Let the Earth Breathe: 5 Simple Things U Can Do To Help Resuscitate Our Planet
By Yanna Solace Adofina
By now, you have probably heard the news about the NASA climate scientist who chained himself at the front doors of a major international bank. Dr. Peter Kalmus was arrested on Wednesday April 6, 2022, together with a physicist, engineer, and a science teacher --- all for protesting the bank's continuous investments in fossil fuel projects. This sparked huge awareness online, where people rushed to change their usual search engine to a more eco-friendly one, clear useless email junk, and switch to LED lights to reduce carbon emissions.
Maybe you have done all these things too, and still feel helpless. With news of food shortages, floods, forest fires, heat waves, and devastation being a regular fixture on every social media feed, it is easy to develop a sense of fear and worry over the future. The terms “climate anxiety”, “eco-anxiety” (anxiety towards climate change) and “solastalgia” (distress that is produced by environmental change impacting on people while they are directly connected to their home environment) have been floating in several circles recently, especially in children and young adults in countries most affected by climate change. While these feelings might not go away in the long run, we hope to bring some sense of resilience and power to manage them long term, by consistently committing to simple yet valuable actions on a personal level.
Here are some ways we can do to help resuscitate our planet:
1.) Use your own liquid container
In a time where Hydro Flask, Klean Kanteen, and 720 DGREE uberBottles are deigned fashionably supreme over regular bottled water, you would be surprised to find out that consumption of the latter is still on the rise.
While it is understandable that bottled water is deemed a necessity in certain cases, it is best that we develop a habit of bringing our own liquid container regularly. Besides the fact that plastic is non-biodegradable, therefore increasing our carbon footprint, the risk of ingesting microplastics and other unidentified chemicals dramatically increases when we use disposable water bottles regularly.
It does not have to be a trendy or expensive one, as long as it is made of food-grade stainless steel and BPA-free. The cost of a quality water bottle also offsets the cost of regular bottled water over time.
2.) Unplug devices when not in use
This might be on-the-nose obvious for some, but we need the reminding all the same. Not only does it save you money on your electrical bill, it also increases the longevity of your appliances ---- therefore helping you consume less in the long run. It also helps that your devices become less susceptible to a sudden power surge when they are unplugged.
As not all electronics can be readily plugged off, a modern power strip can help, as you can easily disconnect everything with a switch. Some even have built-in timers and smart technology, helping you manage the schedule of your power usage.
3.) Utilize urban green spaces
Not all cities are endowed with great city planning, so if you do live in a city with spacious green spaces, make the most out of it. When we utilize our green spaces often, we help lower temperature and reduce air pollution in crowded areas, therefore reducing demand for energy usage.
Additionally, a recent WHO report states several benefits of living near green spaces, including psychological relaxation, stress reduction, enhanced physical activity, and potential reduction from pollution exposure.
4.) Understand how climate change works
Online environmental activism has sparked a growing movement towards awareness of what is happening, but we have to uncover and learn for ourselves on why we need to take action now. Several fact-based websites are available for research purposes, such as NASA Global Climate Change, European Environment Agency , Copernicus Climate Change Service, and Dr. Kalmus' own website.
Once we understand the reason behind our actions, we are more motivated to do more and encourage people to do the same.
5.) Urge your elected officials to take immediate action on environmental concerns in your vicinity.
Find out who they are, and how they have acted on past environmental issues. Make your voice heard by letting them know what is happening in your area and what needs to be improved at the local, state, or even national level.
If doing this alone feels daunting, join a local environmental group interested in furthering the cause with you. On the national level, organizations such as Greenpeace, Fridays for Future, Robin Wood, and WWF Germany are making great strides in terms of environmental activism.