What can I do that isn't on an individual level regarding climate change?

[7393827gsjsbdh]

I've done all I can on an individual level, I've joined a litter picking group and have a veg patch and made my small garden 'wild'...
But I feel I need to do more.
I have so much passion on the subject, always have even when it was called 'global warming' and ' the ozone layer ' and 'being a hippy' 😅

What else is there to do?
I don't mind spending time and money, I only work 25 hours a week so I have time to put into a project but I don't know what would be best to try and do?

I'm thinking maybe I could try to start a really zero waste business?
I always daydream about winning the lottery and buying loads of land and building a waste free city but I'm not going to win and what's the point in waiting?

I know this is a little bit of a ramble but I just want to be able to look my children and my grandchildren in the eye and assure them that I did all I could.
so does any one have any ideas? what can I do today or plan to do next week or next month that would make a change?
or just a bit of solidarity?

Dunno,
maybe just accept that the climate of the planet has changed on a pretty regular basis since the planet was formed and you won't make any difference?

If it helps you could look up how the "science" has changed so radically and often over the last 40 years or so and ponder why that could be

@Mightymoog Climate does vary naturally, but humans are without a doubt changing climate and causing it to warm.

@7393827gsjsbdh I think it's great you care. For climate change, the biggest things we can do is reduce our emissions - so not buying unnecessary things, clothes or electronics; cutting down on meat and buying in-season more locally-grown produce; travelling (particularly flying) less; having a fuel efficient car with low emissions or an electric vehicle (I know these aren't cheap); walking / cycling short distances; taking public transport or lift sharing where practical; using an all renewable tariff for your electricity; making sure your home is as energy efficient as possible eg it is well insulated; maybe consider installing solar panels if your property is suitable for that.

There's also lots of other things you've already mentioned that can help the environment but might not directly help climate change eg litter picking, making your garden wildlife friendly.

Could you get involved in your local council? Do they have any groups around the climate or environment? Gardening, growing fruit and veg for the community, rewilding areas of your community.

Is there anything you could introduce in your work place? Something like improving their recycling practices, or getting rid of plastic drinks cups, or getting them to turn the office temperature down by a degree.

You could give up all your earthly belonging and become a troglodyte? I’ve heard they have very little impact on the environment except for existing which does emit quite a lot of carbon.

What business do you work for - are there opportunities you can spot for it to be better?

Focus on energy wastage and travel fuel as these are usually biggest impacts and ones where changes save cash in long as well as short term , as well as the planet, to be easier to persuade a business to adopt

Many people and business actually do want to do something but don't really know where to start and how much impact they can have

If I was planning to set up a business I would look at offering consultancy along those lines

Look at who you bank with /where you invest your savings

Attend local council meetings and hold them to account on environmental matters (it makes a big difference if they know their decisions will be scrutinized)

🙄

You could stand for election to your local council and help to push for more cycle infrastructure and public transport.

We don't drive or even have passports!
My husband doesn't care as much but hes gotten very into gardening and second hand shops and he goes to the butcher with the old takeaway boxes at my request to save the plastic bag.

You're probably as pissed off with people's false 'oh we need to do something' as I am.

Nothing you can do will make a difference because the UK barely contributes to the issues - less than 1% annual emissions.

Enjoy your life. The big players aren’t going to stop. There’s nothing more we as a country can do.

I really love that most of what we can do just requires doing less!. Don’t buy something. Don’t go somewhere. I’m very lazy so that suits me.

I think starting this thread is going something. Reminds us all again that we really do need to think about this stuff.

I only posted this because of a conversation at work, it drifted into climate change and it became apparent very quickly that the general consensus is its a load of tosh and we'll be dead by then anyway.
These people have small children and don't seem to make the connection that if we keep ruining the world we will absolutely be harming our children's futures.

I can't shake the feeling that I'm in the start of a disaster movie- fires raging and crops failing!

Not true. If a million people reduce their carbon footprint by 1unit, that’s a million units reduction. If a million consumers spend a pound less on carbon heavy goods, that’s a million less in terms of revenue and sends a message. If a million more people sign the petitions that groups like Greenpeace start, that’s a very loud and clear message to Governmebnt. if a million people vote Green at the next election…

I don't believe that's true. We as a country may not be manufacturing as much i.e. have a carbon footprint as high as for example China. But what are China making in their polluting factories? Single use cr*p/fast fashion/unnecessary items that people in the UK clamour to buy. Adjusting consumer habits and simple consuming less 'stuff' is a great way to make a positive impact. Our power is in our spending choices.
@7393827gsjsbdh eating in season foods, sourcing purchases second hand (which you're already doing!) and insulating your home are all great ways of reducing your carbon impact. I'll echo a PP - it's great you care and are motivated to make changes. ❤

I agree with you. It's terrifying, and not even likely that people who are middle aged and elderly now will 'all be dead' when it really kicks off, let alone young people and future generations.
You might want to look at Rupert Reed's Climate Majority project and get involved in some way. He suggests that what we need to look now is building resilience to various kinds of disasters, even more than reducing emissions. Now that we have passed the 1.5C rise, the climate is unstable and won't go back.

I completely agree. I’ve made big changes and try and do what I can and have been climate change aware for many years. Even I am starting to think ‘f it. I’m going to fly on holiday this year’. It feels so utterly hopeless. I feel like things were gaining traction and the COVID came along and shook it all back up and it’s a race to destruction now.

But I have DC so I’ve got to do what I can. I can’t give up.

So depressing. And it’s a racist issue too because it’s mostly the brown skinned global
majority that will be (are being) be hit first and worst. It’s also a socioeconomic issue - the rich will be able to protect themselves to a degree.

Agree agree agree
Me and DH have because really into British history and we can go and see these amazing historical places on a quick train or even sometimes bus ride away!
The library, charity shop and apple picking all free or near enough. People have set up a little free library near my work and I was thinking of starting one (but I live in a rubbish area, I bet it'd be trashed- why should I let that stop me even trying though? agh it's not fair!)

Eating seasonally and locally are things I'd like to do BUT due to col I've gone back to more packaged goods at lidl (although I do cheekily leave whatever packaging I don't need in their bin for them to deal with)
There are a few zero waste shops around but they are not in My budget at all!

I've noticed more kids aren't getting driving lessons for their 17th birthday (lord knows I never did) and I was wondering if its a response to wage stagnation or climate change worries

Glad to hear the general consensus is drifting back to rubbishing the opinion that climate change is human driven/ accelerated.
FWIW I have no worries about climate change as I do believe it's a natural cycle that human activity has very little to no effect on.
But, I do get worried about the rate at which natural resources are used and the sheer amount of unnecessary STUFF that is made.
I see us drowning in piles of shite we can't dispose of and more and more of the natural world being destroyed in order to make even more stuff.
My contribution to this is being naturally tight / frugal so I very rarely buy anything new and I very rarely buy stuff I don't properly need.
My car is always second hand and run into the ground and I wouldn't dream of changing kitchen/ bathroom/ any furniture unless it really had reached the end of its life,
So, I'm a man made climate change sceptic trying to make as little impact on the world as I can.

I

ah so have we gone over the 1.5? I've been on a strict news and media ban since December because it just makes me so upset and worried.
I broke my 'fast' with this post on mumsnet but after today's conversation I felt like I needed a little reassurance or a kick up the bum at least!
I'll have a look at that climate majority project thanks for that

It was also "terrifying" in the 80's with talk of Southern England being uninhabitable by 2000 due to warming.
This was after the "terrifying" 70's where the science was very clear that we were entering a mini ice age and most of Northern England would be uninhabitable by 2000 due to being permanently ice/ snow bound.

I'm just gutted
In the 90s I really believed these problems would have been solved by the 2000s and so on and so on.
There was a new park with fruit trees planted for the millennium and I remember thinking "This is it! The world is changing" ... nope. just getting worse and worse.
and worse and worse and worse.

yes actually this makes me feel a bit better, hopefully I'm worrying over nothing but even if we don't all perish in hell wild fire, we will still be drowning in plastic pollution.

there are so many faces to the problem I don't know where to begin!