Skip to main content

January Top Tips // 5 ways you can individually tackle climate change

Hi Everyone!

This is the first of our new monthly posts for 2022! We will be sharing top tips every month, near the beginning, for things you can do during that month for the better. It's almost like a whole year of new year's resolutions (though let's hope they are achieved)!
In these posts, we aren't just going to talk about climate change, of course, there will also be posts about animals, plants, habitats, plastic pollution and so much more! They will not be huge tips though, they won't demand too much of you (usually!). We need rebellions and people in the public eye spreading the word of course but we also need people like you, who can just do their bit. So, welcome to our top tips posts!
We all know that we need to come together to fight the climate crisis, but we don't seem to be doing that right now. So here are our top tips for ways you can individually tackle climate change, even if this means simply spreading the word. These are things you can do now, and things you can carry through your life.
A crisis has many aspects. If you get a storm, this doesn't just cause devastation from the wind and rain, but also lost power, families separated and so much more that isn't from the immediate effects of the storm itself. The climate crisis is just the same: there are many ways it will affect us, and many of these we have no idea about.

Tip #1: Knowledge is power - educate yourself

Before you even think about telling others, you need to understand more about the climate crisis yourself. Whether that's through watching TV programs, reading books, researching online, or listening to speeches, you need to know what the problem is, how it's caused and ways to reduce it. And by that I don't just mean "The problem is greenhouse gases. It's caused by human activity. You can reduce it by not burning fossil fuels." because that's not helping anyone. I could carry on forever speaking metaphorically and telling you about all the things you need to know, but I think I'll just tell you about a few of my learning methods instead!
TV - Earth shot Prize: I don't think this got the recognition it deserves but it really is such an amazing series. It taught me so much and gives off such hope too. I love that it is about the solutions and I think you would all benefit immensely from watching it.
           - No-one Is Too Small To Make A Difference by Greta Thunberg
Online Sources - Through this blog, we've found so many websites and articles. It would be impossible to link them all but here are a few of the most useful.
        - The Guardian has amazing pages on the environment
        - WWF has so many resources about animals and the way that climate change is affecting them
Speeches - Greta Thunberg 
                - David Attenborough
                - Just google climate change speeches, it comes up with loads of results!
We also have a post about climate change and how the greenhouse effect works. If you want to learn more - click here.

Tip #2: Stay informed

The news, our blog, and social media (although don't always believe what you see), there are so many ways that you can keep yourself informed on the latest statistics, science and updates. This means that you know the most up-to-date advice and can change your habits accordingly, you never know when something may be unveiled that you need to take action on. It's also a way of keeping it on your mind and not forgetting it as soon as you switch off the documentary! I am guilty of this and staying informed is definitely something I need to do more.
As mentioned above, the Guardian has amazing resources about the environment and we often use their articles to create content for this blog.

Tip #3: Don't be afraid of bringing it up in a conversation

For this tip, I want to encourage you to speak out and if the topic of climate change is brought up in a conversation, not be afraid to show off your knowledge and help others to understand the issue. I think sometimes we are afraid of what people will say and frustrated at the fact that people don't take it seriously enough but we stay annoyed and don't take the steps necessary to change this. We want climate change to become something that is actively talked about and something that people are worried about.
If someone doesn't believe in climate change, you need to educate them and not be afraid of the consequences. I understand that this can be difficult and you don't want to rock the boat in your friendship or relationship but their understanding of your views is vital to them changing their own and making a difference themselves.

Tip #4: Appreciate Nature

This is something that I believe is so often overlooked in how to individually tackle climate change. I know that whenever I take a beautiful countryside walk, I am motivated to do my bit to protect it. Motivation is often something I lack, just the thought of actually changing something in my life that works perfectly fine doesn't seem very appealing. It's only when I think of the consequences of my inaction that I am motivated to make that change.
So although appreciating nature won't reduce the effects we are having on it, it can mean that you feel more responsibility to protect that place for future generations, and future you.

Here are some ways I appreciate nature:
- Take a walk in a beautiful forest and take deep breaths, breathing in the fresh air.
- Use your senses. When out and about, listen to the birds, look for hidden beauty spots and smell the flowers and anything else you find on your adventures.
- Take some time to just watch the world without thinking too much about your busy day-to-day life.
- Whatever the weather, think about how the weather will help and hinder some of your plants and animals.
- Appreciate each season by noting the changes that happen around you. You could even write them down in a notebook.

Tip #5: Take small steps to change

Using the knowledge, up-to-date facts and motivation you have gained from these tips, take those small steps to change your habits. You don't have to go radical, although radical is what we need, we also need the changes to be long-term and actually work so if taking it one step at a time is what you need, then that's fine. However, if you want to make a more radical change that is amazing too.
The main thing is to use the knowledge you have and change your habits accordingly. I'm sure you all know what kinds of things you should do to reduce your carbon footprint, if you don't then the previous tips should help you!



I hope this post has been useful in telling you about the ways that YOU can tackle climate change, perhaps not the things that are obviously mentioned which I feel people have heard too much.

If you have any ideas for themes for future top tips, please leave them in the comments or contact us in another way, which you can find out more about here!


Thank you so much for finding the time to read this and maybe some of you will put these into place!


Green World Blog Team


Sources:
Image: This image owned by a blog editor (Zoë).

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

16.08.2020 Animal of the week: Elephant

Hello. On the 12th of August it was International Elephant Day, so we decided that this week's post should be about elephants. Elephants are the largest living land mammals. There are three types of elephant; the African bush elephant; the African forest elephant and the Asian elephant. African elephants have larger ears, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears. Elephants use their trunks to breath, bring food and drink to their mouths and to grasp objects. Elephants' legs are like pillars. They carry the Elephant's massive weight. African bush elephants weigh 6000kg, Asian elephants weigh 4000kg and African forest elephants weigh 2700kg. Basically, they are very heavy.Elephants eat grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots. Elephants can live up to 70 years old in the wild. They communicate by sight, touch and smell. Sadly, these wonderful mammals are in danger. African elephants are listed as vulne...

Palm Oil

Hi everyone, Today we would like to share with you some information about palm oil.  With all the focus on climate change and plastic pollution, not many people are acting against the use of palm oil.  Workers First of all, the managers promise that the workers will have good money, but when they arrive, their passports are taken from them, therefore, meaning they are trapped. Soon they find out that they aren't paid as well as promised. They have to work long hours with no breaks, maternity leave or sick days. Some people have to spray pesticides with leaking cans and no safety gear, meaning they become ill but are still forced to work. Deforestation Many animals are losing their home because the trees are chopped down to make room for the palm trees. they are now facing extinction. Also, trees helped to slow down climate change, but without them, climate change speeds up. So this is a big problem. Help your planet! Image:...

Amazon Rainforest series - part 2: eco system and food chains

Welcome back to our Amazon mini-series! Today, we're going to talk about the eco system and food chains of the Amazon Rainforest. The eco system is very complex. If you read our last Amazon post you will know the great number of species that call the Amazon Rainforest home. The Amazon Rainforest is a very accurate name for it. Massive amounts of rain fall on the forest every year. Most of that rain is blown in from the Atlantic Ocean. The rest comes from evaporation. The rainforest is known to be full of life. It provides one of the last refuges for jaguars , harpy eagles and pink river dolphins . But the rainforest is home to many more animals than that. Everyone has heard of poison dart frogs right? In fact, the Amazon Rainforest contains 1 in 10 of all known animal species on Earth! That's a lot of animals! The Amazon is home to over 1 000 species of birds, from hummingbirds to eagles. Macaws are probably the most well...

Rachel Carson 1907-1964

Hi everybody, Today I am going to tell you about a really inspirational environmentalist. Her name is Rachel Carson. I hope her story inspires you to be more careful about pesticides. As a girl, Rachel adored writing stories about animals. She got a degree in zoology but had to go home to care for her ageing mother. She wrote a series of radio shows about fish for a living. Rachel's program, called 'Romance Under Waters', was a big hit. Her ways of writing were different to anyone else and no one had made that sound so interesting before. It proved that she was talented in not only science but also writing. She wrote two books called 'The Sea Around Us' and 'The Edge Of The Sea'. When Rachel moved to the countryside, she realized the impact of pesticides. At that time farmers sprayed chemicals on their fields a lot to protect them from animals that may want to eat them. Rachel worked out that they were killing pla...

30.08.2020 Animal of the week: Whale Shark

Hi! It is International Whale Shark Day today, so we thought, we would do this week's animal of the week about whale sharks. Are whale sharks, sharks or whales? Whale sharks are not whales and they aren't a mix of whale and shark. They are sharks. So, why are they called whale sharks if they aren't whales? Well, they are very big. Whale sharks normally grow to a length of 5.5-10 metres. However, the largest whale shark to be accurately measured was 18.8 metres long! That is about as long as a lorry or as high as a short oak tree. Basically, whale sharks are massive. Habitat and Diet Whale sharks prefer warmer waters. They live in all tropical seas. Every spring, they are known to migrate to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia. The whale shark is one of the three known filter-feeding shark species in the world. Like whales, they eat plankton.  Images: Image 1:  This image is o...

10 animals on the edge of extinction you didn't know about no.3- The Monarch butterfly

The monarch butterfly is an animal you will probably have seen around in your life. It's not the kind of animal you will know the name of, much less the extinction status, but the monarch butterfly is rated "endangered" on the WWF website. It's affected by climate change and humans and its numbers have declined greatly. Fast Facts The Monarch Butterfly is a rather small animal, however pretty large for one of its species. Their wingspan ranges from about 90 to 100 mm, the male butterflies being slightly larger than the female. They are orange with a black patterning and white dots on the sides of their wings, the vibrant colours warn predators of their bad taste. Monarch butterflies are known for their migration habits. They are mainly found in northern America, but travel to the south (Mexico or California mainly) to hibernate. These tiny butterflies travel almost 3 thousand kilometres and can be found all over the planet by now...

How much do you know about marine animals? | quiz

Hi Everyone! Welcome to another monthly quiz! Today we are so excited to share some quiz questions on marine animals. Let us know how you did in the comments! Questions 1) Which of these came first: sharks, dinosaurs or jellyfish? 2) How many electric bulbs could an electric eel light up? 3) True of False: dolphins sleep with only half their brain. 4) True or False: an octopus has purple blood. 5) What is the loudest sound made by a marine animal (and indeed any animal on the planet!)? 6) True or False: oysters are all female. 7) In which animal species do the males and not the females give birth and care for their young? 8) True or False: a shrimp's heart is in its head. 9) True or False: sea sponges have no head, brain, mouth, eyes, feelers, bones, heart, or lungs. 10) How many continents do turtles live in? Answers: 1) Jellyfish! They've been around for more than 650 million years. 2) 10 3) True! They also...

How does plastic affect the environment?

Hello, I wanted to clarify exactly how plastic affects the environment. I hope this will explain. When plastic breaks, it releases toxic gasses that poison animals. Also, if plastic is swallowed it could cut or damage the inside of the animal. Many animals such as turtles and dolphins mistake the small plastic fragments for food. Even if the plastic is too small to cut into the insides of the animal or cause choking, too many micro plastics inside an animal will eventually block the digestive tracts and they will starve to death.  Recent research proves that plastic has entered the human body. This is because plankton eats microplastics and small fish eat plankton. Bigger fish eat smaller fish and we eat the bigger fish. So inside us is plastic. Plastic also blocks waterways and sewers. This leads to the perfect breading grounds for disease carrying animals such as mosquitos. When plastic is burned it releases those toxic gas...

How much do you know about big cats? - Quiz

Hello, Lions, tigers, jaguars , cheetahs , leopards - all of these amazing big cats derserve their own quiz, but seeing as we only do one quiz a month, we've had to put them all into one! Questions How old do tigers get in the wild? a) 20 years old b) 30 years old c) 40 years old True or False? The only big cats found in the Americas (in the wild) are jaguars. What is a cheetah's top speed? a) 90km/h b) 100km/h c) 110km/h True of False? A lions roar can be heard from 8km away. Leopards have been around for a long time. How old are the oldest leopard fossils ever found? a) 600 000 years old b) 700 000 years old c) 800 000 years old True or False? In Africa, cheetahs are the most endangered big cats. How heavy can jaguars get? a) 80 kg b) 110kg c) 140kg True or False? All females lions in a pride are related. ...

Ecosia

We all need to do something to save our planet: it is no use just leaving it to Greta Thunberg! She is very inspirational, yes, but she can only do so much. She isn't superhuman! The climate crisis is up to us; up to you. We all have to get stuck in. Research, learn, discover and most importantly: never give up! The world's animals need us. The world's trees need us and a simple way to do this is to switch to Ecosia. Ecosia is a search engine but it plants trees while you search the web. Okay, it doesn't have as many websites as google so you may want to have google as a backup but it plants trees: this is your opportunity to make a simple change. Just google Ecosia and search to plant trees. Make a difference. Image: This image  is owned by  Binyamin Mellish on  pexels.com .