The Hidden Ease in Living Greener, Not Meaner
- Wiktoria Sienkiewicz
- May 28, 2021
- 4 min read
Since studying a sustainability module at university, as well as taking a carbon literacy course, I have learned some astounding information. How we can help as individuals and governments are even more baffling.
For those of you who are knowledgeable on the topic, I hope you agree with the small bout of aid and awareness I can provide at this time. As for those who are not, I hope I can shed some light on some surprising phenomena which deserve attention; the *small changes* which materialise into transformational changes for the future of our society and our entire world. We are all human. We are all responsible for each other. We are all responsible for the home we call our mother. Our Mother Earth.
An extremely prominent figure in sustainability and climate change is the 1.5 degree Celsius mark. If temperatures increase by 2.0 degrees Celsius, we may see apocalyptic, irreversible changes. Yes, I mean The Day After Tomorrow vibes, without a good ending.
Thankfully, we get to write our script. We can change this outcome in any way that we can. This is why I want to share the information below:
Bamboozled
So, the first thing I want to bring your attention to is bamboo.
Bamboo is crucial in mitigating the amount of CO2 in our atmosphere – CO2 (carbon dioxide) is the main cause of the increase in our temperatures – which have been growing at an alarming rate over the past decade as we can see below:
The power to absorb and store CO2 from the atmosphere is defined as a carbon sink – this is what bamboo is.
It is one of the healthiest and most powerful forms of helping climate change with regards to how we use our abundance of land and what we use to CREATE things we need in our societies such as homes, clothing and other essentials.
According to CNN’s climate change solution quiz (linked below), planting more bamboo is the second-best use of our land to reduce climate change. Second best after protecting and restoring tropical forests. From what we know, bamboo holds some serious power in climate change, and the more we know the more we can use this information to our advantage.
One way in which you can make an incremental change is by switching to reusable makeup remover pads made from bamboo. According to Resolute Bamboo Care, the amount of water needed to produce 1kg of cotton pads is the same amount of water one person would drink over three years. T h r e e y e a r s. Let that sink in - like CO2 into bamboo ;)
LED lightbulbs – The Potential to Light up the Future
Let's talk lightbulbs. One of the things we use pretty much every single day. It turns out, lightbulbs are THE MOST effective form of reducing CO2 emissions in our homes. Yep, lightbulbs have the potential to majorly change our futures for the better.
So how do they do this?
Well, one of the reasons they’re so eco-friendly is the simple fact that they last up to 20 times longer than regular bulbs. Not only are they better for the environment but they’re better for your bank too. Furthermore, it intrinsically links with lower rates of production needed for bulbs and less pollution throughout the supply chain too!
LED bulbs convert 95% of their energy into light and 5% is wasted as heat. The grave contrast between this and regular bulbs is reflected in the fact that fluorescent lights convert 95% of their energy into heat and 5% into light. How wasteful.
Switching to LED bulbs has copious benefits – consider this the next time your bulb blows.
What’s up with all these Vegans?
I see and hear a great deal of humanity hammering on about the following:
“veganism is stupid”
“how could I give up burger”
“but I love Nando’s” etc.
I myself, am not a vegan. However, I do regularly enjoy vegan meals, snacks and drinks. I do this not only because they’re absolutely delicious, but because they’re extraordinarily good for the environment. Yes, grabbing a Starbucks and simply switching to almond, coconut or soya milk can help save the planet.
That’s right – your coffee can change the world.
“Over an entire year, your consumption of dairy milk is contributing 229kg to your annual greenhouse gas emissions.”
VS Rice milk which contributes 86kg
VS Soy milk which contributes 71kg
VS Oat milk which contributes 65kg
VS Almond Milk which contributes 51kg
But back to the regularly discussed topic of meat...
Meat has NOT always been a part of our diet. In fact, we only resorted to eating meat when humanity began running out of crops (#survivalofthefittest).
A third of all meat is thrown away – food waste itself contributes to 26% of greenhouse gas emissions while more than half of these come from animal products.
Consider this the next time you throw away those steaks you forgot about because you decided on takeaway instead.
Despite these fearful facts, we can find hope.
“eating just one plant-based meal a day for a year, you’ll save almost 200,000 gallons of water (that’s 11,400 showers!) and the pollution equivalent to about 3,000 miles driven in your car.” – this really put my diet into perspective for me and I can only hope it does the same for you.
Your carbon footprint is uniquely your own, and whether you produce a WHOLE LOT OF IT or a little, you’re still impacting the environment every time you do anything. Including just using your phone, turning a light on, cooking, driving, using cotton pads, USING TOILET PAPER. All these little things do mean something.
Have a look at some of the changes we need to be making as collectively as a society:
Because I promise, you will be surprised.
To conclude, every action you take from this point on will make a difference. Whether that’s purchasing an LED lightbulb instead of a regular one, or buying reusable cotton pads, cooking on a clean stove, eating a vegan meal for one night, or walking to the shop that is a 10 minute walk away rather than driving, you have the power to make a difference.
Major societal changes occur through all individuals trying to make a difference – be a part of that, in any way that you can.
- Wiktoria
Sources:
Climate Change Quiz/Ranking of Climate Change Solutions
Bamboo Links:
https://lewisbamboo.com/pages/interesting-facts-about-bamboo
The Environmental Impacts of Cotton Pads:
Kurzgezgat Geoengineering:
Kurzgezgat - Meat:
LED Bulbs:
Benefits of Eating Plant-Based:
Impact of Food on the Environment:
Temperature Change:
Climate Change Graph:
Comments