Anybody gone to the below site to check their carbon footprint?

www.change.ie

I came out at 4.61

1.96

Holy God - are you living in a mountain cave with a solar powered Laptop?

Not quite, although my existence is somewhat monastic.

I live in a 2 bed house.
I have a wood pellet heating system
My ESB bill is about €150 per month
I drive a 1.1l car
I work from home
I drive less that 5,000km per annum
I take 1 short-haul flight per annum

I haven't done the advanced test yet, however, and my wife's score is 4.1, which I suppose I have to take some responsibility for.

I don't like to see water melons in this country.
They are big heavy things, of feck all use, and must surely cost a fortune in carbon to ship/fly over here.

So I'm against water melons.... and Zuchinis also, whatever t' hell they are.

And Pidge made a great point on P.ie a while back about the French buying Irish water, and the Irish buying French water...go figure.

I have checked mine but it is too Goring.

youngdan wrote:

I have checked mine but it is too Goring.

Ah g'wan youngdan, you can tell us. We won't give you a hard time.

Mine was 2.2, (not advanced) but I couldn't see anywhere for solar panels. Could easily slip though because of flights.

Hate to gloat, but we've had constant hot water for the last month from those little darlings.

From your experience Cactus, is it fair to say that even in Ireland where there is a shortage of Sun that the panels work pretty well. Imagine how windpower could help things. Now you don't pay taxes on the energy produced by the panels. The government cares only about the tax money. Otherwise every village would have a fleet of electric cars and privately owned mills producing untaxed energy.

youngdan wrote:

From your experience Cactus, is it fair to say that even in Ireland where there is a shortage of Sun that the panels work pretty well. Imagine how windpower could help things. Now you don't pay taxes on the energy produced by the panels. The government cares only about the tax money. Otherwise every village would have a fleet of electric cars and privately owned mills producing untaxed energy.

This is part of the raison d'etre of this site - to explore such ideas. If the likes of an air car and solar panels and other highly efficient machinery were used in communities then it could have a shocking effect on national politics...


Unfortunately the wind is shite today - this is the best it could do out of a possible 800 MW

There comes a time when common sense can no longer be ignored. The quicker there is 166 replacements in the Dail the better. They are there solely for themselves. This basic fact can no longer be ignored.

seinfeld wrote:

Edo wrote:

Anybody gone to the below site to check their carbon footprint?

www.change.ie

I came out at 4.61

1.96

Somewhere in between you, I got 2.79.

How are you all getting such low figures?
I'm 5.25.

Its the 2 x short haul flights and 1 long haul that accounts for half it. Also this non-insulated house I'm renting. Argh!

I'll have to give up the foreign holidays!

eoinmn wrote:

How are you all getting such low figures?
I'm 5.25.

Its the 2 x short haul flights and 1 long haul that accounts for half it. Also this non-insulated house I'm renting. Argh!

I'll have to give up the foreign holidays!

Get some of that draft proofing tape. Or a jumper.

These results you're all posting - are they the tonnes per year? Cos I got 13.3 tonnes per year, equal to 1.1 per month. (I didn't do the advanced calculator though)
How am I so bad?
It must be all the driving I do - I live in an area with absolutely no public transport and work 50 miles away. Meaning I do an average of 40,000 km per year in a reasonably large car.

AfricanDave wrote:

These results you're all posting - are they the tonnes per year? Cos I got 13.3 tonnes per year, equal to 1.1 per month. (I didn't do the advanced calculator though)
How am I so bad?
It must be all the driving I do - I live in an area with absolutely no public transport and work 50 miles away. Meaning I do an average of 40,000 km per year in a reasonably large car.

I'll get your coat.

3.81 basic, or 4.09 advanced. Might be slightly lower if I knew a little bit more about the appliances...or had fewer computers.

Still, that's my total footprint, since I work from home. Most people will have an office footprint as well...

Well .. I challenge my result now, having thought about it and everything.

It's not my 2.0 Audi A6, It's the kids.

Lights lights lights lights lights lights lights.

seinfeld wrote:

AfricanDave wrote:

These results you're all posting - are they the tonnes per year? Cos I got 13.3 tonnes per year, equal to 1.1 per month. (I didn't do the advanced calculator though)
How am I so bad?
It must be all the driving I do - I live in an area with absolutely no public transport and work 50 miles away. Meaning I do an average of 40,000 km per year in a reasonably large car.

I'll get your coat.

Am I in trouble? Banned? Ex-communicated?
I do try - I have energy efficient light bulbs (Except in the downstairs toilet and other rooms that I don't use the light for long enough for those stupid bulbs to warm up)
I try not to use the central heating too often (I have old windows that let out a lot of heat)
I only use the dishwasher twice a week
I use the washing machine about 3 or 4 times a week

What more can I do?
If there was some (any) kind of public transport in my area I would gladly use it as I'm spending around €100 a week on petrol.
I'm currently saving for double glazing windows (kind of).
I also have some experience with batteries so I'm hoping to set up a small wind turbine somewhere in the garden with a view to running some of the lighting for free.
Other than that I'm all out of ideas.