TL;DR: This year I'm encouraging you to cut personal emissions by the recommended 45%; here are some ideas for the most effective places to start; I'll share my own resolutions as well. Let's make 2020 the beginning of the end of the crisis. You guys, I'm starting the new year full of hope. Because there is no other way forward. We must, must, must come together this year and turn the climate crisis around. I'm feeling inspired by this guy who pointed out that there's nothing stopping us all from cutting emissions by the recommended 45%. 45% might seem huge, but it's probably a lot more doable than you think. Let's make it our 2020 resolutions. Let's each cut our own emissions by 45%. Some places to start:
Now, to concrete plans! I've listed some of the areas where you'll get most bang for buck (the biggest impacts for the planet, through manageable changes). Under each one I've put my own resolution for 2020 and some questions to guide you in making your resolutions. Commit to change in one area, or make a simple resolution under each. Something is always, always better than nothing. 1. Transport Let me remind you that there are 13 countries in the world where the average citizen emits LESS carbon in a YEAR than my personal emissions on ONE FLIGHT from Brisbane to Sydney. (That was a tricky sentence. Read it again and then just click on the link.) And I don't have to sell you on the idea that 2020 is the year of ditching driving, do I? (Related: I freaking love this video simulation of what a road in Seattle looks like with 200 people in cars versus bikes, buses or light rail.) My resolution: This year we're committed to flying less. This won't mean absolutely zero, but less. We've already planned to roll a couple of essential trips into one to save a leg of flights, drive to visit family instead of flying and stay longer (rather than making more frequent short trips) and committed to not flying for pure leisure/holidays as long as the climate hangs in the balance. Guiding questions: When planning a trip - could we not go? Could we not drive? Could we not fly? How can I plan better to make this work? 2. Food Here's a fun calculator to help you think about the carbon impact of your diet. The most crucial change humans WILL be making in order to survive on planet earth is to rely more on plants for our food. We also need to stop throwing food in landfill, by composting it (and also adopting strategies to avoid throwing it out in the first place). My resolution: This year I'm committed to helping other people plan more climate-friendly eating habits - so my current resolution is to put a time in my diary to sit down and plan what this will look like in 2020. (If you're in Brisbane, I'll be speaking at a plant-based nutrition/meal planning workshop in February - ask me for details!) Guiding questions: What is the environmental impact of my diet, really and truly? What small changes will have the most positive effect? What's the easiest thing to do first? 3. Money Your money is almost certainly being used to pay for climate-destroying endeavours like coal mining, gas fracking and intensive animal agriculture. I'm not just talking about the money you spend personally (although that's super important too); I'm thinking of your bank accounts, your home loan, your super, your home utilities and your weekly groceries. It's a systemic problem we all participate in. BUT it's possible to divert a lot of those dollars from funding the climate catastrophe to funding the solutions, by choosing to give the use of your money to more ethical companies. (We're with Bank Australia, Australian Ethical Super and Powershop for people playing at home.) If you've already done that as best you can, you could think about giving a portion of your income to help the climate-saving cause, or offsetting emissions through a provider such as Greenfleet. My resolution: Set up an automatic regular donation to an organisation that's doing influential work for the climate. We haven't sat down and picked one (or more) yet, but our shortlist includes 1 Million Women, The Climate Council, Tear Australia and The Guardian (for their independent, truthful reporting on climate issues). We're also going to make an annual payment to Greenfleet to offset transport emissions. Guiding questions: Where is my money being used to actively fund the climate disaster? How can I redirect it to fund the solutions? 4. Talk One of the most important things you can do about the climate catastrophe is talk about the climate catastrophe! Your influence can have a massive ripple effect on other people's actions. Think strategically about how you can influence "up". You might feel like you don't have much power personally, but you're probably one or two steps of separation away from somebody who has a lot. My resolution: Write a weekly postcard (to a politician or other person of influence) inspired by this project. I'm choosing postcards because they're short, meaning I should find it easier to crystallise my message into exactly what I want to say, and it's more realistic that I will actually find time each week to do this. Plus it's creative, which I will enjoy, and will hopefully make my missives stand out to the recipients. Guiding questions: How can I start conversations with people who have one degree more money, influence or contacts than me? And how can I turn that idea into a resolution, then a plan? 5. Consumerism
Even if we switch out all our habits and purchases for more climate-friendly options, the planet can't sustain the rate at which we produce, consume and discard stuff. We simply need to make less and buy less, or nothing will save us. (I wrote a whole thing about this here.) My resolution: Not buy anything new. Ever, if possible. There will be the occasional exception, and in those cases I'll choose the most sustainable option I can find (like Boody underwear and this day planner that is 100% carbon offset). I started this commitment a few months ago and it's really not as hard as you'd think. Guiding questions: What new items do I expect to acquire this year? Do I need them? Can I borrow them? Can I get them second hand? How do I create a household culture of acquiring less stuff? MY SO MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL CLIMATE FRIENDS. This will be the year. It ends here. 2020 is the start of a new global culture. Let's goooooooo! xxx Kamina
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