Sustainability is such a hot topic at the minute, with growing awareness around climate change and the impact of our modern lifestyles on the planet.
Worldwide carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 50% since 1990, with emissions showing no signs of improvement. The oceans are warming and the ice caps melting, leading to flooding and loss of natural habitats... We hear this information again and again, so why aren’t things changing at the rate they should? Well.. There’s many factors for that..
MONEY. The age old tale... There’s not enough of it, and improvements in technology and using sustainable materials is generally more expensive.
Politics - lets be honest, there is a LOT going on in the world, and unfortunately, the environment often comes at the bottom of that list...
Attitudes.. If people don’t think it's a real problem, and don’t understand the extent of the damage, they have less motivation to do anything about it!
People don’t think it's ‘their’ problem - if it’s going on around the world, what difference will a single person make? Well, what if every person thought like that?
That final point is what this post is going to try and address, what can you - the ‘normal’ person, do? Well.. You might be surprised by just how little helps...
Try as much as possible to use sustainable and reusable materials - for example, reusable shopping bags, coffee cups and straws. These seem like really small changes, but the UK sent 221 MILLION TONNES of waste to landfill in 2016 alone.. Including items for which there are more sustainable versions! If we can all choose greener options, we can reduce the vast amounts of waste that end up in landfills each year
Choose more sustainable options... If people worldwide switched to using energy efficient lightbulbs, it would save $120 BILLION (USA dollars)!!!!! This also includes choosing energy suppliers which either partially or fully use renewable energy.
On a similar note, try to reduce your energy and water usage... We all roll our eyes when that annoying family member makes a huge deal about switching the light off, but these things can make a huge difference.. And don’t believe the myth that switching them back on takes more power - this isn’t true as long as the light is off for more than 5seconds!!
This may seem like an obvious one, but recycle, recycle, recycle, and CHECK what can and can’t be recycled in your area... This is a HUGE step to reducing the ridiculous amount of landfill waste year upon year.
Try to use alternatives to hopping in the car... We have become so reliant on them these days, and they are amazing, but there are alternatives! Consider walking the 10 minutes to the shops, or cycling to work.. Not only are they cheaper and often quicker, they are much better for the environment and your health!!
It is amazing that things are starting to improve, and it is the minor actions of those in society that are making this happen! 70% of UK packaging waste was recycled in 2017. Technology is also improving, electric cars are on the rise and more efficient energy solutions are improving too! In fact, the UK managed 67 days without using fossil fuels for energy earlier this year! Perhaps one of the few silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic.... But there is more than we can and should be doing.
This obviously isn’t an exhaustive post, and I am always open to more suggestions (I am by NO means perfect). But, I think the main thing to remember is that you CAN make a difference - small, everyday changes are instrumental in reducing climate change and improving our planet’s future!!
Thanks guys - stay safe, and try to make sustainable choices!!!
B x
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