It’s Been A Scary Year For Climate Change: Four Simple Things You Can Do To Help Our Planet Survive
Climate change and global warming isn’t fake news. It’s been high on the agenda across the world, particularly over the past year, with environmental scientists and activists like Greta Thunberg and Sir David Attenborough, warning us all just how much climate change has intensified. Even celebrities are pleading with world leaders to finally listen and take action now before it’s too late.
Barbara was certainly onto something here. As a world nation, we’ve definitely become less mindful or even concerned about the impact our way of living has on the environment, and what this really means for OUR future. But the human impact on global climate change has only relatively recently been realised.
Although many of us are aware of the damage caused to the planet by human progress, few of us are actively trying to reduce how much we contribute to it. Consumerism has become a central focus in society. We have come to expect way too much and take many things for granted - whether it’s owning the latest iPhone or simply flicking the heating on at the first sign of cold weather (c’mon, we live in the UK, we should be used to it by now!). We turn a blind eye to the true impact we have on our flora and fauna, and spend little time actually addressing HOW we can change our lives for the good of the planet.
We can’t just hope that other people will take charge of making improvements, every single one of us needs to get involved to have a real impact. This is why over the past few weeks we’ve been sharing the key issues that are damaging our planet, such as plastic waste and deforestation, and how we can each contribute to being more eco-friendly. In case you missed any of our top tips, we’ve shared direct links to them at the bottom of this feature so that you can dive back in!
Anyway, back to the topic at hand...there are a number of ways that you can do your bit to help with climate change and global warming, but here are our favourite five:
Get your green fingers out!
The Guardian reported earlier this year that tree-planting has ‘mind-blowing potential’ to tackle climate change, with research showing that a “trillion trees could be planted to capture huge amounts of carbon dioxide.''
Planting trees is actually one of the biggest and cheapest ways of tackling CO2 emissions, efficiently removing it out of the atmosphere to help to tackle the climate crisis. According to scientists, we’d have to plant in the billions, so if each of us simply plant one tree in our gardens without encroaching on crop land or urban areas, the combined volume will absorb and store those emissions that are driving global heating.
“New research estimates that a worldwide planting programme could remove two-thirds of all the emissions from human activities that remain in the atmosphere today”.
At Freya+Bailey, we’re all about offsetting our carbon footprint and as such have committed to a 10 year initiative where we plant trees for each of our employees. We also ensure that our practices are as efficient as possible - from using recycled materials in our packaging, to opting for using natural ingredients over synthetics.
So...get those marigolds out, pop into your local garden centre, and get planting!
Go car-free or car share
In Lund University’s 2017 study on climate change, going car-free was the number one most effective action and individual could take to help combat the global issue. Industrialised countries, including EU nations, where populations are increasing along with car usage, are in the best position to make a stark difference.
Getting rid of your car can reduce a whopping 2.5 tonnes of CO2; about a quarter of the average yearly emissions (9.2 tonnes) contributed by every single person in developed countries of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
The solution? Choosing more efficient vehicles, such as electric; car sharing with a colleague that lives nearby, or opting for more eco-efficient alternatives such as riding a bike or using public transport.
Shift to a climate-friendly diet
We’re all fully aware of the vegan boom that is continuing to grow. Opting for a diet that features more plant-based proteins is a really great way to help our environment. While completely shifting your diet to vegan can be a challenge, there are other changes you can make to your diet that will also help. For example, cutting back on red meat is beneficial to the planet because livestock such as cows release methane, a greenhouse gas, and require large amounts of land and feed.
Buy less stuff, or shop clever + clean
This one isn’t just healthier for our bank balances, but it also helps us to cut down on our plastic footprint. Buying less not only helps to cut down on the plastic packaging that is flooding our oceans, it also reduces your overall carbon footprint. Fewer greenhouse gases are emitted into our atmosphere, but if you really need to buy that dress, then choose brands that are sustainable and ethical in their manufacturing process. This is one of the best things that you can do to improve your plastic and carbon footprint.
At Freya+Bailey, we are an eco-conscious bunch of skin crusaders and we really do care about the impact our production has on the environment, but we also care about the impact the environment has on your skin. Our vegan, anti-pollution collection has been carefully crafted in the UK and formulated to combat the impact of toxins, pollution and free radicals that erode our skin barrier. So not only will you look good, you will feel proud that when you choose us you choose a positive future for our nation.
Have you got any more top tips to help our community of Glo’rilla’s and their mission to save the world? Drop them below!
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Five Real Life Things You Can Easily Do To Help Prevent Deforestation
Five Top Tips To Help You Reduce Your Plastic Footprint + Save Our Seas
