It ain’t easy being green – is it?

Often when friends introduce me to new people they feel compelled to instantly tell them I am a climate change activist. This normally sparks one of two completely opposite reactions. The paraphrased negative reaction is “ What difference will it make if you don’t eat meat? Why should I have to stop flying three times a year? You’re wasting your time nothing with ever change; and the classic moron response of shall we all just live in caves then?”

Personally I find this argument really boring and it means I have to embark on a tirade of common sense highlighting their selfish actions are helping to create a world of runaway climate change. Laying in roads and hanging around at dubious hours outside evil corporations isn’t something we do for fun. We do it because we believe tackling climate change is the biggest challenge our generation faces. Overwhelmingly scientists predict if we reach 5 degrees temperature increase by the end of the century we are looking mass extinction of human life. Currently it is estimated the very minimum we can expect is 1.6 degrees increase based on global emission’s peaking in 2014, this looks pretty unrealistic to say the least.

However generally people are supportive and intrigued about what attempting to live a low carbon life entails. I believe most people recogonise the importance of trying to do the green thing in their everyday lives but knowing where to start can be a little overwhelming. To help all you budding greens add an eco tinge your daily routine I have put together a few simple tips below.

Start cycling

Despite all the scary stories you hear about cycling it is fun, well 99% of the time. Cycling is a super carbon efficient way to get around and if you want to be super green fuel yourself by eating bananas with their low carbon footprint and high energy content they make great cycling fuel.

Meat free days

I am not saying instantly become a vegetarian but eating meat is undoubtedly one of the most carbon intensive activities you can undertake. Cows and lambs are two of the main sources of methane a particular harmful gas contributing to global warming. And this doesn’t even take into account soya and water used to raise these animals and the nitrous oxide admitted during the farming process. A steak has the same carbon impact as approximately 25 bananas.  So perhaps eat less meat but local and better quality cuts when you do.

Boycott bottled water

Honestly bottled water is the biggest marketing con of all time. The 99% profit margins are the stuff Donald Trumps wet dreams are made of. Despite claims from bottled water companies about the purity of their water the truth is their water is less heavily regulated and tested for purity than the water we get through our household taps.

Eat Local

This is a no brainer; eating local means you will enjoy fresher food and supporting your local community. We need to desperately reduce the carbon footprint of our food and by supporting local food growing movements you will be helping to make a real local difference. If you’re busy during the daytime with a real job, perhaps look into a local veg box delivery service.

Re-usable Bags

Plastic bags blight our environment take up to 2000 years to biodegrade. Taking a cotton bag with is something, which is easy to do. I normally carry a book around in mine when I am not using it for food. There is currently a cool campaign I have recently worked on called ‘Break the bag habit’ you should check out.

Grow herbs

I find gardening incredibly relaxing and growing herbs is pretty easy and relaxing, basil, coriander and even box salads are good places to start.

I hope you find this article useful/interesting; I find living a green lifestyle is actually a whole bunch of fun. You get to know your neighbours and learn to respect and appreciate our valuable resources. How do you do your bit to be green?