Today’s post is by Timothy River. As ever with our blogs, the views expressed are not necessarily shared by NAEE.
Tackling the climate crisis is a shared responsibility. Rather than accepting it as a foregone conclusion, we should be coming together and doing what we can to reduce the impact of global warming. It might feel overwhelming and like too big of a problem to tackle, but even small changes can make a big difference – with some 8 billion people on the planet, if we all took action, it would soon add up. Here are four things for you to do in your daily life to help manage climate change.
Buy less
With so many options available to us in every aspect of our lives – from clothes to skincare – it’s easy to get swept up in buying more and more things. Marketing is designed to make us feel like we need a new item, especially when it comes to fashion. But all of these items have a carbon footprint, and so the more you collect, the bigger your impact becomes. By buying less, you’re ensuring you get the most of the things you already own, spreading the carbon cost across a longer period of time.
Consider your diet
There’s a lot of conversation about going vegan or vegetarian to save the planet. Expert research shows that eating more fruits and vegetables lowers your carbon impact, with a vegetarian diet cutting 500 kg of CO2e per year. However, that doesn’t have to mean going fully plant based. You can simply only eat meat a few times a week, and this will still have a big impact. Additionally, eating food that is grown locally and seasonally will also help reduce your carbon footprint, as it won’t have to travel as far or be grown under artificial conditions.
Change your energy supplier
Do you know that your choice of energy supplier can impact the overall mix of energy in the national grid? Because there is no way to send green energy directly from the supplier to your home, the energy goes into a collective pool, and then out to properties from there. So, if you choose a renewable energy company, they’ll put renewable units into the mix, boosting the amount of green energy in distribution. It can feel a bit pointless when you understand that your home won’t necessarily therefore be powered by solar, wind or hydro, but you’re still making a difference. The more demand for green there is, the more companies will be forced to invest in wind farms and other renewable infrastructure. You don’t necessarily have to switch suppliers either, although that may be best – you can simply move onto a green tariff if your current utility company offers one.
Reduce food waste
This final tip is good for both the planet and your pocket. Throwing away food wastes money, but it is also responsible for a huge amount of carbon emissions per year – approximately 8-10% of total emissions globally. This is because as the food rots in landfill, it produces methane, which is a greenhouse gas. To cut your food waste, try meal planning, and then only buy what you need based on this. Supermarkets fill shelves based on demand, so if we all bought a little less, the shops will eventually adjust accordingly.
Go greener today
There’s no time like the present, and taking action today can start to have a positive benefit right away. Whilst there is a lot to be done to fight climate change, with governments and companies also needing to play their part, but you can do good in the elements that you control. After all, a better planet benefits all of us.
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Timothy River can be contacted at timothyriver.consulting@gmail.com