Extinction Rebellion made three major demands and on May 1 Parliament met one of these demands, declaring an environment and climate emergency. With recent reports of Venice flooding and Australia and California burning up in forest fires there’s no denying we truly are facing an emergency. Climate change is nothing new though and the science has been around for years, the politics just hasn’t been there to back it up. With role models like Greta Thunberg and whole generations showing out in force at protests, the politicians and corporations can no longer ignore the issue we are all facing.
When most people hear the words ‘climate change’ they immediately think of global warming, but it actually refers to the long-term alteration of established natural processes. Although the earth has faced global warming before, it has never been at this scale and there’s a range of other changes that also threaten the lives of humans and all other wildlife on the planet and all of these threats are a result of human activity. Climate change will exacerbate many natural processes, these can mean some countries will rise in temperature with more frequent droughts and fires, but at the same time, there’ll be increased rainfall and flooding. Natural disasters will increase in frequency and impact. Oceans will rise, and there will be more pollution on land, sea and air. With a range of other negative impacts, the security of all species on Earth will be threatened in terms of habitats, food and even just plain existence. Some countries will fare better than others, some will have increased growing seasons and the financial security to alleviate and prevent the impacts of climate change but that should not allow us to discard the problem as someone else’s responsibility. Overall climate change is an incredibly negative topic, it can be scary and heart-breaking and for a lot of people, it’s a whole lot easier to ignore it and think of it as some far-off problem for future generations. It’s true that we may not be around to see the worst of these impacts, especially for those of us living in the developed West but to save those future generations we need to act now. And it can be done!
Thirty years ago, the Montreal Protocol came into effect to stop the growth of a hole in the ozone layer. The Protocol has its successes and failures but overall it has succeeded, the hole has been reduced massively and we now use more sustainable substances. The planet still faces a number of issues particularly with greenhouse emissions which we release with all aspects of our life; with the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the way we travel to work, the products and energy we consume and so much more. Many of these issues require international political action to revolutionise regulations on countries and transnational corporations and that leaves a lot of people feeling as though there isn’t much they can do. Along with the fear and anxiety that climate change can cause, this feeling of helplessness often leads to blissful ignorance. But not all hope is lost and there is so much that you can do as an individual to start making a change and hopefully as people change their values, politics and economics will have to follow suit and we will all achieve effective action to prevent and reverse further climate change.
So, what can you do?
Shopping: the best thing you can do is to stop! There are a lot of products that can help you be more sustainable and most of them are alternatives to plastic. Keep reading Farid to find out helpful products that are ethical and environmentally friendly. Sustainable consumerism is all well and good but the best method is just not to buy. Don’t buy a new metal lunchbox to take your lunch to work or class if you still have old tupperware lying around. Fast fashion is also a major contributor to climate change with the textile industry emitting more carbon dioxide than aviation and shipping combined. Try to buy second-hand or from ethical brands but most of all try to buy as little as possible. Maybe for Christmas, ask for experiences and vouchers or charity donations so that you don’t end up with things you don’t need or want. And when it comes to buying for others, give them the same or make your own gifts. Try support local and/or sustainable businesses.
Change your diet: Most people have heard by now that vegan diets are more environmentally friendly, and more and more restaurants and cafes are offering vegan options to appeal to this. Vegans can reduce their carbon footprint by 85% compared to meat-eaters and eating organically can help reduce the volume of herbicides and chemicals in the soil. Try to buy unpackaged foods, or bulk products or visit stores like Waitrose or Food Loose in Cheltenham where you can bring your own containers. This helps to alleviate food waste and plastic packaging. Meal prepping is also a good way to go for busy people and helps to reduce food waste which is also a significant contributor to climate change when it goes to landfill and releases methane. Contact your council about composting or set up one for your garden at home, you’d be surprised what can go into them like old hair, burnt out matches and clumps of dust.
Recycling and compost:
Also, get in contact about recycling bins and see what you can recycle to reduce the amount of waste in landfill. Lots of products that can’t be recycled can be terra-cycled like crisp packets and chocolate bar wrappers so find out if there are any collection centres near you.
Travel: Take a bike ride or a walk when you can, leaving the car behind can be good for your health as well as the environment and there are always alternatives like the bus or train if it’s raining and miserable outside. Try car-pooling or running errands altogether so that you don’t need to drive as frequently. Cars aren’t the only kind of damaging transport though and the commercialisation of air travel has had a terrible effect on annual carbon emissions. Try to reduce your travelling, fly shorter distances or really make long-distance travel worth it. Living in Europe means it’s easy to reach a lot of countries by ship or train which are much more environmentally friendly.
Energy: Switch off the lights and appliances and put on a jumper rather than turning up the heating. Get your energy from an efficient provider and when your bulbs or other appliances break, replace them with more efficient alternatives.
Politics: UK elections are coming up and this is the best time to use your voice to help the environment. Vote for parties that are likely to get a majority and still prioritise the environment. Outside of elections, engage in politics by discussing these issues with friends and family, attend protests and sign petitions or donate to charities that aid the environment and wildlife.
These are just a small number of ways you can help the environment every day. Some may seem easier than others but remember you only have to do as much as you can. You may not be able to take the aeroplane pledge or go fully vegan but that doesn’t mean that every now and then you can take a train rather than a plane or use tofu rather than chicken. Just going vegetarian or drinking dairy free milks or only being vegan a couple meals a week is still more helpful than not making any changes. These may not seem like big changes but every little counts and being open to change will help the politicians and industries be open to change as well. These problems don’t require a handful of people doing everything perfectly, but rather every person doing as much as possible.
Another key way to help is to learn as much as you can and share that information with others!
There’s a whole range of information out there for you to learn to take an extra step to help the environment but still think about the way you consume if you want to read it from books. Try to buy books second-hand, borrow them from the library or read them through a kindle or tablet. Then pass them onto your friends to help raise awareness and get more use out of a product. Emails are great too, with many sites offering news on the climate, environment, scientific breakthroughs and tips for living more sustainably. A little-known fact though is that they all carry a carbon footprint so clear your inbox and try to unsubscribe to all those emails you just delete each week. Here are a couple of resources to get you started:
Books to read:
There Is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years by Mike Berners-Lee
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein
This Is Not A Drill: An Extinction Rebellion Handbook by Extinction Rebellion
Wild Hope: On the Front Lines of Conservation Success by Andrew Balmford
What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?: How Money Really Does Grow On Trees by Tony Juniper
No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
Subscribe to emails:
The Download from MIT Technology Review
Nature Briefing
Pela Case’s Sustainable Saturday
New York Times Climate Forward
Documentaries:
A Plastic Ocean (Netflix)
50 Minutes to Save the World (YouTube)
What the Health (Netflix)
Cowspiracy (Netflix)
Terra (Netflix)
Racing Extinction (dailymotion)
Mission Blue (Netflix)
An Inconvenient Truth (Prime Video)
Before the Flood (Netflix)
Chasing Coral (Netflix)
Blue (Netflix)
