We all want to do our bit to change the world and to help mitigate the effects of the climate emergency when at all possible. There are big things you can do, like getting involved in climate activism or even getting involved in politics like the inspiring young people we thought about a few months ago.
There are also plenty of smaller-scale changes you can make that can really make a difference too. Let’s take a look at a few ideas for changes we can all make today to make things just a bit better.
1) Think about your eating habits.
Plan three meals for four days and use your leftovers to make the fourth meal. Try making your diet more plant-based and make the most of the veg you eat by trying “root to stem” cooking. Find recipes that include the parts of a vegetable that are good to eat but are often discarded. And did you know there are a lot of plants you can grow from veg scraps? Read more about that here.
2) Make changes to your driving habits.
We all know it is best to walk or take public transport but that’s not always possible. By changing how you drive you can cut down harmful emissions and ensure you get the most miles possible out of the fuel that you’re burning. Adding a liquid fuel catalyst reduces emissions. And it’s worth thinking about speed. A car travelling at 60mph uses on average 10% less fuel than a car driving at 70mph. Think that will add a lot of time to your journey? On average that will add two minutes to your journey time. And if you can change your schedule so that you can car-share that can really help too.
3) Look out for really easy ways to donate
Have you heard about Ecosia? It’s a search engine that invests advertising revenue into projects for planting trees. By doing something as simple as changing your search engine you can make a small difference to the world. And small differences add up.
Offset Earth is another great example. It can be difficult to reduce your carbon footprint, but donating to causes like this can take some of the leg work out of it. Lucy and Yak are signed up but you can get involved on an individual level too.
4) Change your energy provider and your bank
We all need energy to power our homes but there’s a lot of choice about where that comes from and how it is generated. It can be simple to change your energy provider to someone more environmentally friendly, and it can also be a financially beneficial option too. Find out more here.
There is an increasing number of banks which support and invest in environmental projects and renewable energy. And it doesn’t necessarily mean higher rates. Read more about that here.
5) Get involved in or even set up projects in your community.
Are there empty spaces and muddy patches in your area? How about getting together to install some bee-friendly plants? You also could WWOOF at an eco-friendly farm, join in a litter-pick or volunteer at your local school.
6) Join the library
This is such a simple one, but there are lots of good reasons behind it. Firstly, you can reduce waste by borrowing rather than buying books. And a library can be a really important centre within a community. Going to the library can provide opportunities for meeting other people locally who share your passion for the environment. Get the conversation started and you might just find there are several of you that could work together and who can share tips and advice.
7) Only buy when something needs replacing
Then do your research carefully so that you can choose the best, most sustainable option you can find. Because you will be buying fewer things, you can invest more in the best choices.
This is really just the tip of the iceberg! What are your top tips for small-scale changes? Share your ideas with us on Instagram and Facebook and together let’s make a difference!