It can feel quite hopeless when you look at the destruction we have inflicted on the Earth, but if everyone made some simple changes to the way they live their lives, it would make all the difference in the world. I've made a little list of some of the ways we can all help, most of them small, a couple of them big. I appreciate that for some people, a few of these might not be changes they can make and that is completely fine. If everyone did what they can to combat climate change, that would help. The smallest changes can make the biggest difference.
Eat more plants.
Yeah I know I'm probably gonna get the anti-vegan arseholes jumping on this one but the simple fact of the matter is that animal agriculture is responsible for more co2 emissions and deforestation than any other industry in the world. Globally, animal agriculture produces more greenhouse gasses than all the world's transport systems combined. More than 90 per cent of the Amazon rain forest that’s been cleared since 1970 is used for meat production. Given that we rely on the Amazon for a very large amount of the oxygen we breathe, not to mention water, it seems pretty stupid to be destroying it so more people can enjoy a cheeseburger. Fish is no better - There's been a lot of focus on plastic pollution in our oceans (more on that later) but over-fishing is doing just as much if not more damage than our plastic habit is. As David Attenborough states in Our Planet, fish populations are at a tipping point and some global fishing pools have completely collapsed. Deep-sea fishing nets also destroy marine ecosystems like coral reefs (again, we rely on those for a LOT of the oxygen we breathe), not to mention other marine animals are usually caught up in those nets and drown. Over-fishing is also massively impacting other animals that need those fish stocks in order to survive.
It took me a long time to accept those facts; I always thought as long as I was recycling and doing my bit for the planet, I could get away with eating meat. There's absolutely no reason why I can't cut it out of my diet. I do suffer a little bit with being anaemic and that was always a reason for me to keep eating red meat (the worst offender for co2 emissions) but after actually looking at what I eat, I realised I hardly ever eat red meat nowadays anyway. So why not go vegetarian?
I do understand that veganism isn't for everyone, whether that's down to food intolerances or financial situations. But even reducing the amount of meat we consume will have a positive effect. I don't think going fully vegan is necessarily an option for me, but it is something I'd eventually like to aim for. I've massively cut down on the amount of dairy I consume (if anyone has any suggestions for vegan cheese that actually tastes like cheese I'd very much appreciate them cos ya girl needs her cheddar) and I do try and look for as many alternatives as I can. If nothing else, this is probably the most important change people can make to reduce their carbon footprint.
Walk more, fly less.
Or use public transport. I do realise that for some people a car is an absolute necessity to get around, but for those of us who live in areas with good public transport systems or where things are within a walkable distance like in the cities, there's really no need for a car. In Birmingham alone, it's estimated that 75% of the children living here are breathing unclean air. That's unhealthy for anyone, let alone those who suffer from asthma and other respiratory problems. I legit couldn't imagine having a car in Birmingham; not only is it mega busy on all of the roads but people also drive like fucking idiots here. Same for London, I can't get my head around driving there. For those people who do use cars, can we maybe cut it out with the massive Land Rovers that churn out masses of emissions and probably never see so much as a field in their lifetime? I get that they look good on Insta, but let's face it, they do so much harm to the planet. It can also be a LOT cheaper to travel by public transport than use a car. My car back home usually costs me around £30-£40 for a full tank of fuel. I use it to get to work and I usually have to fill up around twice a month if I'm working 5 days a week, and that's not even factoring in any car park costs I might need. Whereas my bus pass in Brum costs me £40 for a month.
Flying is also another big one. Again, for some people, regular flights are an important part of their jobs etc. but does the average person really need to be flying abroad 2 or 3 times a year? Short answer: no. Not at the expense of our planet in any case. Maybe instead, look into a holiday here. Not only is it better for the environment, but it also means more income from tourism for this country. Or, if you do want a holiday abroad, look into alternative travel that doesn't require a flight.
Buy less stuff!
Fast fashion is another big contributor to global co2 emissions and water pollution (not to mention those cheap brands we all love massively exploit their factory workers in order to line their own pockets. I'm looking at you Primark). Most high-street brands produce their clothing on a mass scale, and the products that aren't sold will usually end up in a landfill. Using huge amounts of synthetic textiles like polyester creates loads of pollution during production and a lot of the dyes companies use are incredibly toxic and more often than not end up in our waterways, polluting our drinking water and killing wildlife.
Mass consumerism has only been getting worse in the last 50 years. Our grandparents got at least one thing right - make do and mend! So many products that we buy on a regular basis are actually made to break after 6 months of use (sometimes less than that) so that we need to buy more to replace the things that are breaking. You only need to look at iPhones to see how true this is - each new update is specifically designed to make older models slower, so you'll chuck your old phone that realistically could have lasted you years, in favour of the newest model. We're also bombarded with adverts on an almost hourly basis that make us feel like shit for not having the latest fashion or technology. Because in this capitalist world, your only worth is measured by how much crap you can buy. And the only people that benefits are the big guys at the top of these companies.
So what can you do? Well, for one thing, you don't need a new outfit every time you step out of the house. How many times have you bought something, worn it a couple of times and then binned it? I know I'm guilty of that. You don't NEED to have new clothes every 5 minutes if the ones you've got still fit and are in good condition. If you do need to buy new clothes, look at where your money is going - I'd really recommend downloading the Good On You app. You can search for a brand or browse by categories and each store on the app will have a rating based on its environmental, labour and animal policies. A lot of brands with better ratings do tend to be more expensive, but if you can afford those prices then why not shop with them and put your money towards a company that cares about the planet? Don't be fooled by fast fashion companies who are suddenly bringing out "conscious" or "sustainable" ranges *ahem* H&M. Whacking a few banana leaves and recycled plastic into your clothing is not good enough when they're still mass produced using methods that harm the environment. (I'm not saying don't buy from those collections because if brands can see that's where people want to put their money, they might make some more permanent changes - just don't be fooled into thinking they're as green as they're made out to be). Charity shops and second-hand stores are also another great way of ensuring we're not over-producing on clothing. Not only does it save you money, but it also supports a good cause too!
When it comes to disposing of clothing, check if what you want to get rid of is something that could be made into something new! Ask your friends if they want any old clothes, sell them on eBay, donate them to charity or at the very least recycle them!
Ditch the plastic!!!
For the love of God, there are so many better alternatives that we don't need this anymore. Honestly I'm sick of not being able to move for plastic-wrapped food whenever I go grocery shopping. I've been making a conscious effort to really reduce the amount of plastic I'm using everyday, so I've made a little list of easy swaps that are actually often cheaper in the long-run:
- Plastic bottles - reusable water bottle. You can buy these literally everywhere now. I'd also really recommend getting the Refill app - it tells you locations in your area where you can go and refill your bottle for free. Good for the environment and you're getting that h2O!
- Plastic straws - reusable metal or bamboo straws. Again, loads of places sell these. I keep a metal straw in my bag whenever I'm out and about and always ask for them not to use plastic straws in my drink if I'm eating out.
- Plastic cutlery - either bring your own or invest in a reusable bamboo set.
- Tampons - period waste is a huge contributor to plastic pollution unfortunately. A menstrual cup is probably the most cost-effective alternative, or if that's not an option, go for non-applicator or cardboard applicator tampons. Most brands also use plastic and other synthetic fibres in their tampons. (I think it speaks VOLUMES that companies would rather risk the health of anyone with a uterus by using cheap nasties just to make a profit) Organic cotton tampons and liners are a great alternative, they're better for your body and for the environment. I've not seen any in stores yet, but I've found a brand online called TOTM who produce natural, organic cotton period products. They're more expensive than regular brands, but again if you can afford it, it's much better!
- Toilet roll - not really a plastic swap, but if you can get hold of recycled paper it's much better for the environment. Regular toilet paper wipes out 27,000 trees a day. Most recycled paper I've seen also comes in paper packaging rather than plastic too.
- Makeup wipes - reusable cotton pads. Again you can get these fairly cheap online and it's much more cost effective than regular wipes. If they're no good, YesTo make biodegradable wipes that break down better than the regular kind, though they still come wrapped in plastic.
- Plastic toothbrushes - bamboo toothbrushes.
- Deodorant - look for deodorants that come in glass jars or cardboard tubes. I use a website called Peace With The Wild for most of my plastic-free toiletries and they have a fantastic range!
- Shampoo/conditioner - solid bars that don't come in plastic. Lush are fantastic for these and even the plastic they do use is recycled and they have a bring-back scheme.
- Carrier bags - cotton tote bags. Or just use one of the 10,000 you've got hiding under your sink. (We've all got them)
- Clingfilm - reusable beeswax wraps, or Tupperware!
These are just a few of the swaps I've made recently and so far they've all been pretty successful. The hardest thing I've found with reducing plastic has definitely been when I go food shopping. I'm very lucky to have a zero-waste store in Birmingham and I've been trying to get as many groceries as possible from them. Loose fruit and veg from a local market can also be much cheaper than the pre-packaged produce in supermarkets.
Use your voice!
All of the above is irrelevant if governments and big corporations aren't getting the message that we need drastic change and we need it now! Vote in politicians that have solid environmental policies, sign petitions, go to protests, tell big companies we won't stand for them polluting our world! They have the money and the resources to make real change and it needs to be down to them to ensure the products we buy as consumers are made in eco-friendly ways and don't just benefit those who get the highest pay packet.
In this capitalist world, money speaks. If brands and governments can see that people are willing to put their money towards helping our environment then maybe they might start taking climate change seriously.
We have one planet. We have one opportunity to make sure we look after it.
Comments
Post a Comment