Tamara Gingham takes on climate change – one step at a time
Now, I’m no eco warrior, I’ve got the central heating turned up high and my cosy jumper was imported from the Philippines. And until recently, I thought Extinction Rebellion was a heavy metal band.
But I know I ought to start to do more for our poor, beleaguered planet. Now I know what you’re thinking, what can ‘I’ as one individual do to help turn climate change around, it’s the government that needs to take control. For the most part you would be absolutely right, but I have started to explore this a little further.
If we all come together and change a few habits, it’s not going to hurt, in fact it’s going to do a lot of good. If individuals have all contributed to climate change in the first place, we can all do our little bit to try and stop it getting worse. Even if it’s just changing your shampoo to a more natural version, to reduce the plastic particles and chemicals from contaminating our seas.
We can take it one step at a time. There is a need for a little haste, and a little hurry, as the United Nations says there are only 11 years to prevent irreversible damage from climate change!
Don’t panic. Well maybe panic a little…. To make small changes isn’t as hard as you might think, it’s just knowing what changes to make and how. You didn’t ask, but I have come up with a few ideas to get you started. I won’t suggest recycling, as I know you do that already, and I’m sure you try to reuse bags for your shopping.
But do you have a reusable water bottle, or cup for hot drinks on the go? It’s a hard habit to get into, but eventually you can go weeks and months without buying a single plastic water bottle, or a throw away coffee cup.
Scrap the meal-deal, and prepare lunch at home with reusable Tupperware, buy loose fruit and vegetables, try to cut down on meat and animal products. Use your legs more, instead of jumping in the car, walk or cycle. Get rid of your car altogether, think of the money you’d save? According to the RAC most cars are parked up, unused, for 95% of the time. If that’s a step too far you could look at getting an electric car, a hybrid, or look into joining the Enterprise Car Club in Portsmouth, allowing you access to a car when you need it, even if it’s just for a quick trip to the shops.
Talking of shopping, start buying biodegradable products, such as dog litter bags and bin bags, even products that are made from bamboo as an alternative to single-use plastics such as bamboo earbuds or a toothbrush. And as we are in the bathroom, did you know that while the north of England is flooding, the rivers in southern England are drying up because we are extracting too much water from them for all those long hot showers?
Think before you buy, do I need it? Where is it sourced from? What is it made of?
Posted in: Articles, Environment