5 practical ways to show your love for the planet!
Are you increasingly concerned about ever-closer climate tipping points and the loss of biodiversity and our ecosystems?
Me too. It’s easy to despair, given political inaction and bitter resistance to any meaningful change.
But the actions we take as individuals do matter, both in what we can achieve collectively and for our own peace of mind. With that in mind, here a few practical actions you can take to show your love for the planet and combat despair.
Action is the antidote to despair
If you care about the wonderful ecosystems that make this planet so magical, it’s easy to feel pretty hopeless right now. There’s a lot stacked up against us. And even as we speed ever closer to dangerous tipping points for the climate and biodiversity, the powers that be are (at best) pushing against any meaningful change. And at worst, actively seeking to rip up any progress we have made and further destroy our environment.
Individual action can feel like a drop in the bucket faced with oil-hungry oligarchs and soulless rampant consumerism. But the other option is giving up. And I refuse to give up my hope for a fair and sustainable world.
Moreover, when individual action is taken collectively, on a community basis, it can lead to real change. Your actions can inspire other people to consider their own impact, and create ripples of change in your family, your friends, your workplace, your school and beyond.
So, as an antidote to climate despair, here are some practical ways to show your love for the planet…
1. Eat more plant based
When I tell someone I’m predominantly vegan, the typical response is usually either pity, eye-rolling or, in some cases, what feels a lot like resentment. It’s an idea that gets people’s backs up, in my experience. Something that many people won’t even entertain as an idea (“I could NEVER give up cheese”). And yet it’s arguably one of the most impactful things you can do for the planet.
Here’s a few reasons why:
- Animal agriculture accounts for a big proportion of global emissions: according to UN Climate Change, animal agriculture is responsible for 14% of global carbon emissions, which is around the same as all modes of transportation put together.
- Animal agriculture is a primary driver of habitat and biodiversity loss: for example, meat production is the single biggest cause of deforestation globally.
- Animal agriculture is not an efficient use of agricultural land: 77% of agricultural land is used to graze or grow feed for animals, despite animal products accounting for only 18% of the world’s calories – and more agricultural land means less land for nature.
- Growing crops for animal feed uses a significant amount of freshwater: it takes 2,400 litres of water to make ONE SINGLE HAMBURGER!!!
- Animal agriculture is also one of the top three industries polluting our water: from the nitrates found in animal waste that cause deadly algal blooms, to the use of fertilisers and pesticides on crops that go to feed the animals we raise (in mostly horrendous conditions) to eat.
You don’t have to go ‘full vegan’
A few years ago, I started to veganise my diet. I started slowly, gradually incorporating more and more plant-based days, and less and less “cheese days”, as I call them. Now I’m around 96% vegan (yes, I worked it out).
The fact is, we do need to change the way we eat in the west because it’s just not sustainable. It’s not healthy for us, and it’s certainly not healthy for the planet (or the poor animals that suffer in our macabre meat and dairy factories). But it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.
According to analysis by Carbon Brief, veganism does offer the best savings in terms of carbon emissions (and, to reiterate, would be considerably better in terms of the impact on biodiversity and habitat loss, animal cruelty, water use and pollution). But even a global shift to a ‘flexitarian’ or vegetarian diet could save 5-6 billion tonnes of carbon a year, compared to ‘business as usual’.
Don’t knock it till you try it
I think with veganism, it’s often a mental block. But start eating more plant-based meals and you’ll see that it doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Hand on heart, I eat better now than I ever did as a vegetarian/carnivore.
Going vegan doesn’t have to mean salads and buddha bowls (whatever the hell they are). There are so many meals you can easily make vegan and tons of fantastic recipes from inspiring vegan chefs out there to try. And vegetables are delicious! Plus there are plenty of plant-based alternatives to help bridge the gap, from plant milk, butter and cheese, to meat alternatives.
And once you start making the shift, you may, like me, start to realise that you actually don’t miss the meat or dairy anymore. The first year of my journey towards a plant-based diet, I would absolutely gorge on cheese on my one ‘vegetarian’ day a week (to the point where it was gross). But now I can honestly say I don’t even think about it. The addiction is over.
And more than that, once you start paying more attention to the environmental impact your diet can have, and facing the built-in cruelty of animal agriculture, it’s really hard to go back.
2. Reduce your plastic use
Plastic is absolutely everywhere. There’s plastic packaging, plastic toys, plastic in our clothes, plastic throwaway tat that gets broken, thrown away or shoved inside some drawer not to be seen again for several years until it’s eventually, yes, thrown away.
Our plastic use is a big problem for two big reasons. One, it’s made out of fossil fuels. Two, with less than 10% of plastic actually recycled, most of it is going to be on the planet with us forever. Even as we continue to produce more and more and more.
I think many of us already know that this is a bad idea. Many of us will have seen the articles about how plastic has made it to the farthest reaches of our planet, the gut-wrenching stories about plastic wrapped around marine mammals or found in the guts of dead birds. There’s even microplastics in our lungs and brains, and worrying links to cancer.
Although it very much feels like the cat is out of the bag on this one, we can still do our part to reduce our plastic use from now on. I recommend you start by taking an audit of what you buy that’s plastic and then look for sustainable swaps.
What are some alternatives to using plastic?
There are some wonderful, game-changing alternatives out there. Here’s a few ideas:
- Use solid shampoo and conditioner bars instead of buying them in plastic bottles
- Use good old-fashioned soap instead of shower gel
- Buy solid deodorant (there are plastic-free swaps for every cosmetic you can think of)
- Use toothpaste tablets instead of buying plastic tubes
- Buy food from a bulk store using reusable containers/bags where possible
- Use reusable bags for fruit and veg
- Use a reusable water bottle and coffee cup
- Take reusable cutlery with you to avoid using throw-away plastic – and say no to plastic straws!
- Use beeswax wraps instead of cling film/plastic wrap (they’re expensive to buy but easy and fun to make!)
- Buy wooden toys instead of plastic toys
- Buy clothes made from natural fibres (polyester, nylon, acrylic and spandex contain plastic)
- If you must buy plastic, choose plant plastics made from things like corn and sugarcane (and then make sure they get composted)
Sometimes doing the right thing could cost you more, that’s true. But that’s not always the case – sometimes it could cost you less. For example, I have a bar of solid hair conditioner that cost a few bucks and has lasted me well over a year.
And here’s the thing. What most companies really care about is their bottom line. So if they see a big enough shift away from plastic, they’ll have to follow suit.
3. Choose pre-loved and shop local
We have all got so deep in the habit of just ordering whatever we need (or more accurately want) online with the simple click of a button. It’s just so easy, so convenient. But, as consumers, we really do have power, and being a mindful consumer means being conscious of what you buy, and where you buy from.
I find it helps to ask a few vital questions before you click ‘buy now’:
- Do I really need this?
- Do I need to buy this new?
- Can I buy this from a local store?
- Who do I want to give my money to?
Do I really need this?
We have a lot of stuff. More clothes than we could possibly wear. Mountains of toys that never get played with. Novelty plastic tat that is entertaining one day and then garbage the next… And does it really make us happy?
Even just asking yourself the question, “do I really need this?” is inviting us to be more mindful consumers.
Do I need to buy this new?
Ok, so you need it. Fair enough. But whatever it is, do you need to buy it new? Or could you go look around your local thrift/charity shop? Or search for it on marketplace or some other local upcycling forum?
I’ve found that there’s this stigma on buying second-hand from some quarters. Like you’re not really a success if you don’t buy the most prestigious products, brand-new. But I think we need to turn that around. The stigma ought to be on people who flash their wealth on meaningless products while other people struggle to make ends meet.
Can I buy this from a local store?
Do you really want to put more money into the hands of mega-corporations like Amazon when you could support a business that’s in your community?
Do you really want to hand over your money to the billionaires that have proven over and over again that they don’t care about us or our planet? Or would you rather it go to someone who has a vested interest in caring for where they live.
If we buy locally where possible, we can:
- Reduce the miles (and therefore emissions) in the products we buy
- Invest in the people in our communities
- Ensure that we buy from companies that are in keeping with our ethics.
Who do I want to give my money to?
Every time we spend money, we’re making a choice. Even if we do it so automatically it barely registers. Do you know anything about the company you’re buying from? How they treat their employees? What their supply chain’s like? Where they ship from? Where their profits go? If they use sustainable packaging?
Yeah, I agree that it’s a faff looking this stuff up. But we have the internet. And everything you’ve thought of has likely already been done. So chances are some caring person or organisation has probably already looked into it.
For example, there are independent sustainability rating platforms out there, like Ethical consumer who look into the ethics and practices of companies for you so you can make an informed choice.
You can also look for sustainability certifications – like B Corp, FairTrade, Rainforest Alliance, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Green Seal.
Be wary of vague greenwashing. It’s easy to say that you care about the environment and that you’re committed to a greener future. Oil companies do that. It’s much harder (but more impactful) to have a well-thought-out, detailed sustainability plan.
4. Recycle & compost
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It’s a classic for a reason. A three step plan for reducing your impact:
- Buying and consuming less
- Fixing products or choosing second-hand
- Aiming to keep what we do throw away out of landfill
Knowing what can and can’t be recycled can be confusing, especially as it can vary considerably from place to place. So the best way to get to grips with what can go in your recycling bin, and what can be recycled elsewhere in your community, is to do your research. And enlist the advice of the passionate recycling boffins in your area.
Starting a home compost is a goal for me this year as there’s no green garden/composting bin where I am now. Luckily the local deer take care of many of our food scraps…
But something I’ve been passionate about for a while is reducing food waste in the first place. Because when you think about the sheer effort (never mind the emissions) that go into us getting dinner on our plates, and how many people go without around the world, it just seems like a crime to let food rot and go to waste.
To help me do this, I plan out what meals I’m going to make in advance, check the fridge and pantry before I go shopping to make sure I’m not doubling up. And when it comes to perishables, I only buy what I need. It’s not rocket science, but it’s effective. Plus any dinner leftovers are tomorrow’s lunch.
5. Get involved in community action
Getting more involved in local climate action is a big goal of mine for this year and beyond.
I want to become part of a community with like-minded goals for a fairer, more sustainable world that sees nature as a vital asset to be protected and nurtured for the common good. Rather than something to be raped and pillaged to enrich the few.
It’s not easy, for an introvert like me. It’s fair to say I’m not much of a joiner. And being as nomadic as I normally am, it’s been easy to simply do my own thing, change my own behavior and exist in a silo.
But, that being said, I do believe it’s important and impactful. I do believe that together we’re stronger. And I do believe that we need that strength of solidarity and companionship more than ever. So I’m going to push against my instinct to hide, and put myself – and my convictions – out there more.
I’ve just signed up to do some volunteering for a local environmental group, and I’ll be looking for more opportunities in the coming weeks and months. I plan to be out doing something for the planet on Earth Day, even if it’s simply going out to pick up litter, or joining a march. Hopefully I’ll see you out there!
Get in touch
If anything I’ve written here has struck a chord, or you have any tips for me, I’d love to hear from you. We need community now more than ever. Drop me a comment below or use my contact form to get in touch. And please be kind.
Paintings and prints inspired by nature
Visit my online gallery to see some of my artwork, inspired by the stunning landscapes I’ve been lucky enough to hike in over the years. Or head to my Etsy shop if you’d like to buy a print.
One response to “Practical ways to show your love for the planet”
I also find it odd when people hide behind their food vices as reasoning to why they can’t reduce meat or dairy intake. I hear the “I could never give up cheese” or “animal protein is the only protein that works for me” lines so often. It’s just unimaginative.
You’re an inspiration. Great advice and great post!