ActNow! – Here’s what you can do to save Earth from climate change

The United Nations has launched a new climate campaign called ActNow to encourage individual action on climate change. Here is what we have to add: Change your patterns and routines – to save the planet, both collective and individual change is required. This is what YOU can do as an individual to save Earth from a climate catastrophe:

1. Take shorter showers

2. Drive less – walk and cycle more

3. Buy local produce

4. Turn the lights off in rooms that aren’t being used

5. Upcycle your old clothes

6. Don’t discard plastic bottles – reuse them

7. Bring your own bag when shopping

8. Recycle

9. Eat less meat

10. Save energy

You are likely still not a believer and are wondering how it is that YOU can bring about change. The explanation is very simple: all these patterns and routines repeated by people worldwide, day in, day out, pollute the planet and, believe it or not, contribute to climate change. And climate change is so rampant that it requires urgent, coordinated, and consistent action to spur behavior change.

The suggested 10 actions are part of the ActNow global online and social media campaign launched by the UN with the aim of educating and encouraging individuals worldwide to change consumption and behavior patterns. By changing habits and making choices that have less harmful effects on the environment, each and every one of us has the power to reduce own contribution to climate change.

Sustainable food consumption

What we eat has major implications for climate change. The destruction of rainforests to create land for agriculture, along with growing demand for meat, are major contributors to the increasing greenhouse gases which are taking a significant toll on climate and global food security. To top it off, we waste about one-third of the food that is produced.

Aware of the problem, more and more chefs and other food suppliers are focusing on local and organic produce and shifting away from meat-heavy meals and fast food. Leading chefs will provide inspiration by presenting their own creations which can be found here, and kick off a global wave of culinary creativity as people share their favorite recipes and photos on social media.

Fashion

The textile industry contributes around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions – it uses more energy than the aviation and shipping industry combined, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The industry’s impact is not limited to global carbon emissions. It also produces about 20% of global wastewater and 85% of textiles end up in landfills or are incinerated when most of these materials could be reused.

ActNow invites people around the world to make their individual contributions to zero-waste fashion. The challenge: upcycle your old clothes for new looks and share your creations on social media using #ActNow. Finally, watch a video urging us to reexamine our take on fashion and wearing $5 T-shirts, the cult of buying clothes we quickly discard just so we can be “trendy.”

Act Now!