Arctic Circle hit its highest ever recorded temperature a few days back at 38C.

I wrote about sustainable fashion a few days back. Sustainable fashion is only a small part of what we can do to help with ‘climate change’. Climate change articles are usually very initmidating especially when they discuss how we, as individuals, can do our bit to save our planet. The year 2020 has done enough to scare us but it has also been an eye opener for all of us. I’m hoping once this horror story is over we hold onto our new found perspective and continue to act on it.

Here are 10 simple ways in which we can contribute to saving our planet:

1. Drive Less – Cars are a major contributor to the pollution in cities. A simple way to reduce your carbon footprint is to cycle/walk shorter distances. For longer distances, use public transport or car pool whichever is more convenient. This will not only help with reducing your carbon footprint but will also help you save money – its a win-win situation.
2. Move towards green sources of energy – sourced renewable energy is not readily available to households in a lot of countries (such as India). If it isn’t too heavy on your pocket, install a solar panel in your home and use the energy generated by it to contribute to some of your home’s energy consumption. Solar energy is readily available in most tropical countries and can be tapped into easily by most households. Over the past decade the cost of solar panels has greatly reduced. Do check out the options available in your country.
3. Save Energy & Water – Honestly, this is the easiest way that we as individuals can help towards climate change. Turn off that light when you leave the room, be mindful about the length of your showers, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, use higher starred appliances, use the AC with a timer to automatically turn off and so many other small ways to reduce resource wastage.
4. Eat less meat & consume less dairy products– Throughout the world, the global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined. Dairy industry is one of the major contributors to water pollution across the world. I am someone who turned vegetarian by choice in my early teens and can understand the struggle to stop eating meat altogether. Instead reduce your consumption of meat, maybe eat meat on alternate days or only on weekends. Eating less red meat will also be beneficial for your health. Similarly, turning vegan has been a personal struggle for me but I am trying to reduce my dairy consumption to alternate days. If we all reduce our consumption by 50% – we can truly make a difference.
5. Fly less: Air travel accounts for about 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions (much lesser than cars/power plants). With growing air traffic the emissions from airline industry is going to increase exponentially. I know air travel for longer distances is more convenient and has no alternate but for shorter distances taking a train will help reduce your carbon footprint. Travelling by train can also be very pictersque and relaxing as compared to the harrowing checks of air travel.
6. Shop less fast fashion: I have recently written a blog on sustainable fashion. Fast fashion harms the environment in multiple ways – 1. Cloth materials which are non recyclable since they are cloth mixes 2. Transportation of clothes across the world contributes to pollution 3. Faster consumption of clothes means more production of clothes and factories that pollute the environment. Move to slow fashion – buy fewer, more meaningful products and utilize them till the end of their lifecyle.
7. Less plastic, more recyclable materials – Say NO to plastics! “Only 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled. About 12% has been incinerated, while the rest — 79% — has accumulated in landfills, dumps or the natural environment. A staggering 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year.” Try replacing your plastic water bottles with metal/glass ones. Instead of buying water bottles while outside, carry your bottle of water from home. When ordering food home – say no for plastic cutlery. Try to move to products that use glass jars/bottles/paper packaging instead of plastic. These are small things we can do to reduce our plastic consumption.
8. Plant more trees: In your house, your neighborhood, your city, wherever you travel to – plant trees! Trees help us combat climate change while also helping us breathe in healthier air. If you dont have a lot of space at home, make a small window sill garden and grow a few plants. An additional bonus is how much gardens & plants amp up your house’s look.
9. Take part in the dialouge on climate change: I know we tend to forget Climate Change as we live our lives daily. But we can’t do that anymore. Be a part of social forums, follow relevant pages on social media – keep yourself updated and take part in the conversation on climate change. Encourage your friends and family to join the climate change movement too. Together – we can! 🙂
10. Be conscious in your every decision: Every time you have a make a pro-con list while taking a decision, do factor in climate change too. I know it isn’t always possible to do what’s right for the environment, then choose a way to make up for it. You took a flight and added to your carbon footprint – try to make up for it by planting a few trees in your neighborhood or not eating meat for a few weeks.

I hope we can all join together to help our planet heal – our future generations depend on it. If you have any other ideas as to how we can easily contribute to saving our planet please drop a comment!

Lets go green! Stay safe!

(PS: All photos from the internet)