Why are we not doing anything? A question that sends alarm bells ringing in my head any time I think of it. We know what is coming and yet continue do consume and act the same way. We are more than likely headed for more than 4°C warming. Possibly even 6°C. The way I see it, the world will simply not be liveable, sea level rise, extreme weather events, methane release from arctic permafrost… you’ve heard it all before.
Is it bad timing? We’re only really getting back on our feet from the global crash in 2007. Or maybe it’s due to the difficulty on getting governments to agree on anything? Perhaps the lack of technological solutions? Laziness? Ignorance? An attitude of ‘We’ve blown it anyway.. enjoy the ride!’
Nope. Capitalism and the need to keep the 1% where they are.
Rather than get into that, let’s skip to the positive part. What can you do?
‘Meat-Free Mondays’. This isn’t about you joining a cult with ‘them vegans’ and hugging a tree. This is about you saving the planet – so leave the meat one day a week. Even switching one meal a week would make a significant impact. If cattle had their own country, they would be the world's third largest emitter of GHG, after China and USA.
Fly less. As someone who loves travel, this is by far the hardest one to cut down, but unfortunately one of the most important. Planes run on fossil fuels… simples!
Have a skim of “How bad are bananas?” by Mike Berners-Lee (2010) to check the carbon footprint of your daily actions. For example, did you know you are responsible for half the co2 emissions when you use a paper towel to dry your hands as opposed to a standard electric drier? Such a small swap and such a huge difference.
The most important is being aware. Are you really going to keep that dress from Asos or are you going to send it back? Should you choose that plastic bag of apples or the loose apples beside them? Could you take the train to work instead of the car sometimes? Think of the impact.
