The discussion of climate change is everywhere! From news headlines to social media chatter, it’s a hot topic that keeps coming back.
We all know we’re facing the climate crisis, but understanding it is one thing; tackling it is another.
While many of us recycle to combat climate change, there’s more to be done. To truly make a positive impact, we need actions beyond just sorting our waste.
Expanding our understanding of how climate change impacts every aspect of our lives is key to motivating us to take immediate action.
In this post, I’ll show you just that. Then, we’ll dive into 17 simple actions we can take now to make a real difference.
Air Pollution: A Silent Threat to Our Lifeline
What’s that one thing we can’t see but can’t survive without for more than three minutes? It’s air. Humans, animals, plants – all living things depend on it.
Most air pollution springs from our energy habits. Activities like driving, flying, and factories burning fossil fuels contribute significantly.
The issue has been around for ages but worsened in the late 18th century, the period when the Industrial Revolution gained momentum.
Efforts to control air pollution did begin in the early 20th century but only gained global attention and coordinated efforts around the 1960s and 1970s.
Surprisingly, today, many countries still fall short of the air quality guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO guidelines provide recommended levels for various air pollutants to protect public health.
Air pollution isn’t just about making the air less clean; it directly harms our health, especially impacting vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.
Climate experts and doctors agree that climate change, air quality, and health are interconnected. Living healthily is not only about diet and exercise; we need high-quality air to breathe.
Improving air quality requires cutting down carbon emissions, and pollution sources vary by country or region. In the UK, transportation, including driving and flying, is a significant contributor.
Meanwhile, in less developed countries, the way people cook, often using solid fuels like wood, charcoal, or coal, contributes to air pollution.
So, the solution lies in understanding these sources and taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint for cleaner, healthier air.
Taking Steps for Cleaner Air
The major contributors to air pollution in most developed countries are transportation and home energy use. To combat this issue, consider the following actions:
Drive less
Vehicles release a significant amount of CO2, contributing to air pollution.
Minimize car journeys whenever possible and opt for eco-friendly alternatives like cycling, walking, or public transportation. If you commute to work, explore carpooling options.
Mark your calendar for World Car Free Day on September 22nd, and consider organising similar events in your local community regularly, perhaps once every two months.
Fly less
Surprisingly, only around 20% of the world’s population has flown.
If you’ve flown before, cutting back on air travel, especially for leisure, is a positive step, considering the majority of the global population never travels by air.
Reducing air travel is crucial because flying has an intensive carbon footprint.
If eliminating air travel isn’t feasible and driving isn’t an option, choose direct flights, pack light, and opt for economy class to minimize your flight’s environmental impact.
Look after your stove or open fires at home
Properly installed and professionally maintained stoves and open fires can significantly reduce local air pollution.
Burn only the right fuels and ensure regular checks and cleaning. Avoid burning rubbish or leaves in your garden, as solid burning in the open air contributes to air pollution.
Your conscious efforts at home contribute to cleaner air in your community.
Water: The Shrinking Lifeline
What else can’t we survive without, just like air? It’s water – a vital resource not only for humans but for all living creatures, including plants!
Consider this: while two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, only a mere 3% of it is freshwater. This limited freshwater is essential for our survival and the sustainability of ecosystems.
However, as climate change intensifies, bringing more frequent extreme weather events and rising temperatures, our freshwater supply is diminishing, posing greater risks to human health.
The importance of water extends beyond mere survival; it’s crucial for agriculture, the lifeline of our food production. Yet, the startling figures below reveal the enormous water footprint of our daily consumption.
- Growing a kilogram of chicken requires 3,900 litres of water.
- Producing a kilogram of steak demands a staggering 15,500 litres.
And it’s not just about food – our clothing and everyday items have significant water footprints, too:
- Crafting a T-shirt consumes 2,700 litres of water, covering everything from cotton growth to fabric dyeing.
- The production of a pair of jeans can require as much as 7,500 litres.
- Even a single sheet of A4 paper utilizes 10 litres of water in its manufacturing process.
Unfortunately, water pollution compounds these challenges. Mining, industrial discharges, and agricultural runoff contribute to the contamination of our precious water sources, posing further threats to both human and environmental well-being.
Easy Steps to Preserve Our Water
Imagine a world where we might run out of fresh water. It could happen if we don’t act to save water now. Luckily, each of us can do a little something to use less water.
Turn the tap off
Did you know that 1 in 3 people worldwide doesn’t have safe drinking water? So, even though we have water at home, we shouldn’t waste it.
Turn off the tap while you soap your hands or brush your teeth. Don’t let good, clean water go down the drain.
Recycle and reuse water
Be clever with water. Save the water you use to wash your veggies and use it for your plants. When you wash your hands, save that water to flush the toilet.
It might seem a bit bothersome but think about people who don’t have clean water. We should appreciate that we have fresh water and the chance to save it for others and our future.
Shower less
If you don’t sweat a lot and mainly work from home, you don’t need to shower every day, especially in winter.
I don’t shower every day, and experts say it’s better for our skin. Plus, fewer showers mean less laundry!
Think before you buy
Everything we buy uses water, not just energy.
Buying less stuff helps save water. Eating less meat, especially red meat, is also a crucial action for saving water.
So, before you buy something, think about how it might affect our water. It’s a small thing we can do to keep more water for everyone.
Plastic: Choking Our Planet and Marine Life
Did you know that every second, 160,000 plastic bags are handed out worldwide? By the time you finish reading this sentence, another half a million bags will be in use.
Plastic is handy for many things, but there’s a big problem: it doesn‘t go away!
Around 5 million tons of plastic waste find their way into the seas and oceans every year. To put it simply, that’s like a full lorry load of plastic entering the water every single minute!
Plastics not only mess up our environment, but they also harm sea creatures like turtles and whales.
These animals can’t tell the difference between a plastic bag and their food, like jellyfish. So, they eat the bag, and it stays in their stomachs, eventually causing them to die.
Plastics are everywhere, even in things like toothpaste, shampoos, sunscreen and most cosmetic products. The plastics in these products are often called ‘microbeads‘—tiny plastics that usually end up in the sink, get washed away, and flow into drains.
Sadly, most water filter systems can’t catch these tiny particles. As a result, they end up in rivers, seas, and oceans, harming marine creatures and even making their way into our drinking water, including bottled water.
Plastic isn’t limited to packaging or personal care products. It’s also used in our clothes, from swimsuits to sweaters. Shockingly, at least 60% of our clothes are made of plastic.
When we toss these clothes in the washing machines, tiny plastic fibres—microfibers—get released and end up polluting our water systems. The impact of plastic extends far beyond what we might see on the surface.
Reducing Our Reliance on Plastics
It’s quite a challenge to picture life without plastics. Just glance around you – your watch, mobile phone, and the clothes you’re wearing probably contain some form of plastic.
However, using plastic doesn’t mean we’re doing something bad. In certain situations, plastic might even be a better option than its alternatives, like keeping food fresh for a longer time.
Use less single-use plastics
Make the most of the plastic bags you already have at home when shopping. Whether it’s your grocery bag or cereal bag, bring them along for your shopping.
Say no to new plastic bags, no matter how small, and use what you already have. Reusing what’s already there is a key step.
Buy fewer prepacked products
When you need to purchase items for personal use or gifting, opt for products with minimal or no packaging.
Reduce your reliance on prepacked goods that often involve plastic, such as ready meals, bottled water, takeaway coffee or wrapping paper.
Additionally, explore alternatives made from eco-friendly materials or consider buying secondhand.
By making thoughtful choices, you not only contribute to the reduction of plastic waste but also support a more sustainable and eco-conscious lifestyle.
Throw away trash right & avoid wishcycling
Never throw your garbage on the street because it can cause problems in our water and oceans.
Small pieces of plastic from wrongly thrown trash might end up in our drinking water and hurt sea creatures.
Properly disposing of your trash might seem like a small thing, but it helps keep our environment safe.
Recycling is good, but it’s crucial to be wise about it. Only recycle items your local recycling program accepts.
Don’t wishcycle by putting things in the recycle bin, hoping they’ll get recycled. This can sometimes create more problems than it solves.
Look for the ‘zero plastic inside’ logo
When you’re shopping for toothpaste, shampoo, or cosmetic products, keep an eye out for the ‘Zero Plastic Inside‘ logo.
It indicates the product is free from microbeads or other harmful plastic particles. Choosing products with this logo contributes to less plastic pollution in our water systems.
Food Security and Climate Change: A Delicate Balance
Climate change poses a global threat to food security. Extreme weather events, shifting growing seasons, and unpredictable conditions can harm crops, affecting the availability and affordability of food.
This imbalance puts vulnerable communities at risk of hunger and malnutrition.
The production of meat, especially red and processed meats, significantly contributes to climate change. Livestock farming releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
Additionally, clearing land for grazing and animal feed leads to deforestation, intensifying environmental impacts.
Choosing more plant-based options or reducing meat intake can help combat climate change.
Besides the impact of our food choices, food waste silently worsens the climate crisis. Globally, around one-third of all food produced is turned into rubbish.
When we waste food, we waste the resources used to produce it – water, energy, and land.
Decomposing food in landfills produces harmful greenhouse gases, too. Minimizing food waste is not just about saving food; it’s about preserving resources and reducing emissions.
Simple Steps for a Climate-Friendly Plate
Understanding the impact of our food choices allows us to make informed decisions that benefit both ourselves and the environment.
Choose plant-based options
Incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet. This not only reduces your carbon footprint but also promotes a healthier lifestyle.
Consider having meatless Mondays or viewing eating meat as a treat, not an everyday occurrence.
Mindful consumption
Plan meals, buy only what you plan to cook, use leftovers creatively, and be aware of expiration dates. Small changes in daily habits can make a big difference in reducing food waste.
Support sustainable practices
Choose products from companies and farmers committed to sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, such as organic farming.
By supporting sustainable agriculture, you contribute to a healthier planet.
Over-consumption and Landfills: Tackling the Waste Dilemma
Our modern way of life often involves buying way too much stuff, and all that excess stuff ends up creating a massive pile of garbage in landfills.
This habit not only uses up a lot of important resources but also plays a big role in messing up the environment and causing climate change.
Think about everything you own – no matter how cheap or small, each has a cost to the environment!
The ads we see all the time make us want the newest things and stuff we might only use once. This constant cycle of buying and throwing away things, from trendy clothes to the latest gadgets, is causing big problems.
But here’s the truth: buying more stuff doesn’t actually make us happier. The excitement of getting something new fades quickly, and we realize we didn’t need it as much as we thought.
Landfills, often the final destination for our discarded items, pose serious environmental challenges.
Decomposing waste in landfills produces methane that accelerates climate change. Furthermore, landfills contribute to soil and water pollution, harming ecosystems and wildlife.
Strategies for Responsible Consumption
Understanding the problems of over-consumption helps us make better choices. We can reduce our impact on the environment, fight climate change, and build a more sustainable future.
Mindful purchasing
Before buying new items, ask yourself if you really need them. Choose long-lasting, quality products over disposable ones. Pick items made from sustainable materials.
Adapt the 5Rs of waste management
Follow the idea of the 5Rs, namely refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle. Cut down on waste by buying only what you truly need, reusing and repurposing things as much as possible, and recycling properly according to local recycling guidelines.
Support circular economy
Encourage a circular economy where products are designed to be reused or recycled. Consider buying secondhand items to reduce the constant cycle of production and disposal.
Final Thoughts: Understanding the Bigger Picture
When we talk about climate change, it’s easy to limit our thoughts to shifting weather patterns.
However, its impact extends far beyond that – touching the air we breathe, the food we consume, the animals we nurture, and our everyday existence.
The climate and the environment craft a delicate ecosystem. We, as humans, are intertwined within this system, relying on its harmony just as it leans on us.
What affects the environment ripples back to us.
Wealth loses its significance if clean air, pure water, and fertile land are absent. Money can’t secure essentials without a healthy environment.
So, let’s remember, taking care of the Earth isn’t just for nature – it’s for all of us, rich or not. We need clean air, water, and good soil to grow the food we enjoy.
It’s a team effort to keep our planet healthy because, in the end, we’re all in this together.