Realistic Radical Action

By Hannah

I met with some climate activists and listened to a discussion between them and others in the open forum. It was eye-opening and encouraging to me that they were also just normal folk like me who had realised what is happening and want to do something.

There were members of Extinction Rebellion, Christian Climate Action and the Climate Network.

As a student, I was worried that in order to buy ethically I would need to spend more money.

A Uni student there said, “I’m vegan and my friends say they wouldn’t be able to do it because it’s expensive but I used to spend £60 a week on food and now spend only £45. I go to the farmers market and buy pulses and put them in jars. It’s saved me money.”

What you can do:

• The fashion industry contributes 28% of carbon emissions which will bring an increase of 2 °C. It produces low-quality clothes which feed a culture of buying new clothes often. To show the companies that they must act responsibly we can stop supporting them with our money. I have signed up for a 52-week fashion boycott with Extinction Rebellion.

  
  

• If you're not taking part in a boycott you can still consider how you buy clothes. Second-hand clothes found in Charity shops or on Depop (examples for the UK) are much cheaper and more ethical. Don't buy clothes you don't really need. This doesn't have to mean you can't express yourself in your style. There is room for creativity in upcycling old clothes. You can paint or embroider for a really personal touch.

  
  

• 52% of emissions will be from agriculture by 2050 and a large part of this is meat production. Cattle farming causes deforestation as well as producing a lot of Methane and CO2. You could try going vegetarian or even vegan but make sure to replace the nutrients in meat with other sources. I didn't think I could manage that so I persuaded my family to go meat-free with me for world meat-free week. Day to day we will try to reduce the amount of meat we eat.

  
  

• Without drastic action, there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050.

  
  

• It's ridiculous how much single-use plastic is part of our lives. The idea of going plastic-free sounds impossible and expensive. But we've got to at least start. So here are some tips. You can buy bamboo toothbrushes on eBay at a reasonable price. Reusable beeswax paper which you can take the place of cling film.

  
  

• There's a local group that meets monthly where I can refill cleaning liquid containers. Try looking on Facebook or at local markets for similar things.

  
  

• Buy a reusable water bottle. Plastic drinks bottles are not designed for reuse and aren't healthy to reuse because they have BPA plastics in them.

  
  

• Don't buy a car if you can do without one. Sharing lifts or using public transport is much better.

  
  

• If you have a garden you could plant food in it. There's something idyllic about when my mum brings lettuce and tomatoes in from the garden for our salad. Again, this saves money.

  
  

• Talk to people about the climate. By learning some of the key facts you can start a discussion with your friends and the change can spread across society. My friend's family is going single-use plastic-free because of the conversations they had with me and another lady (who also gave me many of the useful tips in this article).

That said, individual lifestyle change, although important, is not enough to stop the climate emergency. Large corporations must change, and we can influence them by using our money to show them what matters. Governments and their policy must also change. Let's use our votes - or for those who can't vote yet, let's protest.