Most of us are so busy being busy; working, commuting, caring for loved ones, eating, managing finances, shopping, etc, that it’s easy to turn away from distressing issues like the climate.
We all do this. However, it’s not the climate change-denying minority that most threatens us — it’s the believing-but-passive majority.
Skip Spitzer’s 'open letter' published in Medium this year might yet convince you (see medium.com).
Although Britain’s record regarding fossil fuels is better than many countries, it still has a long way to go.
The sad fact is most governments cannot face the unpopularity that will follow the changes needed to stop the temperature rising past 1.5 degrees.
For example, water may become scarce and restricted.
It is already in many countries around the world and wars are already happening as a result.
And we don’t want to go back to the early 1970s when the power was only available for a few hours each day.
We also need to prepare for the changes already happening: we need to increase our efforts to reduce water usage and power consumption. This will reduce bills and lower our carbon emissions.
A map we found on GoCompare’s website called What’s Powering the World shows France is mostly nuclear, Norway is mostly renewables.
If you are still looking for areas in which you want to reduce your carbon footprint, it is the usual suspects.
Switch your diet to eating less meat, particularly lamb and beef.
Use public transport or car share when you can. Reduce how often you fly.
Try not to buy things made from or wrapped in plastic (that’s more difficult but doable).
Insulate and draught-proof your home really well to reduce fuel bills in winter.
Wear warm clothes indoor. Conversely, better ventilation and shade for south-facing windows in the summer months will reduce the need for energy-greedy air-conditioning and fans.
Also, buy better quality clothes, furniture etc so that they last longer and try buying from second-hand and charity shops where you can find many good-quality things.
Lobby your MP to support renewable energy solutions and tell him/her what you feel about climate change.
Tell us how you have gone low-carbon at sw@sustainablewallingford.org
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