Environment

 

This section covers discussion around sustainability, environmental science and, crucially, possible solutions and actions that we can take to address the crises faced on this planet.

Currently, most of our activity is covered in the Facebook group Just One Thing Environmental Action. Here we have a wealth of friendly support and suggestions and challenges to get people started. Our blog on biodiversity lists some actions that individuals can take.

The other part of our approach is to improve relationships with nature through mindful nature connection activities. Scientific research shows that nature connectedness has a causal relationship with pro-environmental behaviours and with pro-wildlife behaviours. We believe that nature connection is desperately needed at this time amongst all age groups. Also check out our Events

It is easy to feel hopeless and that we are dependent on others to do something, however our belief is that our politicians, the people who vote for them, businesses and other organisations etc., are all made up of individuals. Collectively we can achieve great things, but this requires us acting in the here and now – the only place we can do anything – and coming together as individuals. 

Here are our top tips for helping the environment:

  • Pick something to focus on to start – it’s easy to feel overwhelmed so don’t try to do it all at once
  • You do not have to do it perfectly – we have made so many mistakes over the years, but we learn and grow and make progress. You can start by cutting down meat and fish rather than cutting it out completely and buy better quality, well-reared meat with the money you save, for example
  • Sir David Attenborough says the first thing we should do as individuals is “don’t waste.” By only buying what we need and buying to last, we can make changes that also save us money. Buying products without wasteful packaging, drinking from reusable bottles and using washable clothes rather than disposable ones are all small ways to reduce our waste 
  • Changing to a green energy supplier is a big impact (and relatively painless) action you can do. The Green Energy Switch website will help you figure it all out
  • Changing to a bank, pension, other investments that do not invest in fossil fuels is another big impact action you can take. For UK banking you can find out more here
  • Cut down any unnecessary journeys – walk or cycle wherever you can rather than using a car
  • Insulate your home – put in draught excluders, turn off the heating in rooms you don’t use, turn the thermostat down by one degree and put on a jumper – you will save money as well as reducing your carbon footprint
  • Giki Zero is a fantastic site where you can calculate your carbon footprint and find out lots of ways to improve your impact, filtered by how easy they are to do and how much impact they will have
  • Another fantastic resource is Jen Gale’s Sustainable(ish) website, podcast and books
  • Use your voice – sign petitions, use your vote towards the future you want to see
  • Buy only products that align with your values. Ethical Consumer can help you to make those choices
  • Support charities and organisations that help 

There’s more on our resources page.

Organisation Environmental Activity

As an organisation, we use electricity, social media and videos so although our negative impact is relatively low, we are aware that we have one and we take some responsibility for those parts of our activities that might traditionally be accounted for in the carbon footprint of the individual (for example as they stream our videos). The electricity we use is 100% renewable and we are careful not to purchase new equipment unless absolutely essential. In addition, we give money to projects through Gold Standard to offset our emissions. These projects improve the quality of life for people around the world, for instance by providing clean water or renewable energy. We are of the view that offsetting is not a license to continue unsustainable practices – the first step should be to get emissions to zero. However, we are very happy to support projects that help others in a meaningful way so we see this not as absolution for our negative impacts, but as a way to have a positive impact while we seek new ways of doing things. (Please note, we carefully choose projects and do not support hydroelectric or other projects, which have negative impacts on biodiversity and/or indigenous communities).

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” (attributed to Mahatma Gandhi)