Professor Stephanie Midgeley, our own in-house academic and climate expert, presented us with a detailed and fascinating presentation on climate change and the state of our planet.
The facts are clear. The earth is warming. And the consequences are and will be catastrophic and fatal.
To quote the 2021 6th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Cli- mate Change: “Recent changes in the climate are widespread, rapid, intensify- ing, and unprecedented in thousands of years . . . It is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change, making extreme climate events, including heat waves, heavy rainfall, and drought, more frequent and severe . . . Unless there are immediate rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emis- sions, limiting warming to 1.5°C will be beyond reach”.
Obviously governments and big industry are the main protagonists to reduce carbon emissions and slow down climate change but the question put by many visitors on the evening was: What can I as an individual do to help save our beautiful planet? Here is a list that you and your family can please consider and prioritise:
TRANSPORT:
- Live car-free if possible or reduce car transport to essential trips
- Shift to public transport
- Cycle and walk more
- Carpool or share travel where possible
- Drive fuel efficiently
TRAVEL:
- Reduce number of flights, especially long and medium ones
HOMES:
- Reduce the size of our living space or co-house
- Reduce our room temperature
- Save water
- Fewer appliances
- Use reusable energy sources other than fossil fuels
- No pets
FOOD:
- Reduce food waste
- Change to vegan/vegetarian/sustainable diets
- Shift to lower carbon meats (avoid beef; mutton/lamb)
- Use/purchase fewer animal products
- Make a partial shift to dairy/plants/fish
- Organic foods
- Buy regional/local food
- Buy seasonal/fresh food
- Follow a Mediterranean and similar diet
Buy less processed food and alcohol PURCHASES:
- Reduce packaging
- Fewer purchases/durable items
- Less textiles
- Choose bioplastics and use less plastic
- Use less paper
- Recycle