Environmentally Unfriendly Pets

[FarmerChick]

humans don't knit coats or hats or produce sunglasses for most zebras or antelope.
Or do they make rope toys and plastic squeaky toys for most lions, tigers and bears.
nor do they produce feed for them (except in zoos of course) which we choose to contain them, and must feed them

 

[PineappleMama]

My dogs are my alarm system... they save me tons in electricity... not only the system itself but also floodlights and sirens... they're also way better for the 'noise pollution thing' than a blaring siren that wakes the whole neighborhood... instead mine only wake me and we go from there... of course, stout locks and a weapons collection help too.

My dogs also save me from having to buy rat poison, definitely a bad thing to be having in your soil yes? So that's pollutants down.

They also eat leftovers (don't have chickens yet) so that's less that goes in the trash or down the disposal.

We don't do the sweaters and whatnot. They have collars, have to by law.
Don't have to bathe them often, short coats, but every now and again... certainly less than us people.

The 'fancy bed' for two is my hubby's recliner... for the little one who can't jump that high there's a old box, a natty old pillow, and an old raggedy blanket... she guards her 'bed' like it's bloody Fort Knox.

They don't really 'work' like herding dogs do for instance, but there are some little things they do to help balance.

At least, I think so. Ask me again next time I find a chewed up sock or shoe.

 

[Wifezilla]

I smell a certain activist organization every time a story like this comes out.

 

[hikerchick]

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Or just a pot-stirrer.

 

[andehens]

Its fun watching people jump from one band wagon to another! After pets, I suppose next its older humans, we've already cycled through houses, cars and cows as causing all the planets problems.

 

[Camelot Farms]

It's a scam. It is a way to make people feel guilty so you can manipulate them and separate them from their hard earned cash and/or force people to change their chosen lifestyle.

But some of it really is true. If the lifestyle that some choose is a detriment to the lifestyles of others, isnt that reason to force a change.

I hate to mention this but cigarette smoking comes to mind only because its current and changing. Our state (VA) just went smoke free in restaurants because the chosen lifestyle of some is a detriment to others.

Is this the first step in looking at things on a grander scale than individual rights?
**Disclaimer- NOT meant to bring the smoking debate into discussion other than as an example of forced change**​

 

[FarmerChick]

aren't the "band wagon" people trying to make a true difference for the future

if nothing changes we are in for big future trouble---and most see this

only few will challenge it and take on the issues.

most sit home and say things like "what's next" to hear about? what good does that do for the planet


(not saying you---just saying in general)



some people's band wagon from the past is what saved us this far.

 

[Wifezilla]

Or just a pot-stirrer.

Nope. I am just someone who was steeped in activism as a kid and then learned the truth about a majority of these causes as an adult. The great top soil crisis was the first one I remember. Then there was the coming ice age. Next it was the landfill crisis. Then the population bomb. Then there was the oil shortage in the 70's (it was all gone you see!), then there was acid rain, global warming, climate change, carbon emissions from meat animals and now pets! It's all the same thing over and over in a different guise.​

 

[PineappleMama]

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The Crusades, The Inquisition, The Holocaust....

There ARE some bandwagons that need their tires not just punctured, but flat out destroyed.

 

[lighthawk]

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I have a similar footprint problem.

Seriously I have been burning my paper trash for years and the ashes are sprinkled into the compost bin.
I save anything metal. Copper found on construction sites (My company does a lot of new construction cleaning) is brought home stripped of it's coating and saved for scrap sale. I really like electricians as everywhere they go they leave a trail of money laying behind them.
Michigan has a can deposit law so the cans go back to the store but not until I strip the pull tab and save it in my alluminum stash.
Plastic juice bottles and milk bottles dont have a deposit so they get filled half full with water and stored in the upright freezer. The freezer doesn't work as hard when it is filled and should the power go out all those ice blocks will keep meat frozen for days.
Then in july when the blueberrys come in I empty the water and fill them with blueberries and strawberries and freeze them.
I save tin cans to use to protect my seedlings from cutworms and cut them up to label vegtable rows.
My neighbors all have their herby kerby out on the street overflowing once a week. Last year the disposal company picked mine up twice filled with the few things I can't find any other use for. Once they even forgot to bill me saving me $8.80

ETA None of the above has anything to do with my "footprint" it is directly related to my shrinking wallet.