ᐅ The frequency of tornadoes in Germany is increasing significantly

haydee schrieb:

Is wood really more climate-friendly? It usually doesn’t come from the forest nearby.

Even if it does come from the local forest... a large part of the log is burned. The rest of the log is considered waste wood and is also burned. The branches either remain in the forest to decompose or are used as wood chips and burned as well. This means a significant amount of CO2 is released immediately, and it takes decades for the replacement tree to absorb that again. Besides that, there are the issues you mentioned with transportation, insufficient reforestation, and soil damage.

Yosan schrieb:

I don’t know of any outpatient care services here that are affiliated with a hospital. The ones I see operating are independent private companies, where I know that caregivers earn €16-17 gross per hour.
And where did I say that hospitals would represent only a small part? Please read more carefully.

To finally conclude the topic of low-paid caregivers: a new collective agreement has been established here today, based on the TVöD, and it is retroactive from January 1st, 2022. An entry-level registered nurse receives a starting salary of about €2,900 (without additional allowances). A nurse with 10 years of professional experience earns around €3,500. A nurse with a specialist qualification and 10 years of experience receives approximately €3,850. In addition, there is a transportation allowance worth €45 net per month. Of course, there are also additional allowances for night shifts, weekend shifts, and so on.

Fuchsbau35 schrieb:

I don’t want to judge anyone who wants to build a detached single-family house. However, this is probably no longer a future-proof concept. It’s worth being honest about that.

In my opinion, the best future-oriented concepts are attractive alternatives, regardless of whether they concern housing, mobility, nutrition, or other areas.
Specifically regarding the construction of single-family houses, I believe that if attractive alternatives existed, far fewer people would build them; perhaps only those for whom owning a house is a status symbol. My husband and I built only because there was no acceptable alternative.

Ysop*** schrieb:

Right above, you wrote that your husband didn’t want wooden ceilings. He probably could have done it well.
It was also a new build. Not that I’m any better. In the end, everyone only does what is within their own comfort zone. True sacrifice? I’m not so sure. If you don’t fly, you probably don’t really feel the need for long-distance travel, right? And you like your garden just the way it is 🙂

Who among us has actually given something up for the environment that they really wanted?

We don’t have a wooden ceiling because he doesn’t like it if it “moves” or “shakes.” I’ve seen this in my in-laws’ new build—either it’s poor workmanship there or I don’t know. Concrete just feels different.
We decided on a new build because we wanted a ventilation system—and we looked at several existing houses, which would have cost at least as much as a new build including all renovations, plus we still wouldn’t have gotten what we wanted. That made it a no-go financially.

Everything else is just assumptions on your part 🙂
But I have many places I’d like to visit, for example Canada. You could even sail there—if you have enough continuous vacation time...
We have a nature-focused garden because I like nature, yes. But I also like English-style lawns between flower beds. Still, I don’t have one because I’ve seen how much more wildlife a meadow supports.

Sacrificing for the environment?
I do that almost every time I choose to bike instead of drive, especially in winter. I’m incredibly lazy, and it almost always takes a mental effort to get on the bike. But I do it anyway.
Similarly, I’m quite a meat eater—it tastes good, it fills me up, and I find most vegetables terribly boring except for a few types. Yet, I eat significantly less meat than before, sometimes none at all, and yes, that means giving up my personal preferences.
Even more so, every vegetarian or vegan does this by completely giving up meat.
For example, I also no longer buy Nestlé products because they harm nature and exploit people. Unfortunately, I really like many of their ready-made foods. Well, that’s unfortunate for me.

So yes, there are many people who give things up for animal welfare and the environment.

Pinkiponk schrieb:

if there were attractive alternatives

We recently discussed the topic of multi-family houses with large gardens and a very good community, but where exactly was that again...? ;-)

Müllerin schrieb:

Everything else is just assumptions on your part 🙂

Of course 🙂 In my defense, I can only say that from your garden posts, I didn’t get the impression that you gave up something that was important to you. The air travel was a tricky point, that I was aware of. 🙂

To maybe put it a bit differently: My point was the following—everyone does what they can, and that would make sense. But I believe that’s not the case; rather, everyone gives up only what they are willing to give up. And those are, in my opinion, mostly things they consider bearable to give up. I wasn’t referring to you personally, and I hope you understood it that way.

For example, I can very well do without always having the newest smartphone. However, I would rather not give up having a smartphone at all. Sticking with the housebuilding topic: I don’t know anyone who would give up building a new detached house for environmental reasons if that has always been their dream and they have the opportunity and means to do so. Of course, one could say that my circle of acquaintances is limited, and that is certainly true. Still, I would simply claim that the number of people who would do that will be very, very small. Can one give it up? Certainly. Do they want to? Probably not. That was my point. Giving up something that really matters to a person.

That’s why I also believe that bans will be unavoidable if we want to reduce the number of future tornadoes or other extreme natural events.