Here are 5 ideas from the carbon offsetting reforestation project, Selva, to help you make changes that can reduce your impact on the environment. Of course, these tips are only here to offer inspiration, as the kinds of changes you may want or be able to make will differ from person to person. But if we can begin to make one or two changes to our lifestyle, we are able to make a real collective difference.
Thinking about travel
It’s no surprise that air travel is a key contributor to global emissions, and with more cars on the road the impact of getting around day to day can all add up.
The average trip between London and NYC contributes around 986KG of CO2, and around 2.4% of global emissions come from air travel, with the wider aviation industry being responsible for around 5% of global warming. This doesn’t sound massive, but often it makes up the biggest proportion of our own personal emissions.
When looking at travel options for business or leisure, why not consider whether you can switch to a location that’s a little closer to home, or try a scenic train trip instead.For the day to day stuff, try switching a drive for a trip on public transport, or if you are able, factor in a little longer to walk or cycle to your destination.
Switch up your diet
You have probably heard about how veganism is a better option for the environment, and whilst a vegan diet is not always necessarily a more sustainable option, reducing meat consumption can be. The meat and dairy industry is responsible for 14.5% of manmade global greenhouse gas emissions. Clearing land for cattle is also a major cause of deforestation -
This doesn’t mean you have to go cold turkey - but cutting down the amount of meat you eat can still have a serious impact on the environment. By removing red meat alone from a diet, the average European could reduce their carbon footprint by around 6%
Consider what you buy
We’ve all heard about fast fashion, and the impact it can have, and it’s true that 10% of global emissions each year come from the fashion industry. Around 87% of the input for clothing ends up in landfills or incinerated.
Some things we can consider include buying second hand, repairing and upcycling, and trying to buy items produced closer to home with fewer air miles.
The same things are important for all of the goods we buy - often it’s nice to pick up the latest piece of tech, or new gadgets for around the home. But before buying something that will end up gathering dust on a shelf, why not look at borrowing something instead.
Switch off for a bit
As the amount of tech we use grows, so does our energy consumption, but there are some simple steps to help bring this down.Simple changes like switching off lights or other devices when not in use can cut back on unnecessary usage. The types of electrical goods we use can also help - switching to more efficient lights, heaters or appliances can all help.
Around the home, making sure insulation is in place, drafts are plugged and windows are double glazed can all make sure we use less energy to keep our homes heated - and will save money too.
Offset the rest
Even by cutting back and making changes where you can, there are many parts of day to day living that aren’t practical to cut out entirely.Carbon offsetting, with schemes such as Selva, works by calculating your carbon footprint and planting trees to help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere. They will ask some simple questions that help calculate your carbon footprint, using the data to plant trees on your behalf. Whilst the process is simple, the outcome takes on a much bigger scale. As the trees grow, they absorb and store carbon within them, removing it from the atmosphere.
Reforestation can also benefit biodiversity, prevent soil erosion and provide a much-needed habitat for at-risk species. Trees are one of the most affordable ways to create large-scale impact - it can cost less than £5 to reduce one tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere.
