Emmy
You might have read the IPCC paper yesterday or even just seen the headlines on the news but I think most of us can agree makes it very clear that we as species are playing a very big part in speeding climate change up. Reading the stats and seeing the graphs can seem quite daunting and indeed a bit scary but the best thing we can do is channel those feelings into action! It can be hard and overwhelming to know where to start and so here are the top ways I am planning to turn my feelings into action to help minimise climate change.
Lobby:
The gas and oil companies love to lobby our governments to swing things their way but you can do this too. You can find the contact details for your local MP here and drop them a message or give them a call with your thoughts. It’s important we get as much feedback in to our MPs as we can before COP26 which will be taking place this November in Glasgow.
Change banks:
Did you realise the money sitting in your bank account right now could be helping to fund the oil industry? (and the arms industry too!). I didn’t know this for a long time and was shocked when it was pointed out to me. Not all banks are equal and those rated the best by Ethical Consumer magazine are:
While you’re at it – check your pension:
Yup, your pension can be doing the same as your bank account. A quick research on google should let you know if you are with one of the good guys and if not, you have the option to move! You do not have to stay with them.
Green energy:
Switching to a green energy provider is much easier than you think. There are lots of options available especially if you live in the mainland UK. Why not check out Bulb, Octopus or Green Energy UK to get you started on your search to find your perfect green energy provider. In N.Ireland you can check out Bright.
Only buy what you need:
We have become such a consumer based society that “need” has become subjective. 90% of the items we own we likely do not actually need at all. I’m not saying we should all become a minimalist but you could deffo check out The Minimalists documentary on Netflix and The Story of Stuff over on YouTube for some learning on why we buy so much and how we can live with less.
Try for second hand first:
Clothes, household items or even toys, they can all be picked up second hand for a fraction of the price. Next time you really need something then my advice is to try and pick it up second hand first. Not only will this save an extra item being needlessly produced, it will also save you money. And should you be worried that people might think less of you for shopping second hand, I assure you they won’t. Chuck around the vintage world and folks will think you are super savvy and cool!
Stop wasting stuff:
This one was David Attenborough really.
“Stop waste. Stop waste of any kind. Stop wasting energy, stop wasting food, stop wasting plastic and stop wasting time. This is a precious world and each of us can use our actions and our voice to save our planet.” – David Attenborough
This one goes deep to be fair. It encompasses everything we do from making sure we reuse or recycle our waste, to turning off light switches, taps, having shorter showers and eating our food rather than wasting it. These are all seemingly small actions with little impact but when timesed by millions these things can lead to MASSIVE change.
I hope this list helps you see that there is hope to protect us from a worst case scenario when it comes to global warming. While I am obviously here to help you buy smarter and better with plastic free swaps, protecting our environment goes beyond buying swaps but that doesn’t mean the things we need to do are hard. Far from it, as you can see, many of the things above are very achieveable for most of us to implement into the actions we are taking and won’t cost us any money (it might even help save us money).
Feel free to drop me a message over on Instagram with any questions or information you think would be useful to share.
Emmy x
