Sustainable Sailing

[john61ct]

The climate's already radically altered, too late to prevent disaster, the idea that personal lifestyle changes can help **at all** might have helped if 80% of the world population had gotten really serious about it fifty years ago, stopped making
babies but we're way past that.

Drastic coordinated collective action at government level is our only chance, to make the disasters a little less catastrophic, deal with the consequences as rationally and compassionately as possible.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...l-disobedience

Not holding my breath. . .

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by john61ct

The climate's already radically altered, too late to prevent disaster, the idea that personal lifestyle changes can help **at all** might have helped if 80% of the world population had gotten really serious about it fifty years ago, stopped making
babies but we're way past that.

Drastic coordinated collective action at government level is our only chance, to make the disasters a little less catastrophic, deal with the consequences as rationally and compassionately as possible.

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...l-disobedience

Not holding my breath. . .

I agree with all that. Still there is room for personal action and a sailboat is a great way to do it.

Make a statement, show all those land lubbing consumers how hollow their lives are by comparison! Go forth and enjoy!

[s/v Jedi]

I put my own RO water, rain water, or when dockside water is of good quality I'll take that too and put any of those in my large fiberglass tanks.

In the galley we have a small faucet for filtered water that is supplied from the tanks via a Seagull IV filter. We fill these stainless steel bottles and put them in the fridge for cooling. Water never tasted better

[Mike OReilly]

Reducing my personal impact on the plant is explicitly part of my reason to go cruising. It’s not the only one, and perhaps not even the most important one, but it is part of my approach (I should say ‘we’ since my spouse is fully engaged as well).

Our little motto is: Creativity, Learning, Adventure, Freedom & Cessation (CLAFC), where cessation refers to us actively stopping, or at least reducing, our personal impact on the planet (amongst other things).

A really great way to do this is to live small(er); to live with less. A small, largely (or significantly) self-contained living space like a small sailboat, is an excellent way to achieve this.

I know I can’t save the world, but I can stop (or at least reduce) my contributions to the problems I see. Going cruising on a smallish sailboat is one way to do this. It’s certainly not the only way, but it works for me right now.

[john61ct]

Also reduces the odds of the coming resulting catastrophes causing personal disaster.

My issue is that such individualistic approaches perhaps psychologically reduce the urgency of our taking collective action to change the power dynamics and attack the fundamental root causes of the problem.

[a64pilot]

You know everyone says we must do “something” we must do it now etc.
Except for increasing taxes, I’ve not seen a plan that lays out what “something” is.
Then add to it that people like good ole Al Gore champions that others apparently must cause less carbon emissions, cause with his lifestyle he is a huge emitter, and you can see how nothing is or will be done, plus I’m suspicious of his and others motives, seems that some will greatly benefit from these proposed taxes etc.

There has been no logical plan that I have sever seen, just people running around demanding “something” must be done, but no one seems to be willing to give up their McMansions or pickup trucks or SUV’s, which any logical person could see is a huge “something” that could be done.
Electric cars are not zero emission, so don’t even try that ploy either.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by john61ct

...My issue is that such individualistic approaches perhaps psychologically reduce the urgency of our taking collective action to change the power dynamics and attack the fundamental root causes of the problem.

Don’t disagree, but I also don’t believe (no longer believe) our societies are capable of making the necessary changes voluntarily. So I do the only thing I can; I change myself.

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You know everyone says we must do “something” we must do it now etc.
Except for increasing taxes, I’ve not seen a plan that lays out what “something” is. ...

Well, to be fair, there are lots of plans — literal acres of them. And yes, increasing taxes tends to be key to many in developed countries. Some cities, countries and regions have progressed further than others in adopting and addressing global environmental issues. So it’s not lack of plans. It’s lack of will.

The reasons for this lack of will are numerous, and not worth getting into here since it will lead us down a political rabbit hole. But one critical failure has come from the so-called environmental movement. This failure is in not being clear about what is required of us in the rich developed world. And that is for us to live with less.

The messaging almost always goes, “We’re going to hell in a handbag!!” But then we learn that all we need to do is change a few lightbulbs, recycle some paper or cups, or stop using plastic straws, and “WHALLA!” the problem is solved. Wrong.

We who use the most need to use less. Period. But that is the one thing we can’t even conceive of here in our more, More, MORE part of the world.

So I do the only thing I can; I use less.

[john61ct]

I think the fundamental flaw is human nature has just not evolved far enough for most, people just don't care that much whether the species survives once they are dead.

[CapnCrunch]

Originally Posted by Skipper Kenny

My problem with municipal water is the fluoride and chlorine and other contaminants.

Hence the RO filter for my drinking water.

Your mention of Chlorine and RO filter got me wondering. I havent gotten to use my water-maker yet as I am still in fresh water but the owners manual and things I've read say that Chlorine is death to the membranes in a RO system. Or am I missing something?

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You know everyone says we must do “something” we must do it now etc.
Except for increasing taxes, I’ve not seen a plan that lays out what “something” is...

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

... Well, to be fair, there are lots of plans — literal acres of them...

Indeed.

Climate Change Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. It can be as complex as a plan for a new city, or as a simple as improvements to a cook stove design. Efforts underway around the world range from high-tech subway systems to bicycling paths and walkways.
In it’s 2014 Report, the IPCC panel analyzed different scenarios for stabilizing or reducing emissions in each of these sectors (energy supply, industry, transport, and buildings), and made a number of recommendations to policy makers on this regard.
The many mitigation strategies include retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient; adopting renewable energy sources like solar, wind and small hydro; helping cities develop more sustainable transport such as bus rapid transit, electric vehicles and biofuels; and promoting more sustainable uses of land, oceans, and forests.

One U.S. Mitigation Plan ➥ https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/rep...ies/mitigation

IPCC AR5 Climate Change 2014: Mitigation Plan ➥ https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/

April 22 is Earth Day.

[hpeer]

A64 and Mike,

After spending too much time arguing these matters I’ve come to a different conclusion. First we need to start at the beginnings. And I don’t much care if anyone believes in AGW, it’s not really the crux of the matter.

What follows is addressing the First World/Western Culture.

Nothing is going to change until we have either a change of attitude OR a major systemic collapse. Just dealing with attitude the “problem” it is that we have been led to believe that a constantly growing economy is absolutely required for our happiness. Never mind that it’s impossible for anything to grow infinitely, we have been told if we don’t grow we die. I’ve yet to hear a Dr. tell a obese person that their growth rate is sustainable. This has led to the excesses of Consumerisim we see including the concentration of wealth, deteriorating health, political divide, resource depletion, pollution, etc. our “leaders” those that speak to us about how we should behave, have led us down a destructive path.

This is quite a turn around from my parents generation, who grew up in the Depression, or my Wife who grew up in war ravaged Germany. Our parents learned to be frugal and taught us those values. Madison Ave. has been promoting something very different. The concept of bottled water and pre-ripped jeans is nothing more than a stealth tax on our hard earned dollars, on our time. Every time we purchase something some of that exchange aggregates to the elite. The more we turn over, the more the elite get at the end of the day. Exactly the same principle as a slot machine, they take a small bit each exchange, and you loose.

The “something” we crave is some honest leadership which starts to talk about these issues, to expose them for the fraud they are, to knock the scales from our eyes.

I could go on for far to long, I think you get the general concept. It’s pretty simple and makes sense. Our personal happiness is reduced by our societal consumptive disease. Like smoking cigarettes, we should stop.

[a64pilot]

I understand, and agree.
It’s what bothers me when I see the climate change protesters with their bottled water, get into the SUV and drive off, it’s what bothers me about Al Gore, he is to me the same as a Televangelist.
Both have a hidden agenda I believe.

Cruisers, most often cruise in plastic boats, true, but our environmental impact when compared to the average SUV, PickUp driving person living in a McMansion is extremely small, almost non existent.
All the Hollywood stars crying about Global Warming as they climb into their personal jet to fly down to the Cayman’s, can you spell hypocrite?

Now I didn’t begin cruising as a way to save the Earth, but you have to admit on average, our impact is relatively small.

The answer seems obvious to me, reduce consumption, consumption of everything as whatever it is, fuel was burned to manufacturer, or transport it.

[TigerPaws]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Indeed.

Climate Change Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. It can be as complex as a plan for a new city, or as a simple as improvements to a cook stove design. Efforts underway around the world range from high-tech subway systems to bicycling paths and walkways.
In it’s 2014 Report, the IPCC panel analyzed different scenarios for stabilizing or reducing emissions in each of these sectors (energy supply, industry, transport, and buildings), and made a number of recommendations to policy makers on this regard.
The many mitigation strategies include retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient; adopting renewable energy sources like solar, wind and small hydro; helping cities develop more sustainable transport such as bus rapid transit, electric vehicles and biofuels; and promoting more sustainable uses of land, oceans, and forests.

One U.S. Mitigation Plan ➥ https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/rep...ies/mitigation

IPCC AR5 Climate Change 2014: Mitigation Plan ➥ https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/

April 22 is Earth Day.

Please give me a break! 11,500 years ago the Earths climate underwent a drastic change. Research the "Younger Dryas Event". Believing in the propaganda in climate change is a lot like liberalizam, it is a mental disease.

Now that said I do agree that people should not intentionally pollute their environment but there is a vast different between pollution and reasonable use.

[john61ct]

here we go

[TigerPaws]

I have been cruising and living aboard for many years now and I have traveled the world so please let us be honest the vast majority of the worlds pollution is coming from 3rd world countries and what are you I or anyone else going to do about it?

Government control is not the answer, if people ignore what a government orders what is that government going to do, fine people who do not have any money, put billions in prison, kill them? The answer is that nothing can or will be done. People say "but we (collective) have to do something", I say what good will it do if you change and no one else will?

Now I keep my footprint small not so much because I care about the environment but because I am too cheap to buy and waste what I do not need. I rarely use bottled water because I prefer Rum, besides fish pee in the water