Simple Ways to Combat Climate Change as a Student
We know that climate change is happening, and it has had a significant effect on the environment already – from melting glaciers and rising seas to changing weather and shifting habitats for wildlife and people.
The challenge to combat it can be overwhelming, especially as a student, but there are a few ways students can help protect the environment… and save a penny or two!
1. Get clued up
We have the world at our fingertips (literally!), and one of the best things you can do is be informed. Constantly learning and keeping up to date with the world enables you to be better equipped to have important conversations and give you an idea of what you can do to help make our planet a better place!
The more you know, the better!
2. Eat sustainably
Food choices are hugely important, and this does not mean spending a small fortune on your weekly shop, it just means you could be making more sustainable choices. What we eat contributes to approximately a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for almost 60% of global biodiversity loss.
Moving away from a meat-dominated diet towards a more plant-based diet can lower your impact on the environment. You don’t necessarily need to give up your morning bacon roll, but reducing them to once or twice a week, might be a good compromise! And, if you do end up cutting meat out completely, vegetarian, and vegan foods are far more common than they used to be. Not only that but cutting down on meat products can reduce your weekly food spend.
Don’t forget to look out for sustainable food accreditation labels on your food, such as RSPCA and Fair Trade, to ensure your food is produced to high environmental and ethical standards.
3. Reduce your food waste
Most of us know the golden rule of food shopping is to never hit the supermarket on an empty stomach – not just to avoid the strategically placed sugary snacks – but this is important when it comes to reducing food waste. Tackling the aisles with a list can avoid overloading on items that will ultimately end up in the bin. Better yet, if you have flatmates, do a weekly food shop together. Not only will you be cutting down on waste, but it will also save you money!
Or, why not band together and try a menu box from the likes of Hello Fresh or Gousto – all ingredients are pre-portioned, so nothing goes to waste.
4. Drink up
The water running through the taps of Scottish households is some of the best in the world. Each day hundreds of samples go through rigorous tests to ensure that the water is the freshest, cleanest and best-tasting it can be. So, if our water is so good, why are we still buying it in single-use plastic bottles?
Plastic is a major driver in climate change – at current levels, greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic lifecycle jeopardise the ability of the global community to keep the planet’s temperature below 1.5C. Not only this, but over one million plastic bottles are bought around the world every minute with a staggering 21 to 34 billion ending up in oceans annually, and it has to stop!
So, avoid drinking bottled water and opt for a reusable bottle when out and about.
5. Second-hand, second life
For many, second-hand clothing can invoke visions of moth-eaten knitwear and yellow sweat patches, but that is far from the case. You could be getting good quality gear – sometimes brand new – for a fraction of the price!
The fashion industry is a major contributor to the greenhouse gases that are heating the planet, paired with the rise in resale websites such as Vinted and Depop, it seems it’s not a shabby time to buy and sell unwanted clothes.
Perhaps, host a clothes swap party as a way to get together and exchange clothes you no longer want for some of your friends.
Remember, one person’s trash is another person’s gold!