ways you can actually help combat climate change and pollution from my hyper-vigilant mother
most important: action on an organisational level
VOTE! vote for representatives that promise to take concrete action against climate change and hold them to it - make sure they follow through on campaign promises especially at a local level where you are listened to more but also at every level of government
take part in local, national and international protests against government inaction such as the international āfridays for futureā school strikes started by greta thunberg to get the attention of the government and the media
contact or PETITION your existing local representatives, party leaders, prime ministers or any other person in power to urge them to help energy production in your area switch to more renewable sources, reducing your areaās reliance on the fossil fuels the companies preventing governments of countries where oil production is a major source of income from taking real action against climate change ! the fossil fuel industry is a dying industry: help it die quicker
contact your existing representatives and ask them to tax products that emit carbon - referred to as carbon-pricing - thus making energy-saving equivalents cheaper in comparison and reducing carbon emissions
invest in renewable energy wherever possible: install solar panels or wind turbines or become part of a local renewable co-operative in which you invest money and in return own a share of your local renewable energy projects and get a return of your investment - this helps to boost the clean energy economy!!
urge your workplace/place of education to reduce use of electricity and fossil fuels wherever possible - even if it is just using energy-saving lightbulbs - you can also urge them to reduce their plastic use and curb pollution
personal/household action
if youāre buying a car go for an electric or hybrid model if you can afford it! then you have the option at least to use renewable energy to power your car
if youāre building a house use insulation to reduce the energy used on heating - this also saves money !
use public transport, walk, or cycle to reduce the overall amount of fuel used on a daily basis
change to energy-efficient lightbulbs, unplug any electrical devices not in use and wash clothes in cold water rather than hot - little savings add up!! this will also mean your electricity bill costs less at the end of the month
if you can afford it, buy local produce as this reduces the fuel used to transport products. go for organic products wherever possible as well! buy from farms that produce sustainable crops that are NOT grown in a monoculture and do not take nutrients away from the soil that take hundreds of years to be restored
once or twice a week exclude meat from your dinner/lunch to reduce the harmful impact of the inefficient meat industry unless you can find a sustainable source - although often avoiding meat is the less expensive option
plant trees!! grow plants in your room, in your garden, anywhere! growing your own food is far more sustainable than buying farm-grown food and you can also help your local bee colonies! plants that bees love // a guide to bee-friendly gardening // plants you can propagate from cooking castoffs // easy to care for indoor plants
use less plastic around the house especially when buying produce: write letters to your local grocers and national supermarkets (as my mum often does!) urging them to stop using plastic packaging on fruits and vegetables that donāt need it. recycle as much as possible and reuse containers when you can. buy a metal straw to use rather than a plastic one, get a water-bottle rather than a single use plastic bottle (my school has actually banned single-use plastic bottles as of 2018!)
this is by no means a comprehensive list, but it should be helpful to people feeling hopeless at a lack of government response to protests against climate change. individual action cannot inflict widespread institutional change and we need to rise up and force governing bodies to pay attention to this issue!!! however, the things you do as an individual do contribute and we can always try and help save our planet
