The climate crisis continues to worsen every day. This week, we finally tackle the big question: what can WE do to help the environment?
We know why governments and businesses aren’t doing more to help the Earth, but why aren’t we, as individuals, doing anything either? The answer to this problem will very much depend on the person. Some of us have other things to worry about, like work and family, others might feel that climate change doesn’t affect them. Some of us might want to do something about the problem but feel helpless to do anything. It is a global crisis, after all - what could one person possibly do? As it turns out, a lot. Anyone can become an environmental activist, and here are 7 simple and practical things you can do to make a big impact on the climate movement.
If you’re not using it, turn it off This one might seem pretty obvious, but it makes a huge difference. Leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth can waste up to 6 litres per minute - assuming you brush your teeth for the recommended 2 minutes twice a day, that’s 8760 litres of water wasted a year. Your lights are another unsuspecting contributor to emissions… and your electricity bill! The old incandescent light bulbs already waste 90% of its energy as heat, and leaving them on for an extra 8 hours a day can cost you up to $900 a year! If you haven’t already, consider switching to LED lights, which use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer.
Travel greener If you’re able to, walking or cycling instead of driving is a great way to reduce your emissions. Not only is it good for the environment, it’s also good for your health. Alternatively, you can also opt for public transport. For flights, the amount of CO2 emitted per flight remains unchanged. Emissions per person, however, can change. This means that the more people on a flight, the less CO2 each passenger emits - keep this in mind when booking your flights. You can also consider staying longer at your destinations and flying less frequently.
Eat greener… literally Not only are vegetables great for your health, they also have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than meat and processed foods. The carbon footprint of a vegetarian is roughly half the size of that of a meat-lover’s. This doesn’t mean you have to completely give up eating meat, though; even eating one meat-free meal a week or generally reducing your meat consumption can add up to put a dent in your annual emissions.
Compost Investing in a composting bin can go a long way. Just throw your food scraps in and wait, and soon you’ll find yourself with some great organic fertiliser that your plants will love. If you’ve got a green thumb, you could even try growing your own vegetables!
Choose your clothes The fashion industry is one of the biggest contributors to global emissions - with the ongoing fast-fashion trends, massive amounts of water, fabric and energy are used each year to produce cheap clothes that will likely only be worn a few times before being thrown out. When shopping for clothes, opt for timeless pieces that will never go out of style. You can also support brands that manufacture their clothes sustainably and invest a little more for quality items that will last you a long time.
Reduce, reuse, recycle This one might sound really cliché, but it’s true. Following the 3 R’s is one of the best ways to minimise waste.
Reduce the amount of waste you produce in the first place by doing something as simple as bringing your own reusable shopping bags and coffee cups and only buying what you need - if you keep forgetting to bring your reusable bags, try leaving them somewhere you’ll notice them, like by your front door
Reuse what you have and try to repair or repurpose damaged items if you can, or consider donating to charity
Whenever possible, opt for products that have been made from recycled or sustainably sourced materials and properly sort and dispose of your waste
Make it trend Social media is a powerful tool. The only difference with the climate crisis and other social media trends is that it won’t end if it “falls out of trend”. So let’s help keep it circulating on the internet!
We often underestimate ourselves and our ability to make an impact. But we are actually one of the best chances of solving the climate crisis. The EcoClimate Society believes that collective individual action is the real key to solving the climate crisis. If everybody does their own small part, their individual actions will accumulate to form a network of action that eventually reaches a global scale. This will pressure the governments and businesses to acknowledge our demands and bring about change.
And remember, everyone is different - these are just some ideas to get you started. We can only do what we can, as much as we can. But also remember that every contribution counts, no matter how small. We have the power to drive the change that our planet needs. We can still turn the climate crisis around, but we’re running out of time. Let’s take action today.
Credits:
Image - The Independent
Information - Water UK, Saveonenergy, energy.gov, Greeneatz, Conserve Energy Future
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