Is there anything we can do to be more prepared for Climate Change?

[StopEatinNutellaOutOfTheJar]

I have been reading a lot of the threads on here and they really concern me- is there anything we can do to future proof our lives to adapt to climate change?

I have written to my local MP (who is very eco conscious) to voice my concerns and ask what he is going to do about this.
We are trying to make positive changes as a family in our daily lives to reduce our impact on the planet, eating much less meat (we only chicken/turkey) which we bulk out with pulses and veg so it stretches out for much longer. We have reduced the amount of dairy we consume. We're walking more. Buying products that don't have plastic on them. not buying unnecessary crap. Trying to convince the teens to buy better quality clothes rather than shein. Taking good care of the things we own so that they last longer. Making sure we don't waste energy and wrapping up in warm clothes before putting the heating on. Only taking breaks in the UK rather than abroad. I am applying for a bike through work so I can start cycling to work. I wonder if there are more significant changes we need to consider?

One of which is, do we move house? Our current property has a very small garden and also not enough bedrooms. (I worry about the bedrooms as houses as so expensive that I can't imagine my kids being able to move out for a significant amount of time)
I wondered as things continue to decline would it be worth moving to a property with a larger garden so we could grow our own fruit and veg. I share an allotment, but its pretty small and whilst we get a good yield from it, if I had more space and it was in my own back garden, I think we could cover a significant amount of the food we eat as a family. I am good at canning and preserving so everything gets used - even down to veg peels made into crisps, or stock.
We live in a particularly expensive area so could feasibly move to a much bigger plot without increasing our mortgage and my partner and I would also be closer to work, reducing our commute.
Is this a stupid idea or something I should seriously consider?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/climate_change/4667124-positive-action-on-climate-change-and-sustainability

There are things that we can do to lessen global warming. If you're talking about preparing for the inevitable though I have thought about that. My flat has big south facing windows which make it hot in summer. I have thought about asking my landlord to fit shutters on the outside of the windows, not just on my flat but all the south-facing ones. They wouldn't do it though.

I have tried to speak to fellow tenants about this issue. I tell them that during heatwaves I keep all my windows closed during the day. They don't really get it though. I try to explain that if you have 40 degrees C outside and you open your windows then you will get 40 degrees inside too, but if you keep your windows closed then you should be able to keep it several degrees cooler. Shutters would help, just like they do in Mediterranean countries.

it was a more preparing for the inevitable. We will obviously continue to do things to help reduce our carbon foot print but I feel like we need to do something to ensure we are ready as a family. ie- if crops fail in the heat and there is less availability we will be putting less stress on the already struggling system if we have stuff growing at home.

Solar panels, heat pump, electric bike.

Plant garden with trees and hardy plants and no, plastic grass or plastic plants.

Trying to keep vegetables alive through the summer might be a problem unless you irrigate. I am thinking new potatoes might be a good crop because they would be ready before a heatwave arrives. Also, there is one variety of broad bean that can be sown in the autumn and harvested the next year. Garlic can be sown in the autumn.

Vegetables tend not to have many calories (we need a couple of thousand calories per day) or protein, potatoes and beans do though.

You have reduced your meat intake because it's "bad for the environment" yet substitute with things like pulses that are imported from the other side of the world on planes and cargo ships?

Why, or rather how , is that worse?

If you're thinking of moving, then some things to think about are

• flood risk
• erosion (coast, river banks
• wildfires

Because more volatile weather is pretty likely

Anything that gives you better food security is also good, as is suitability for solar panels, domestic sized wind turbine and the use of a heat pump.

Broad beans and peas are grown in England. Soya is grown on the other side of the Atlantic, most of it is used for animal feed. When you feed an animal, especially cattle, soya and grain most of the protein and calories are wasted. It is less wasteful for people to eat the pulses and grain directly.

If we ate a fraction of the meat we wouldn't need to grow so much pulses and grain, ever if we ate more of them ourselves, we could either have a system where land is left fallow or returned to nature.

@twentytwofifty I actually can't eat red meat for health reasons...... so for me it isn't just about the environmental impact, therefore I only eat chicken or turkey. Last time I ate red meat it put me in hospital for a week and off work for a month. I also bulk food out with veg.....that I have grown myself. Yes some of the items I buy inevitably come from further afield like baked beans/kidney beans and chick peas but I try to buy as much local produce as we can afford in our food budget. I will buy 1 chicken to last us a week. If I strip it down to the bones I can make 3 different meals from it. Then the remaining meals are veggie ones.
Id be interested to know what else you would recommend I do to reduce my families impact on the planet- I am very open to ideas!
@chantico I have been looking locally at moving, on the other side of the city we live on as it is a little more rural so you get more land with the property for roughly the same amount we could sell our current home for. We aren't near the coast but I will bare in mind rivers/woodlands as potential issues when we look properly. My DP isn't very on board with the idea of moving- this was supposed to be our forever home and we have spent a lot of time making it better insulated and more economic to run so I think he feels loathed to move and start that process again. Little things have made a massive difference to the running costs of our house! He wants me to apply for a bigger allotment which would be a lot less upheaval. I just worry about the kids growing older and not having enough room to accommodate everyone.

The grow your own food idea is a little bit of a red herring. Whilst it's true that small areas of mixed food growth like allotments are very high yield, if farm crops start to fail due to drought/flood, your garden plot won't be high priority for resources so you would likely experience failures too.

If you love growing and caring for plants and soil (I do) then by all means do it but it's not something everyone should feel obliged to do, nor is it likely to make much of a dent on the average carbon footprint, as it's more important what type of food you eat rather than where it comes from, if you are looking at carbon impact. The exception to this is anything air freighted - eg out of season asparagus, some rarefied fruits (not avocado which can be shipped slowly and is lower carbon than the beef in the field next door) and cut flowers.

Moving more rurally is likely to increase your footprint as you will consume more fuel going to and from your house, receiving deliveries, goods and services etc

I would wait and see where your children end up before planning any long term moves.

@deplorabelle that's all really good food for thought. I love my allotment- it helped massively with my mental health during covid and has since been my little bit of heaven. The kids and my partner aren't interested in it at all so I can escape down there for a bit of peace and quiet! Perhaps applying for a bigger plot might be the way forward- a lot less upheaval than a house move too.

I am a chronic worrier so I just like to try and be prepared as possible for every eventuality 🙂

https://www.google.co.uk/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwi1_qH-ib6AAxVHlIMHHQNYC6oYABAJGgJlZg&sig=AOD64_1kaBix_ZrK_fBxNT_EQNDCIblICw&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwio_Zv-ib6AAxVk0gIHHSQiAnAQwg8oAHoECAIQDA&adurl=

They all have these at our local allotment, could capture a good amount of water to help with crops in a drought.