Everybody knows that we’re in trouble.
And we, like most people, are guilty.
The earth is slowly dying and the climate is quickly changing, and if you’re in any way in denial of that fact – or of the opinion that it isn’t something you need to be worrying about – you are in fact quite wrong.
Each month sees another species on the brink of extinction, each headline details another animal caught up in some plastic, each article encouraging people to cut their red meat intake hosts a barrage of messages in the comments section telling the ‘vegans’ to take their ‘agenda’ elsewhere.
The facts are there, the details are worrying, and so yet so many of us are simply happy to sit back, relax, and let the next generation deal with it.
But they already are – as students strike from schools, hold protests, and inform the rest of the world that we do, indeed, need to take action.
Over the weekend, Scotland became the first country in the world to declare a ‘climate emergency.’
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that she had spoken to some young climate change activists who were on strike from school, demanding that their country tackle the issue head on.
“They say that’s what the science tells us,” she said. “And they are right.”
They are right too.
None of us can (truthfully) deny the effects of climate change, but many of us can happily avoid the reality, assume that our actions are unrelated, incorrectly thinking that any change – no matter how small – is futile.
It isn’t though.
We all shop at Zara. We all fawn over how cheap Penneys is. We all spent half our wages on fast fashion, having clothes delivered to us from half way across the world only to sit abandoned in our wardrobes after one wear.
We’re constantly forgetting our KeepCups, buying single use water bottles on the way to work, and accidentally boasting plastic straws in the club at 1.45am.
We’re trying, but could we be trying that bit harder?
Being environmentally conscious in every single aspect of our lives might be daunting. We know that.
But we also know that it doesn’t take much to be a little bit more aware of where our clothes come from, how much unnecessary plastic we’re using, and how our diets are directly affecting the planet.
It also doesn’t take much to implement a little change here and there and do some things that are a bit more environmentally conscious.
Conscious bits.
During May, Her will be doing some more #ConsciousBits.
Over the month, we’ll be learning how to re-use more than we buy, examining the sheer amount of waste the planet produces, and considering the many, many benefits of sustainable fashion choices.
We’ll also be chatting to some people who have made sustainability a priority, while setting ourselves a few environmentally conscious challenges along the way.
Change is daunting and we’re not perfect, but we can always try to do our bit. Our conscious bit.
You can follow the rest of the #ConsciousBits series here or follow our Instagram account for more related content.
Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected].
