Watch | What can I do?
By Ellie Amos and Rochelle Abraham
Often plastic and CO2 emissions are mentioned when we talk about climate change. Although these are important contributors to climate change there is a lot more to it.
Other contributors and effects not normally mentioned include:
Methane - from the oil and gas industry, farming and landfill.
Fast fashion - the culture of buying the latest trends and binning what you no longer want. This also uses lots of water.
All unnecessary waste, not just plastic (try to reuse before you recycle).
Where
From your computer
Who for
Teens and adults
The impact on people is often forgotten. Climate change is often seen as a future issue but people are already being affected by it today.
The people affected are often not largely responsible for climate change. They already live sustainable lives but have been hit with draughts or flooding due to actions in other parts of the world. This causes millions to be displaced every year.
So, what can you do?
Reduce your food waste
“In the UK, 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted per year. This costs each household £250-£400 per household per year.” according to Cheaper Waste.
To save money and to prevent unnecessary waste you could have the leftovers of your takeaway or last night’s dinner for lunch. Or if there is not enough for lunch why not add things to it to make a whole new meal.
You can also buy food from the "Reduced Food" aisle in supermarkets to stop it from being wasted.
Use a reusable bottle
Having a metal reusable water bottle that you reuse every day prevents you from creating more plastic pollution from plastic water bottles. This plastic pollution can end up in the ocean or in another wild habitat, affecting wildlife.
A metal water bottle will save you money too.
Buy second-hand clothes
This is Ellie’s second-hand outfit. Now there are more options than ever to get second hand clothing. There are apps, websites and shops so it is easy to find clothes that suit your personal style.
Buying second hand clothing is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. As the clothing industry uses lots of water and produces lots of greenhouse gases.
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This content was produced by our digital content creators Ellie and Rochelle as part of UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres #ProjectInspire.
Huge thanks to Creative Tuition for their mentorship and support.
