This guy needs a reality check big time.

[Charlie Farley]

I saw this article this evening and the guys need a word in his ear about life with pets .

Councillor urges people to 'scale down the size of their pets'

As a 1 child family , and she's grown up now with her own life, what right has this guy got telling us about what pets we have and there global paw print , utter rubbish

I think he's on a different planet to everyone else with his views.

A one or two child family with one GSD is going to be way better for the planet than a family with 5 children alone.

really.

 

[Raiden]

Bet he’s a vegan


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[Charlie Farley]

He's something that's for sure.

 

[NHN]

I think if we look into the wider picture, he has some merit, as small as it may seem.

Pets are an absolute huge industry, almost everything that revolves around pets has a carbon footprint, so its not to be dismissed so easily without actually understanding what goes into the whole owning of pets.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Agreed it is a huge industry, but then so are many other things.
Toys, clothes, electrical items ... it's a very long list.
Carbon footprint rating is used so much now, if you fart too much in the evening your carbon footprint is too high.
This is one area that provides so much benefit to so many and in so many ways that it just needs to be left alone.
There are plenty of other areas that could be targeted by the carbon footprint clipboard brigade without messing with mans best friend.

Sorry but it's a subject I have very strong opinions on.

 

[Charlie Farley]

What about if families had fewer children, that would reduce the long term carbon footprint by a massive amount, now if that was suggested all hell would be let loose, but it's true though, people just don't like it.

 

[NHN]

This reminds me of the satirical movie on netflix "Don't Look Up"

Humans utter stupidity in ignoring ALL the things causing this issue.

Can't just say leave 1 area alone to keep people happy, that's what got us in trouble in the 1st place, we're all part of the problem, including animals, but humans are the disease unfortunately.......... No I'm not thanos.

 

[Charlie Farley]

Humans are supposedly the supreme beings on earth, and just look at how we act and treat it and live on it, humans are the worse lifeform on earth and the only species that destroy their own habitat and home.
I'm as guilty as everyone else is in destroying the world, I am after all human, but I try to minimise my impact in my way ,which doesn't include being told to scale down my GSD when the person directing the comments takes 3 holidays a year overseas and go by plane.

 

[Garrett 69]

We could all reduce our carbon footprint if companies stopped making electronic goods as non-repairable throw away items. TVs are a prime example. Changing our cars every couple of years doesn't help the carbon footprint either.

 

[Dubjam]

The comments are facts.

We don't own the Earth, we rent it and we are to look after it the best we can. Now, finding ourselves in a state of climate emergency, if we all ignored 'facts' because we felt 'strongly' against them, then we would be very close to wiping ourselves and any future generations out.

We are entering a time where we have to be more socially responsible , whether we like it or not, and it may come to choosing either say children, a fast car, or pets etc. I personally find having more than two children in this day and age as massively socially irresponsible, we most definitely can't offset the carbon footprint children create that's for sure. Times are different now, and will be different forever, the ideals we grew up with are not often relevant anymore.

I think the comments is more about opening up thought provoking dialogue to allow us to begin cognitively conditioning ourselves to be more wary of the things we do and have done that are detrimental to the fragile planet and how we can consciously make changes to our lifestyles to help.

How to cut your pet’s carbon footprint for the climate - Klima

How we take care of our pets will shape their carbon pawprint. Here’s how you can cut your best friend’s CO2e emissions.

klima.com

 

[NHN]

Couldn't agree more, our learned behaviours from past generations has to be completely rewired to a new set of living rules, as our current are broken massively, ignorance is no longer an acceptable excuse.

 

[8YARWY]

This reminds me of the satirical movie on netflix "Don't Look Up"

Humans utter stupidity in ignoring ALL the things causing this issue.

Can't just say leave 1 area alone to keep people happy, that's what got us in trouble in the 1st place, we're all part of the problem, including animals, but humans are the disease unfortunately.......... No I'm not thanos.

Lol you hit the nail there.

That’s exactly my thoughts on how society today would ridicule something like that on social media, which is a scourge on the modern world.


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[Charlie Farley]

How many people here go overseas by air or sea either as a single person trip or with families for hols then, putting the current covid to one side travel-wise, don't fib, just be honest, how many times a year ?

 

[Dubjam]

How many people here go overseas by air or sea either as a single person trip or with families for hols then, putting the current covid to one side travel-wise, don't fib, just be honest, how many times a year ?

I haven't been on a plane in ten years. I also don't have any children, but that's beside the point(s) that have been made, I think you've missed the point a little.

Comparing ourselves to others can lead down a slippery slope of self-denial. It develops a 'well they do that, so I'll do this' rhetoric which ultimately stalls any progress at all. A good example is Americans and their guns...'I'll get a gun because everyone else has got guns'...they don't understand that they are indirectly fuelling people getting killed and atrocities like school shootings. Imagine if everyone just stopped buying guns, the industry would become an outcast, a new social norm would begin, laws would change to suit, and mass shootings would slowly fade away.

Not everyone is going to make the effort for the environment, but the more that people do eventually will create a new social norm, and that is when the bigger changes happen, and inherent learned beliefs begin to get shifted. I'd rather be part of the forward thinking group, so the humans of tomorrow get to grow up with a better planet, and with better social conditioning.

I try to believe that it's best to become the person you want to be rather than defining yourself by the actions of others.

 

[Jamsmoo]

A drop in the ocean ( banning plastic straws as we empty it of 2 trillion fish a year)


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[NHN]

How many people here go overseas by air or sea either as a single person trip or with families for hols then, putting the current covid to one side travel-wise, don't fib, just be honest, how many times a year ?

You're missing the point mate, owning a pet is inherently very much creating a big footprint so to speak as are many other things we do.

Here's 1 very minor part of, how many people drive there pets every morning or even multiple times a day, to a park or space to take for a walk, for there needed routine, the emissions from that aren't exactky small & when you look at this process over the world, it adds up, I'm not even scrapping the lid.

You have to think much wider interms of implications.of owning a pet, its not just about them sitting in your house looking pretty, shagging your leg, there's much more to our wider footprints created actually daily looking after them.

So again, the guy you mention has a very very valid point, I could create an endless list of carbon footprints from pet ownership, like anything else we do daily.

 

[Jamsmoo]

We’ve got bigger fish to fry


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[Dubjam]

We’ve got bigger fish to fry


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Could you explain this, and give me some examples of the 'bigger fish you fry' in your daily life?

I am sure you are aware, humans and our lifestyle choices are the biggest contributor to global warming there is, therefore by improving what we do in our daily lives, x 7.8billion (rough amount of humans on planet earth) in my opinion us one huge massive fish.

 

[Jamsmoo]

Could you explain this, and give me some examples of the 'bigger fish you fry' in your daily life?

I am sure you are aware, humans and our lifestyle choices are the biggest contributor to global warming there is, therefore by improving what we do in our daily lives, x 7.8billion (rough amount of humans on planet earth) in my opinion us one huge massive fish.

May get some hate but vegan 4years .Surely you understand I mean “we “in the collective term
I just feel bleating about folk owning pets contributes to the irreversible damage we do to the planet while we empty the oceans /deforestation/animal agriculture ..etc and the subsides government’s grant these industries while telling us we can’t have plastic straws. Just sticks in the throat a bit


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[Jamsmoo]

Animal agriculture is the biggest contributor bar none


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[Charlie Farley]

Sadly Mr Howell, an independent member for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council comments and claims are flawed.
This is not the first time the same suggestions have been made and were found to be grossly inaccurate when the data was examined in more detail.

I agree we all need to change, some more than others but it's going to be a very long time before we get back to any resemblance to a healthy planet.
Our household don't overseas hols etc, never have done, I work from home and have done for 30 years,we are far from being green and eco-friendly but we are not excessive.
I'm not pointing fingers at anyone as such, we live in a world where change is going to be very hard to say the least, I cant see a change to the current cycle of things in what remains of my lifetime or even in my daughters lifetime.
I feel there are parts of our lives that would have a bigger benefit to the planet if people changed their lifestyles, but they won't.
we can bang on about saving the planet and reducing our carbon footprint all day long , week in week out but it needs a more drastic change to affect all our lives to sink into people heads.
Mr Howell is making claims to specific canines, he has no knowledge of what pet owners feed their dogs etc so claiming a GSD is worse than a Toyota Landcruiser is outrageous.
I have both and the carbon footprint from the LandCruiser is by far the worse by any stretch.
Next it will be all pets , sheep, cattle , they will all be blamed for too much methane eating too much feed , too much transport to supply farms....it is just endless.

Anyway , we can rant on subject this forever , which wasn't the intenteded .

There is only one real solution to our planet woes, a massive reduction in global population , less reliance on global travel and movement, sadly that's is why humans wont change, we have become our own worse enemy now, we cant deal with not having what we want , when we want it.

 

[Dubjam]

May get some hate but vegan 4years .Surely you understand I mean “we “in the collective term
I just feel bleating about folk owning pets contributes to the irreversible damage we do to the planet while we empty the oceans /deforestation/animal agriculture ..etc and the subsides government’s grant these industries while telling us we can’t have plastic straws. Just sticks in the throat a bit


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Couldn't agree more, this is just one area of discussion, the ones you have mentioned are others, all equally valid for sure!

Social norms are where the shifts happen, and this comes through activism (such as this guy posing dialogue) and this then gets passed on to the next generations, when an entire generation grow up with the 'knowledge', society changes and then governments have to change their ways.

Animal agriculture is the biggest contributor bar none


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Yes, for humans, which brings me back to my earlier comment - Change human belief, change social norms, change the market etc.

We can't eradicate animal agriculture just by saying so, we have to start to teach society there are sustainable alternatives and changed inherent mindsets that came from a time that is no longer relevant.

 

[Dubjam]

Sadly Mr Howell, an independent member for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council comments and claims are flawed.
This is not the first time the same suggestions have been made and were found to be grossly inaccurate when the data was examined in more detail.

I agree we all need to change, some more than others but it's going to be a very long time before we get back to any resemblance to a healthy planet.
Our household don't overseas hols etc, never have done, I work from home and have done for 30 years,we are far from being green and eco-friendly but we are not excessive.
I'm not pointing fingers at anyone as such, we live in a world where change is going to be very hard to say the least, I cant see a change to the current cycle of things in what remains of my lifetime or even in my daughters lifetime.
I feel there are parts of our lives that would have a bigger benefit to the planet if people changed their lifestyles, but they won't.
we can bang on about saving the planet and reducing our carbon footprint all day long , week in week out but it needs a more drastic change to affect all our lives to sink into people heads.
Mr Howell is making claims to specific canines, he has no knowledge of what pet owners feed their dogs etc so claiming a GSD is worse than a Toyota Landcruiser is outrageous.
I have both and the carbon footprint from the LandCruiser is by far the worse by any stretch.
Next it will be all pets , sheep, cattle , they will all be blamed for too much methane eating too much feed , too much transport to supply farms....it is just endless.

Anyway , we can rant on subject this forever , which wasn't the intenteded .

There is only one real solution to our planet woes, a massive reduction in global population , less reliance on global travel and movement, sadly that's is why humans, we have become our own worse enemy now.

Have you got the data to oppose his comments? I'd like to see it. I've had a bit of a read around this evening, and it seems to be a fair summary.

On one hand you are saying we need to change, but on the other hand saying you wont change. Thats half the problem, you seem open to the idea but when something is a personal matter to you, you get angry. I revert back to Americans and their guns!

I don't think he is targeting you as a pet owner, I believe he is opening conversation that pets do contribute heavily to carbon emissions and asking is there a better way we can do it? If we don't ask uncomfortable questions that challenge inherent learned beliefs, nothing will ever change, and that would be far worse than ruffling some feathers.

 

[Jamsmoo]

Unless this guys completely carbon neutral he should wind his neck in
My working cocker is a rescue ,we pick her food up when we get ours and she’s walked locally ,vets is a stones throw ,can’t see how see impacts my footprint


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[Dubjam]

Unless this guys completely carbon neutral he should wind his neck in
My working cocker is a rescue ,we pick her food up when we get ours and she’s walked locally ,vets is a stones throw ,can’t see how see impacts my footprint


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Interesting reads

Dogs, Cats And Climate Change: What's Your Pet's Carbon Pawprint?

Dogs and cats are responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by animal agriculture, according a study published today— a whopping 64 million tons of CO2e emitted in the production of their food. But scientists remain divided about the role our pets play in global warming.

www.forbes.com

what are two ways animals contribute to the carbon cycle - Lisbd-net.com

Contents1 What Are Two Ways Animals Contribute To The Carbon Cycle?2 What are the two main contributors of carbon to the carbon cycle?3 How do animals contribute to the carbon cycle fossil fuels?4 Do animals play role in the carbon cycle?5 How do dogs contribute to the carbon cycle?6 How do...

lisbdnet.com

 

[Charlie Farley]

Couldn't agree more, this is just one area of discussion, the ones you have mentioned are others, all equally valid for sure!

Social norms are where the shifts happen, and this comes through activism (such as this guy posing dialogue) and this then gets passed on to the next generations, when an entire generation grow up with the 'knowledge', society changes and then governments have to change their ways.

Have you got the data to oppose his comments? I'd like to see it. I've had a bit of a read around this evening, and it seems to be a fair summary.

On one hand you are saying we need to change, but on the other hand saying you wont change.

It's not targeting you as a pet owner, its opening conversation that pets do contribute heavily, and is there a better way we can

Yes we need change and I'm not saying I won't but it won't be in this specific of specific pet ownership, our household carbon footprint is a fraction of my next-door neighbour with 5 children, my dogs have a life expectancy of 14 years ,he's 8 now.
5 children will live for how many years in a normal lifetime......
As we say, its an endless list.

Well it is targeting all pet owners of specific breeds and in reality,all pets create waste in one form or another but he didn't say all dog owners in his article.
Paint it anyway you want to, it's using pet owners as a soft target yet again.

 

[Dubjam]

Yes we need change and I'm not saying I won't but it won't be in this specific of specific pet ownership, our household carbon footprint is a fraction of my next-door neighbour with 5 children, my dogs have a life expectancy of 14 years ,he's 8 now.
5 children will live for how many years in a normal lifetime......
As we say, its an endless list.

Well it is targeting all pet owners of specific breeds and in reality,all pets create waste in one form or another but he didn't say all dog owners in his article.
Paint it anyway you want to, it's using pet owners as a soft target yet again.

There is a difference in looking at the questions posed holistically, or taking them personally...If we all took everything personally in regards to things we do that are bad for the environment, well, it would be an ugly future.

Again, I feel like you're missing the point both NHN and myself have tried to explain, so I'll leave it here. Good night!

 

[Paul McGrath’s Knees]

Yawn! I didn’t break the planet,it was like this when I got here. You tree huggers go on with you doom mongering,I’ll just carry on regardless….as if you can fix it anyway. #deluded

 

[Dubjam]

Yawn! I didn’t break the planet,it was like this when I got here. You tree huggers go on with you doom mongering,I’ll just carry on regardless….as if you can fix it anyway. #deluded

This is just an incredibly unintelligent comment and what borders on being offensive , which supports the theory that social change is made first through education.

Without education, well, we can see the result.

 

[Charlie Farley]

I'm not missing the point, far from it and fully agree with some of what's been said to a more or lesser degree .
I disagree with Mr Howell suggestions though.
That's my position on his suggestions.

2016 article in the guardian if i recall.

 

[Paul McGrath’s Knees]

Typical response I was expecting from you far more “educated” human beings than I. Arrogance won’t save you as the planet fades away…..I’ll enjoy taking you with me

 

[Dubjam]

I'm not missing the point, far from it and fully agree with some of what's been said to a more or lesser degree .
I disagree with Mr Howell suggestions though.
That's my position on his suggestions.

2016 article in the guardian if i recall.

Id have to argue a 2016 article is highly irrelevant in 2022, in 2016 we still had huge areas of ice that we no longer have., climate change has moved on in mega rates in the last decade.

I think the above links I posted are much more up to date, which do support the theory posed by the minister. I am not saying his approach was correct, but his opinion is supported scientifically.

 

[Jamsmoo]

Interesting reads

Dogs, Cats And Climate Change: What's Your Pet's Carbon Pawprint?

Dogs and cats are responsible for a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by animal agriculture, according a study published today— a whopping 64 million tons of CO2e emitted in the production of their food. But scientists remain divided about the role our pets play in global warming.

www.forbes.com

what are two ways animals contribute to the carbon cycle - Lisbd-net.com

Contents1 What Are Two Ways Animals Contribute To The Carbon Cycle?2 What are the two main contributors of carbon to the carbon cycle?3 How do animals contribute to the carbon cycle fossil fuels?4 Do animals play role in the carbon cycle?5 How do dogs contribute to the carbon cycle?6 How do...

lisbdnet.com

Jeff’s math doesn’t add up for me ..cats and dogs contribute a quarter to animal agriculture pollution,70-80 billion animals are farmed per year.Add in all the fuel burned in transport and processing
Forbes may have ulterior motives


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[Dubjam]

Jeff’s math doesn’t add up for me ..cats and dogs contribute a quarter to animal agriculture pollution,70-80 billion animals are farmed per year.Add in all the fuel burned in transport and processing
Forbes may have ulterior motives


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You'll need to pose relevant studies to support your counter argument to make it credible.

Forbes is just one link I read that was a shorter summary, there are many similar...many, all supporting similar rhetoric.

 

[Garrett 69]

When are people going to realise that humans ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING? This is a natural part of the planet's life cycle. All we have done is accelerate by a few decades. In the grand scheme of things it's a pi$$ in the wind.

I'm not saying that we don't have a responsibility here, of course we do, it would be silly to suggest otherwise. What I am saying though is that most of these arguments are over exaggerated by those with vested interests, such as the media and politicians.

 

[Jamsmoo]

I’m not saying it’s not relevant ,it contributes no doubt
As I said ,I just think ,on the initial point ,there’s more pressing bigger contributors to worry about


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[Charlie Farley]

Mr Howell, an independent member for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council.
Did he not stop and ask himself what sort of response his article would have when read by animal lovers etc.
Ok, he wants to make the point about carbon footprints from pets etc, fair enough but from where I'm sitting and a lot of others it looks like as dog owners we are a soft target again.
When there are so many other sources of excessive pollution , carbon foot prints etc, he finds the need to make these comments.
whether it's just a suggestion or to open a dialogue on the subject, it won't be received well at all.
The health advantages of pet ownership , physical or mental even both by far outweigh the argument.
They are mans best friend, so when some council chap comes along with these sort of suggestions, how does one expect pet owners to act.
There are other ways to make a bigger impact on reducing carbon footprints without taking away or reducing a humans pet.
For many there pet is the only other friend in day to day life their only means of sanity on a daily basis.

I do have to wonder wether Mr Howell, an independent member for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, has ever had a pet, or more specifically a dog for any period of time.

 

[Jamsmoo]

Planet warms up ,planet cools down ..it’s a thing ,re Thames frost fairs 17th -19th century


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[Charlie Farley]

Mr Howell words,
While not calling for an outright ban of larger dogs, he said pet owners should consider 'scaling down' and getting smaller dogs in the future.

So in that case why shouldn't families scale down and have less children in the future.
surely 1-2 is better than 4-5 and beyond.

If some councillor came out with the same suggestion for humans to scale down on families, he'd be burnt at the stake.

It is a fact that owners of pets, suffer from more grief and despair when a old pet dies than when other family member die.
doesn't that speak volumes for how humans feel for pets.

 

[Dubjam]

When are people going to realise that humans ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING? This is a natural part of the planet's life cycle. All we have done is accelerate by a few decades. In the grand scheme of things it's a pi$$ in the wind.

I'm not saying that we don't have a responsibility here, of course we do, it would be silly to suggest otherwise. What I am saying though is that most of these arguments are over exaggerated by those with vested interests, such as the media and politicians.

Thankfully, Trump-logic is in the minority and will be eradicated entirely in the next decade or so with the new generation emerging.

Mr Howell, an independent member for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council.
Did he not stop and ask himself what sort of response his article would have when read by animal lovers etc.
Ok, he wants to make the point about carbon footprints from pets etc, fair enough but from where I'm sitting and a lot of others it looks like as dog owners we are a soft target again.
When there are so many other sources of excessive pollution , carbon foot prints etc, he finds the need to make these comments.
whether it's just a suggestion or to open a dialogue on the subject, it won't be received well at all.
The health advantages of pet ownership , physical or mental even both by far outweigh the argument.
They are mans best friend, so when some council chap comes along with these sort of suggestions, how does one expect pet owners to act.
There are other ways to make a bigger impact on reducing carbon footprints without taking away or reducing a humans pet.
For many there pet is the only other friend in day to day life their only means of sanity on a daily basis.

I do have to wonder wether Mr Howell, an independent member for Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council, has ever had a pet, or more specifically a dog for any period of time.

I'm actually a pet owner Rob, I'm just not taking the comments from him personally as they have scientific backing, what he says is correct, and has made me question, is there anything I do can better in pet ownership to mitigate the little fluffbag.

There are ethical elements to it, as you suggest with the health benefits of pet ownership, I wouldn't ever disagree with that. I don't think he stated to basically stop having pets, he suggested downsizing so to speak, which I don't feel isn't an entirely unreasonable notion to put forth. As the person from Asda would say, 'every little helps'