On the 6th of October, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report outlining the planet’s future in the wake of global warming. The report drew results from more than 6000 scientific studies on the world’s climatic evolution, and it paints a grim picture of the climate change realities the world may soon face.
However, all hope is not yet lost. Along with petitioning for governmental action, there are many small changes we can make in our daily lives that will have a dramatic effect on our planet’s wellbeing. Every 1, an initiative of The Nature Conservancy have launched a 30-day challenge, wherein participants can adopt 1 of 4 environmentally-friendly habits for 30 days, in order to help make a difference. Below we’ve compiled a list of Every 1’s suggestions, and we’ve added a couple ideas of our own that include your backyard. So, put on your gardening gloves, hang up the car keys, and dive on in!
1. Eat less meat
Meat-free lifestyles are at the forefront of conversations surrounding sustainability – and for good reason. Every 1 has calculated that by eating just 1 meatless meal for 30 days, a single person saves 205, 966 tonnes of carbon. What’s more, with the known diseases you can get from eating meat, a growing number of people are now choosing to live a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. There are many great recipes available to help you make the change. There are also a number of healthy and delicious meat-like substitutes that can help fill the void in the meantime.
2. Car-free commutes
Another long-term staple of environmentally friendly living is car-free commuting. Whether that involves catching public transport; riding your bike; or even car-pooling, cutting back on the amount of time spent using your car can have an amazing impact on the Earth. Furthermore, many cities are upgrading their public transport networks, and cutting back on your driving means less money spent on petrol. The public transport ride to work is also a great time to relax and de-stress. Spend the commute reading, listening to music, or generally chilling out!
3. Take shorter showers
Cutting back on your showering time is another incredibly easy way to reduce the impact of climate change. Even shortening your showers by a minute or two is a start, as is turning off the water when washing your hair or shaving. Every 1 has calculated that taking a 5 minute shower every day for 30 days uses approximately 10,504,517.7 litres. Cutting down your 5 minute shower by even a minute would save 2,100,903.5 litres per month. Now imagine if every person in your city participated – billions of litres of water would be saved – helping to ensure water security for the future.
4. Cold clothes wash
It’s a little known fact that washing your clothes at hot temperatures requires five times more energy for your washing machine than cold washes do. Whilst hot water is needed to sanitize really dirty clothes, even running several cooler washes a week will save energy and money. Furthermore, line drying your clothes is another addition to your clothes-washing routine that utilises natural resources and saves a drastic amount of energy.
5. Grow your own food
A recent study in Landscape and Urban Planning sung the praises of gardening, and established it as an excellent way to reduce the emissions produced by your household every day. Not only will growing your own food save you money on your weekly shop, there are also many added health benefits to knowing where your food comes from, and from controlling the chemicals involved in growing it.
6. Get composting
Setting up a compost bin is one of the kindest things you can do for both your garden and the planet. Creating compost out of natural waste, such as food scraps, paper, or garden cut-offs, helps you to recycle natural items from around your home. Not only will composting help you to be more mindful of your food wastage, it also helps to reduce the amount of scraps that end up in landfill. The diversion of food waste helps to reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions as a result of rotting”, helping to create a less polluted planet.
Despite any apprehension you may have, it’s never too late to begin taking small steps to reduce your carbon footprint. It may seem difficult at first, but over time your effort will pay off. You’ll enjoy the benefits of a more sustainable lifestyle, whilst truly making a difference to the planet’s health.
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