
If you’ve tuned into the news cycle this month then you might have heard about the seriously dire predictions about our planet’s future.
We’re talking coral reefs dying, fish species extinction, rising sea levels and a “tipping point” of no return.
According to the latest report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leaders need to be doing far more than they currently are if we want to cap global warming at the still-harmful jump of 1.5 degrees.
That report – along with the somewhat terrifying headlines that accompany it – have many of us feeling overwhelmed and essentially helpless to stop the planet burning down around us.
And while we should remind ourselves we at least have the power to vote for a government that promises climate action – we should also remember that actually there are changes we can make in our own lives to make a small but significant difference.
PlanetArk senior recycling campaigns coordinator Claire Bell tells Mamamia that the best way to make an impact without feeling incredibly overwhelmed is to start small.
If you can make just one of these eight behaviour changes this week, you’re already doing your part:
Think like your grandma
People in our grandparents’ generation typically made do with what they had, borrowed what they could and only bought new if they couldn’t possibly avoid it.
Claire says it’s a great idea to tap into that way of thinking and ask: “Do I really need to buy this?” “Can I make do with what I’ve got?” “Can I get this repaired rather than buying new?”