Just Had A Rollicking For Being Non Eco Friendly

is he saying that he likes to be eco friendly because of the CO2 emmisions and global warming and all that malarki?
if it is, i'm pretty sure his day to day life uses much more than your fish tank does in a week.

and anyway, i kno i'm only a teenager myself but i have been studying global warming at college, there is such a high amount of CO2 coming from the sea every day when the sun hits it. these CO2 emmisions are so high that global warming would happen whether human existed or not. its a load of rubbish lol just tell him that!
 
nothin wrong with bein eco friendly thw worls got right 2 yano but ye first he should take into account what hes doin the worst part is wer all gonna die no matter what so yeno lol
 
nothin wrong with bein eco friendly thw worls got right 2 yano but ye first he should take into account what hes doin the worst part is wer all gonna die no matter what so yeno lol

YA BLAD WAGWAN......

Lol erm I bet something will happend that'll save us all or something will be invented, A giant ice cube too cool us down I dno but we wont ALL die.
 
Wow, no offence anyone but the ignorance level of this thread is amazing...

Shelagh, I often find myself in a similar position as your son in my house, except I'm the one the fish tank so my family often tries to turn the discussion around by pointing out how much power my tank uses(which is only about 100 watts[while the lights are on], not that much compared to other devices). If your son wants to be more green tell him to check out this site, TreeHugger

Turning the accusations around on the accuser achieves nothing but inaction so that the problem we allneed to solve escalates. We all need to do what we can and suggest to others things that they can do. The belief that it's okay to do something wrong oir not do something right if another is doing or not doing it as well needs to end if humanity has any hope of maturing.

pinkdolphin, do the world a favor ang chuck this book at whatever professor told you that
"Six degrees" by Mark Lynas
As of no the oceans absorb carbon dioxide, not release it.

Thank you three-fingers for bringing rreason and facts into this discussion

Remember if you're not part of the solution you're part of the precipitate problem.
 
so i dont have an arguement then do i??
i am not heavily into saving the planet. yes you can call it ignorance if you want, i do what i can,i do the washing on 30 degrees,recycle,walk,
but i certainley wont be moving in to a tippee any time soon,and wearing shoes made out of recycled paper,and the fish are staying!
 
Think back on this topic, oh, 15 or 20 years from now, and you will understand where some of the mature adults with kids, families, careers, and homes to support are coming from.

I thought very much the same as you, or probably any teenager, back when I was a teenager. When I think back I laugh at my self centered, know it all teenage self, and am very surprised my father didn't plant his boot where the sun doesn't shine on an almost daily basis.

This has nothing to do with the hole in the ozone, the maturing of humanity, or the escalation or deescalation of a situation. This has more to do with showing appreciation for the people who put a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly. Giving those people a two hour lecture about a hobby they enjoy, but you see as wasteful of resources is no way of showing your appreciation.

Living a more frugal lifestyle, as many have suggested, would show an actual concern for those resources, would be noticed by the supporting adult, and would be more effective in getting the person seen as being wasteful to change their ways.

Lead by example, actions speak louder than words.
 
KraKen... lighten up a little..


As for the OP... personally, I like the idea of cutting off the power to his room. Taking away all his toys, telling him to grow his own food, etc etc etc as others have suggested. I'm sure he'll come around soon enough. Damn mouthy teenagers.
 
Well, theres much to be considered here... I enjoy a nice comfortable seat in the middle of this situation. being 20 something in America we all have to come to understand that we expend, we consume, and we rarely provide.

Hes right
Hes wrong
Your right
Your wrong

And the best part is your both right in the middle. his argument is sound, were wasting copious amounts of water on tank changes. were burning electricity on our lights heaters and filters.

Now, hes 16 and ill take a stab and hope you don't stab me, are in your late 30's to early 40's there's a serious age gap and with that comes a gap in the ability to converse problems and issues.

You should be happy as a pig in #### that your son is aware that there's a situation on the planet that going to rear end all of us if we don't fix it.

Some leeway is necessary in that respect, turning off all his electronics and making his life bare essentials is not going to drive a point home because its in fact no way related to your own situation, his understanding of the situation vs your experience in this world is not going to meet eye to eye.

All you can do, is explain to him that your plants are consuming the CO2 and your housing fish that would normally be dead in a tank in a store, granted your justification of the situation also isn't going to ring home.

Being 16 not to long ago, i can honestly say what you already know, wait 5 - 6 years and hell get it better, once upon a time i might have stood on his soap box but sure as #### 25 and I've got a nice tank of my own.

Aside from actually reducing the human footprint. the best you can do is actually just discuss this with him, hes going to yell your going to be a ***** and no doubt both will walk away before the fights over, but this is where you get to be a good mom, and wait 10 minutes, go in apologize even tho you shouldn't, then have it out properly and discuss ways you can BOTH help reduce your environmental consumption.

another option, get him a girlfriend. There's nothing more distracting then teenage love.

Just don't fight him on it or else hell see you as always wrong and youll see him as always some dumb kid.

Talk
Discuss
Compromise
Agree (to disagree if you have to)

KraKen... lighten up a little..


As for the OP... personally, I like the idea of cutting off the power to his room. Taking away all his toys, telling him to grow his own food, etc etc etc as others have suggested. I'm sure he'll come around soon enough. Damn mouthy teenagers.



You know you may think that's a punishment, but if i wasn't sucked into this #### show of a society I'd be out there growing my food slaughtering my animals and busting my ass 18 hours a day building my cabin in the woods. my wagon WOULDN'T bust a wheel, and no, we wouldn't die of dysentery.
 
Think back on this topic, oh, 15 or 20 years from now, and you will understand where some of the mature adults with kids, families, careers, and homes to support are coming from.

I thought very much the same as you, or probably any teenager, back when I was a teenager. When I think back I laugh at my self centered, know it all teenage self, and am very surprised my father didn't plant his boot where the sun doesn't shine on an almost daily basis.

This has nothing to do with the hole in the ozone, the maturing of humanity, or the escalation or deescalation of a situation. This has more to do with showing appreciation for the people who put a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food in your belly. Giving those people a two hour lecture about a hobby they enjoy, but you see as wasteful of resources is no way of showing your appreciation.

Living a more frugal lifestyle, as many have suggested, would show an actual concern for those resources, would be noticed by the supporting adult, and would be more effective in getting the person seen as being wasteful to change their ways.

Lead by example, actions speak louder than words.


my scentiments ( spelling) exactly
i think we were probably all similarly selfish and self centred at teens, and i appreciate he has an opinion, and have listened, and i know that in a few years he will probably have a change of heart to me being the most wastefull person this side of timbucktoo, he lives in a beautiful home, full of creature comforts,get his clothes ironed and washed, gets fed,wears £100 trainers, has an ipod touch ps3 laptop ( of which none he has paid for!) smashed my 4ft tank, - i spoke to his dad last night and he told me " shelagh its your own fault because you have spoilt him".----hes right, that boy has never wanted for anything for longer than overnight, i think thiis is nothing to do with me personaly wrecking the planet, more of me being put on a guilt trip!by the way have to mention, i have never heard him talk about any global issues before, oh yes i have sorry, there was a mention of tickets to go and see WWE in atlanta

just leaving to give myself a massive kick in the ass
 
kick his ass, then make him get a damn job.


then i would get" well i cant do school and work,your wrecking my life"
but the bit about kicking his ass is a good one

i cant wait till he gets home from school cos i have just found a lovely tank for sale on ebay near us

think its a teenage war and im not going to win-lets just hope he cant get his brothers on his side, other wise i will go mental ( if its not too late :hyper: )
 
Hey this comes down to being a real mom, im not about to tell you what to do, but i wasn't spoiled as a kid, my family had, money, and they taught me the value of every penny that came and went through my rich white suburban house. I wouldn't have DREAMED of telling my parents that i cant do job and school...

Are you going to tell him that you cant be a good mother and hold down a job and do his laundry and buy all his #### and bend over backwards and let flow the never ending love of a parent?

Time for him to to saddle up and get a hold of life, FOURTEEN is the working age in Massachusetts here... your in the UK in 2 years he can be in a bar getting piss drunk, buying rounds for his friends on YOUR dollar(pound?).

Your not doing him any favors by letting it all slide like this. Keep your fish tank, you earned it, apparently your an exceptional earner, i never had nice stuff like that when i was a kid, i bought my own car at 17, and my HOUSE at 22, I've never stopped busting my ass for everything i have, i never hated my parents, we had our fights, I've even been to jail as a kid for pulling stupid ####. and my parents let me go, well you know what, I LEARNED, and I'm a better person for it today.

His turn. And yours.

Good luck and gods speed, being a parents one of the hardest jobs on this planet, just as long as you don't forget the second hardest...


Being a kid.
 
All bulls#it aside, your a great mom, clearly have great love for your child, take the bull by the horns and you can do anything you want.
 
Bit of a hot potato this one eh? :p
Ha, Shelagh, looks like you have some battles ahead! But my kid sister is 17 and still driving my mum nuts and I know she does everything she can to start an argument when she is in a bad mood so I wouldn't worry too much, just think of some calm logical things to say if he brings it up again.... I bet he doesn't! He'll very likely be thinking up a new argument! But if he is stuck on this issue, you just need to point out that he lives his life and you live yours, and it is important for your life to have a hobby you enjoy, and that this is your fish. Let him know you are not going to give that up, but ask him what ideas he has for your home to help the environment that don't include the fish. Most ways of helping aren't too difficult, it's just a case of getting into a new habit. Like you say, you already recycle etc so not sure what he will come up with, but if you ask for his input then he might actually come up with some sensible ideas! Then again, he's a teenager... so he might just strop off, but if you have been calm and reasonable then you have done your job! :p Good luck!
 

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