Lisa says: if you want encourage people to live in a more sustainable way you have to make it simple for them to do it; for example at the moment door-to-doorLisa says: if you want encourage people to live in a more sustainable way you have to make it simple for them to do it; for example at the moment door-to-door recycling varies depending on where you live – how much you can recycle, what you can recycle, how often it’s collected etc. It would be much easier if it was the same system for everyone, then everyone could do the same and feel like they were all working together for the greater good.
Harsheek says: to encourage more people to live in a sustainable way, tools need to be marketed in a way where people see the benefits to themselves on a personal level, e.g. ‘bike to work’ which in the UK gives people tax breaks for cycling to work for a particular number of miles over a certain period of time. It means people have more money, and illustrates the cost benefits of living in a more sustainable way – it’s cheaper to have no car or to use the car less often.
Rohit says: what most people want is a bit more money in their back pocket – so we should do just that. For example there are two green electricity providers in the UK – people should be encouraged to use them by being given tax rebates. This would create a financial incentive for people to be more sustainable.(more)(less)
Mike says: I’d introduce two things: firstly, a system of carbon auditing, so that whenever someone buys a product or a service they can tell the amountMike says: I’d introduce two things: firstly, a system of carbon auditing, so that whenever someone buys a product or a service they can tell the amount of carbon emissions generated by that product or its manufacture; secondly, a system of carbon rationing so that everyone is given a carbon allocation for the year and when they pay their gas, electricity or oil bill, the amount is deducted from their allocation. In a similar way, corporations would have to bid for their ability to emit carbon; so that a market would be generated, and the more heavily carbon emitting processes would be more expensive.(more)(less)
Mike: there’s only so much an individual can do; the rest has to be picked up by governments and corporations. For example, recycling is difficult becauseMike: there’s only so much an individual can do; the rest has to be picked up by governments and corporations. For example, recycling is difficult because packaging is difficult to recycle – so we need a standardised product for packaging which can easily be recycled, and which has to be used across the whole of Europe. It would need to be imposed and enforced across the EU to be effective. Another example is the motor industry and how much oil is being used to fuel cars across the whole of Europe; we could use electric cars which can run for 250 miles instead of 30 miles for one gallon of petrol. This would also require a centralised initiative to create the right infrastructure across the EU.
Harsheek: I think it’s good that there’s a lot of emphasis on personal responsibility to live in a sustainable way, but at the same time businesses should be more accountable for their actions; the majority of carbon emissions come from industry and I don’t know how much governments are pressurising them to reduce their carbon emissions.(more)(less)
Lisa: there needs to be more emphasis on businesses to take responsibility for their actions; for example supermarkets have so much packaging on theirLisa: there needs to be more emphasis on businesses to take responsibility for their actions; for example supermarkets have so much packaging on their products – sometimes it’s not even possible to buy even carrots without them being in a plastic bag. Paper bags would be better as well. All plastic should be standardised so there’s only one kind to put in the recycling box, and you know it can be recycled. Large businesses should be forced to invest in environmental electronics eg energy saving lightbulbs to save electricity.
Rohit: I think there’s too much emphasis on personal responsibility, for example with recycling – there needs to be more emphasis on corporations, because they’re the ones who pollute the most and use the most resources. They need to be taxed more heavily and held to account for the effect they’re having on the environment.(more)(less)
Lisa: No, governments shouldn’t charge people for how much rubbish they throw away because it will only encourage ‘fly tipping’ where people dumpLisa: No, governments shouldn’t charge people for how much rubbish they throw away because it will only encourage ‘fly tipping’ where people dump the rubbish anywhere they want to – it won’t reduce waste. People who drive large cars should be more highly taxed; the money raised from this could go towards improving public transport and making it more affordable
Rohit: yes, it’s absolutely necessary for governments to take action against individuals, eg charging people for not recycling; we live in the unfortunate situation where people don’t take responsibility for the environment – they have the attitude that they work in busy jobs, have the stress of kids, bills to pay, so the environment doesn’t even warrant worrying about and is the last thing on their minds.
Mike: no, eg. charging people for not complying with recycling, and for driving in London isn’t really equitable because it impacts adversely on poorer people, whereas richer people who can afford the charges continue to pollute.
Harsheek: yes; although public opinion may say that people who are not living sustainable lifestyles are being penalised by being taxed, it’s necessary to change the way we think about the world and our actions; eventually it will become natural for people to think about the bigger picture and the decisions we take.(more)(less)
Lisa: action on food and textiles. The way I live my life has a lot to do with the way I think it impacts on the environment. I’m vegan, which I believeLisa: action on food and textiles. The way I live my life has a lot to do with the way I think it impacts on the environment. I’m vegan, which I believe uses less land to grow the food I need to support me; but there are some things where I can’t do much about it, eg textiles. When I was studying, I wrote my dissertation on the environmental impact of textiles, including the growing of cotton, the manufacturing and dyeing processes; as a consumer I find it difficult to buy items that are sustainable, that are desirable, and that are affordable as well. It’s difficult for consumers to influence this – governments need to take action with manufacturers.
Rohit: action on transport. I don’t drive, I use the bus to get to work. But this impacts me greatly because it takes longer, the buses are often late and overcrowded. Governments need to take action to improve public transport because if they don’t there’s no incentive for people to use their cars.(more)(less)
Andrew, a postgraduate student at Oxford University in England, says that ‘European Union’ doesn’t mean very much because it’s a concept that seemsAndrew, a postgraduate student at Oxford University in England, says that ‘European Union’ doesn’t mean very much because it’s a concept that seems to change its meaning every decade, but ‘European’ means a bit more. As a Medieval historian, he sees the very strong historical links between Britain and the rest of Europe, but he feels that people here don’t have a strong sense of being European citizens today. He thinks maybe the problem stems from the cultural diversity of Europe, and a current trend to focus on local cultures and local issues. But he feels that the European Union provides a framework for a sense of ‘Europeanness’; in his view, although Prime Minister Gordon Brown talks of Britain’s shared heritage with the US, the shared heritage between Britain and Europe is far stronger.(more)(less)
Brian Shipman, European Policy development Officer for Cornwall County Council, in the South West of England, says that the values of peace and stabilityBrian Shipman, European Policy development Officer for Cornwall County Council, in the South West of England, says that the values of peace and stability are the foundation of the European Union, and this was a way of avoiding the conflicts and bloodshed of the 20th century. He says that we face a lot of challenges to this in the modern world, and is concerned that we have lost sight of these original aims. Brian challenges young people to forget the day-to-day debates in Europe, and really think about the values of peace and equity within Europe, and how the European Union can present a model of peace and stability to the rest of the world.(more)(less)
Andrew, a postgraduate student at Oxford University in England, says that people only think about the EU when it affects their lives in a negative wayAndrew, a postgraduate student at Oxford University in England, says that people only think about the EU when it affects their lives in a negative way – you never hear people say ‘the EU did this and it’s great’. He thinks this is partly about communication, but also general apathy about politics in the UK. Andrew says that in his view the EU should be a vehicle for free trade, with some focus on social security and safeguarding aspects like human rights. People no longer want to go to war with each other, but is this really because of the EU? Or because people’s attitudes to war have changed in general? He says that EU countries should cooperate more with each other, and that a strong European economy is important to the global economy, as a counterbalance to the strong Asian economies and North America.(more)(less)
European Values: Guergana and Nieves talk about the European common values. Is it an open process? Are those values universal? Does the European UnionEuropean Values: Guergana and Nieves talk about the European common values. Is it an open process? Are those values universal? Does the European Union actually need to strengthen its own foreign policy to promote those values?(more)(less)
UK
IT
ES
PT
LT
MT
AT
