How To Help With Climate Change
Last Updated on: 9th August 2023, 09:18 am
How Am I Going To Help With Climate Change?
There has been a lot in the media recently about how to help with climate change and we all need to do our part in protecting our planet. But we can do this without rioting and taking time out of school to protest.
Everyone can be helping with climate change and reduce their carbon footprint if they really tried. We need to protect our planet for our children and generations to come. 85% of British people are now concerned about climate change. Of course, we make our carbon footprint worse when we travel by plane. But cattle are worse for climate change because they produce methane gas which is worse for the environment than flying.
How can we protect our environment for our children and grandchildren? How can we leave a safe planet for them to live on? Over the past week, it was announced that coal and wet wood fuel is to be banned. They cause 39% of pollution in the country, so by February 2021 all pre-packaged bituminous house coal and wood sold in single units that have a moisture content of more than 20% will be banned. The government are hoping that it will encourage people to look for cleaner alternatives to heating an open fire.
We all need to do our part to protect the planet. Here are some ways that you can help to reduce the carbon footprint and help with climate change.
Get rid of single-use plastic to help with climate change
Recently I was in Poundland and the man asked if I wanted a £1 bag instead of a 30p one. I said no because I had loads of proper bags at home. The sales assistant then started to tell me that I should be saving the planet. I looked at my shopping which was covered in unnecessary plastic. I said that Poundland needed to look at all of the single-use plastic that it wraps its products in. Then I will know Poundland are taking climate change seriously.
Instead of buying packed food, you can take tubs shopping to put things like fresh meat, cheese and cooked meat in. Some shops let you take your old washing liquid bottles in to replace the washing liquid.
Instead of wrapping sandwiches in plastic clingfilm, we pop sandwiches into a lunchbox without wrapping. But you can buy beeswax wraps to wrap your lunch in.
Take a water bottle out with you, you can refill it in most restaurants for free. Airports/ train stations now offer water fountains to refill bottles.
In some supermarkets, you can buy mesh bags to pop your loose fruit and veg in. They are usually about 30p to buy but they are a great alternative to plastic bags.
Insulate your home properly
Did you know that we produce 11 tonnes of CO2 a year? If we insulate our homes properly, we can reduce this carbon footprint by 2.2 tonnes a year. Make sure your walls are insulated as well as your attic. If it isn’t you can make your loft more insulated by laying some insulation or wool.
Check for draughts from windows and doors. You can buy tape to put around the draught areas and use draught excluders on the doors. If you can afford to get double glazing, this will help you to insulate your home.
Also if your home is insulated properly you will be able to turn your heating down slightly. This saves you money as well as cutting your carbon footprint.
Get Rid Of Fast Fashion
Clothes are so cheap these days, you can go to Primark and buy a top for £2. The quality is rubbish and it has been made in a factory in Asia, where they have to make loads of pieces of clothing an hour for a few pennies wages. Although it is the only way some people can afford clothes, they don’t last long. Clothing production produces 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 a year. That is more than all of the planes and maritime shipping combined together.
You can cut down on fast fashion by shopping second-hand in charity shops. There are also preloved websites where you can get top-quality clothes for yourself and your children. You can even get your friends to swap clothes if they have kids the same or similar ages.
Get Rid Of Wet Wipes
Facial wet wipes are easy to use, one or two wipes and your make up is gone. But these are not flushable and they end up in a landfill. You can now buy biodegradable make up wipes. Superdrug and Nivea are two brands that offer this alternative.
Instead of using these wipes, you can use a flannel instead or a reusable wipe. This will cut down on damage to the environment. Even baby wipes can be biodegradable now, but instead of using baby wipes, buy a stack of soft flannels for cleaning your baby.
Change nappies for reusable ones. When my older children were little, I used terry-towelling nappies. Times have changed and now you can buy amazing reusable nappies for your babies.
Use Renewable Energy
If you can afford it, swap to solar power panels in your home. This means that the sun produces enough energy to run your home. they cost on average £6000 to install but you will get that money back many times over.
You could also swap to a green energy tariff, where energy is provided by wind farms. As a regular visitor to Holland, we see these wind farms all over the country. Although we have them in England too, they are far and few between.
