Dealing with ‘champagne environmentalists’
Discussion
Morning folks,
As a petrol head, I love the internal combustion engine and have a few big engined cars that I use sparingly.
There is one person in my extended family who wants to make a point of highlighting how bad my car(s) are for the environment and that people like me should be ashamed or themselves etc.
Yet they use a petrol car themselves, enjoy flying to exotic places (outside of covid), eat meat when it suits them and generally don’t lead a lifestyle that represents being eco friendly themselves.
I don’t even make a point of my hobby and tend to not even talk about cars in their presence.
Why does this matter you ask? Well, it has started to become a bit of a talking point when we meet up now and despite my logical arguments about my cars being within legal limits, the fact I hardly use them, cars aren’t the only problem for the environment etc I always feel a bit victimised after these conversations, the most recent being at a family barbecue where it became more of a debate than I had expected.
Has anyone else been in these situations or is this how it’s going to be until petrol cars become extinct?
Thanks
CB
As a petrol head, I love the internal combustion engine and have a few big engined cars that I use sparingly.
There is one person in my extended family who wants to make a point of highlighting how bad my car(s) are for the environment and that people like me should be ashamed or themselves etc.
Yet they use a petrol car themselves, enjoy flying to exotic places (outside of covid), eat meat when it suits them and generally don’t lead a lifestyle that represents being eco friendly themselves.
I don’t even make a point of my hobby and tend to not even talk about cars in their presence.
Why does this matter you ask? Well, it has started to become a bit of a talking point when we meet up now and despite my logical arguments about my cars being within legal limits, the fact I hardly use them, cars aren’t the only problem for the environment etc I always feel a bit victimised after these conversations, the most recent being at a family barbecue where it became more of a debate than I had expected.
Has anyone else been in these situations or is this how it’s going to be until petrol cars become extinct?
Thanks
CB
If this comes up repeatedly, you could try something along the lines of "Ah. Have you tried the bean-dip?"
I believe this is known as the bean-dip gambit. Other distractions are available. If you refuse to engage it may take the wind out of their sails, whereas engaging with their argument gives them something to push against. Apologies for the very mixed metaphors.
I believe this is known as the bean-dip gambit. Other distractions are available. If you refuse to engage it may take the wind out of their sails, whereas engaging with their argument gives them something to push against. Apologies for the very mixed metaphors.
Carlton Banks said:
Yet they use a petrol car themselves, enjoy flying to exotic places (outside of covid), eat meat when it suits them and generally don’t lead a lifestyle that represents being eco friendly themselves.
CB
Not a champagne environmentalist then, just someone that knows how to push your buttons CB
Why let it bother you?
If they are being a pain in the arse I’d be telling them to mind their own bloody business. I dont mind talking with people who have different opinions to me, that’s half the fun, but I can’t stand hypocritical people. People seem to believe they can stick their nose into everyone else’s business and push they’re opinions on them lately.
Krikkit said:
Print out the graph that VW released with the e-Golf showing the CO2 impact of building a new, ecologically-sound car (even in their advanced, reduced-emissions production line). Even worse for BEV.
Or just tell them to stick it up their arse of course.
Do you mean the German paper that was completely disproven? Yeah don't look a fool and do that.Or just tell them to stick it up their arse of course.
Drive it fix it repeat said:
If they are being a pain in the arse I’d be telling them to mind their own bloody business. I dont mind talking with people who have different opinions to me, that’s half the fun, but I can’t stand hypocritical people. People seem to believe they can stick their nose into everyone else’s business and push they’re opinions on them lately.
This ^^^^Carlton Banks said:
Morning folks,
As a petrol head, I love the internal combustion engine and have a few big engined cars that I use sparingly.
There is one person in my extended family who wants to make a point of highlighting how bad my car(s) are for the environment and that people like me should be ashamed or themselves etc.
Yet they use a petrol car themselves, enjoy flying to exotic places (outside of covid), eat meat when it suits them and generally don’t lead a lifestyle that represents being eco friendly themselves.
I don’t even make a point of my hobby and tend to not even talk about cars in their presence.
Why does this matter you ask? Well, it has started to become a bit of a talking point when we meet up now and despite my logical arguments about my cars being within legal limits, the fact I hardly use them, cars aren’t the only problem for the environment etc I always feel a bit victimised after these conversations, the most recent being at a family barbecue where it became more of a debate than I had expected.
Has anyone else been in these situations or is this how it’s going to be until petrol cars become extinct?
Thanks
CB
A few additional points beyond the STFU response option.As a petrol head, I love the internal combustion engine and have a few big engined cars that I use sparingly.
There is one person in my extended family who wants to make a point of highlighting how bad my car(s) are for the environment and that people like me should be ashamed or themselves etc.
Yet they use a petrol car themselves, enjoy flying to exotic places (outside of covid), eat meat when it suits them and generally don’t lead a lifestyle that represents being eco friendly themselves.
I don’t even make a point of my hobby and tend to not even talk about cars in their presence.
Why does this matter you ask? Well, it has started to become a bit of a talking point when we meet up now and despite my logical arguments about my cars being within legal limits, the fact I hardly use them, cars aren’t the only problem for the environment etc I always feel a bit victimised after these conversations, the most recent being at a family barbecue where it became more of a debate than I had expected.
Has anyone else been in these situations or is this how it’s going to be until petrol cars become extinct?
Thanks
CB
You can only drive one of them at a time. By having several big engined cars and not using them much, you're keeping them off the road and stopping them being used regularly, quite feasibly reducing their output compared to if they all had different owners who used them more often
If you really want to be prepared, work out how much you've driven them all, take the blanket g/km reading from the government and work out your total CO2 output for a year from your fleet. Point out that this is the equivalent of approximately 100 miles of air travel (or whatever it is) and return the subject to where they want on holiday last month.
Go full nihilist. We're all going to die eventually, so who cares
Outright lie, say you pay to a voluntary carbon offset program, an amount that offsets the CO2 output from your cars. Perhaps do some research to have an actual figure to hand.
Waffle on about China / India, using phrases like 'drop in the ocean', and throw out some enormous numbers to bolster the point.
Return to the 'f
k right off' line of argument 
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff