Climate report - what can the little man do?

[SGChome20]

After reading in the news about the climate report and that we are running head on into disaster it’s got me thinking. I strongly believe the big businesses need to step up and do more but I can’t practically affect that change. Yes I can sign petitions etc etc but it’s not making the changes.

I wondered what I/we as a small family can do? I mean I do the standard recycling, try to reduce single use plastics where possible. I’ve pretty much stopped buying new clothes unless they really need something and wear things till they are done. What do you do that you think is helping the environment? Bonus points if it actually also makes life easier/more enjoyable.

@ChardonnaysPetDragon that’s where government legislation comes in ... and the price mechanism.

There are so many great ideas on this thread. Talking to people about the environment is a great one too. Lots of people do care, they just don't know how bad things are /what to do about it.

Well, there are things I do, and things I know I should do but I forget and am inconsistent.

Things I do:

1. Green energy provider
2. Air source heat pump central heating
3. Small, economical car (no public transport AT ALL and 10 miles from nearest small town)
4. 95% charity shop clothes
5. allotment and hens
6. have to live frugally as I’m skint so my £25 a week budget probably does less damage than another family’s larger budget
7. never fly anywhere
8. holiday by train and ferries
9. food swaps with neighbours
10. attend “green” and seed swap events
11. lots of foraging and free meat shot by family members (better than intensive farming) and roadkill eaten now and again. Preserve gluts of fruit and veg as jams and chutney.
12. batch cooking probably saves a bit of electricity and is cheaper
13. got double glazing and maximum insulation including 5cm of insulation on inside walls before replastering.
14. no lights on at night (some properties have all manner of garden lights and uplighters and weird things)

Should do better:

1. actually remember to take the bags for life with me
2. be more organised with the compost bin
3. be more organised in always doing lots of jobs while I’m out in the car

Ooo, and we have metal straws at home and take a flask when out and (sometimes) make tea from the herbs in the garden.

And find your local Repair Cafe where they will mend objects (including sewing) or sharpen knives and tools for you.

Reduce the amount of animal products you eat. What you do eat should be wild caught (fish & game) & pasture fed, preferably organic (most land animals, poultry etc). Veganism isn't for everyone (although I would like to be as I love vegetables & don't really like meat, I am trying to work towards it). However we need animals living on the land to maximise soil biodiversity, just chucking a load of artificial fertilisers on there isn't optimal, it leads to decreasing nutritional yields, phosphate runoff (which is poisoning the oceans) & loss of soil mass.

Ethically sourced natural fabrics - non-mulesed wool for example seems like a better alternative than synthetic fleece. Artificial fibre fabrics release microplastics into the eater, which are impossible to filter out & which end up in the ocean & in marine animals. These are then consumed & have been found in internal organs, including human placentas. It isn't known what the long term effects are but there are warnings of neurotoxicity, metabolic & carcinogenic issues. In contrast, natural fibres decay pretty quickly.

Plant a wildflower garden / patch / pot. Bees are declining at a significant rate worldwide, due to pesticide use, habitat loss, climate change, & disease/predatory pests such as mites. Even just a small pot of wildflowers can help. And encourage beneficial insects such as ladybirds, hoverflies etc, rather than use insecticides at the first sign of greenfly on your plants.

Unpopular suggestion (which I don't make in real life for fear of being lynched! 😆) - don't have a wood burner. We've got rid of ours although I miss it a bit. Burning wood isn't "natural" and wholesome. It's causing awful air pollution in the form of particulates.
We've also given up eating meat...