Keep involved in fighting climate change

We're waking up to the urgent need to halt climate change and lobbying governments and industries is crucial. But don't think of yourself as a powerless tiny cog in the machine because behavioural change x millions does help the planet

Amazing that only 500 tents were left at Glastonbury in 2019 out of 55,000 that were put up - compare that to previous years (...a world long before Covid 19) when many thousands of single-use tents were just abandoned on Worthy Farm land. WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and TV presenter and nature campaigner Michaela Strachan have teamed up to remind us all of the little things we can do that en masse help protect the planet.

Gareth King, WWF's head of climate change, and Michaela Strachan are particularly concerned by the impact rising temperatures and extreme flooding have on bio-diversity and they have been looking at fairly simple things we can all do to curb climate change.  

1) Keep your garden wild: plant native flowers for pollinators and keep a patch of your garden unmown and unweeded to help attract bees, hedgehogs, beetles and slugs.

2) Use green search engines: some plant trees every time you surf the web - Ecosia.org for example

3) Stop washing your jeans: according to Stella McCartney, jeans should be washed only every three months! And when they are, use an eco friendly washing powder on a cool (30 degree), short wash

4) Buy green: businesses contribute hugely to climate change and biodiversity loss, so use your buying power and make sure to question where you spend. Are you using a green energy provider? Visit a comparison site to find out how to change if your current provider doesn’t match up.And if you think a brand isn’t doing enough, make a suggestion. Such as why aren't you using organic cotton or recycled PET plastic?

5) Have an eco-friendly festival season: ditch single-use throwaway wipes and make sure your glitter is biodegradable. Leave nothing behind (including your tents) and take re-usable water bottles and coffee cups. Old Mout Cider’s Kiwi Camp, which will be at Boardmasters next month, has eco-glitter stations and a spot where you can take your old favourite clothing items to be upcycled. 

6) 50 wear challenge! Wear everything you own at least 50 times before buying something new, and hold clothes swap and upcycling parties/events with your friends.

Choose a green energy provider such as Ovo and Octopus
All Michaela Strachan wants is...for you and me to plant trees

7) Green gifting: make an effort to de-clutter your life and others’ lives by gifting green. Buy someone a tree through a charity, or adopt an animal. Michaela says: 'For my 50th a few years ago I got everyone to buy a tree through a charity… My son Ollie gets a different adopted wild animal every year for Christmas.'

8) Travel, plant, play, repeat: If you’re travelling within Europe, use trains where possible. If you’re going across seas or have to fly, offset your carbon footprint through charities such as The World Land’s Trust.

9) Practice eco-fresco dining: research the best sustainable brands and make sure all your picnics and BBQs are filled with them.

10) Knowledge is power: watch documentaries, read up on studies and advice, and talk to friends and family about what actions they take. We can all make better choices by learning

Recent research* suggests Brits with gardens are actively doing their bit for insects and small creatures, with over a third of 2,000 adults questioned saying that they do plant flowers specifically for bees and other insects (38 per cent) and leave a patch of their garden for wild insects, small reptiles and hedgehogs. With habitat loss being the biggest threat to the diversity of life wildlife on the planet, it's crucial as many of us as possible make every small eco act we can.

 

*Survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted by Censuswide

*OVO and Octopus are companies offering electricity from 100 per cent renewable sources.