10 things you can resolve to do to help nature

Happy New Year to all my contacts! This year is a massive year in the fight for nature. You can play a part and can contribute in everyday life, benefiting yourself, wildlife and the wider environment. Here’s ten things you can resolve to do in the coming year:

1. Stand up for wildlife

It’s been an alarming decade for nature which is “declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history”. It’s our job as concerned citizens to push politicians and make policies for nature as ambitious as we need them to be. So, resolve to be more politically active, let’s make sure that everyone we know is registered to vote, make sure that they do vote, and make sure that we hold our elected representatives accountable and engaged in the political process. Get involved in a wildlife conservation organisation that can help you learn more about whether elected representatives are being responsive. And then go and communicate with them! It’s not hard to go talk to an MP or Councillor and say, ‘I care about the state of nature, what are you doing about it?’ We need to make sure that we’re holding these reps accountable because it’s our voices and their action that’s going to make the changes that we all need to have happen collectively.

1. Avoid food waste during 2020

Up to a third of all food produced ends up being thrown out. Food production is incredibly resource intensive. So when we don't consume what we’ve bought and instead buy even more food, our carbon footprint gets bigger. To avoid food waste, plan your meals and purchases. This resolution saves you both time and money.

1. Turn the garden into a wildlife haven and CO2 sponge

If you have access to a garden or allotment, you have a unique opportunity to create your own wildlife hotspot that can capture large amounts of CO2. Trees are our most effective means of absorbing and storing carbon. A wild and lush greenspace is more fun for children and adults to stay and play in, it brings health and wellbeing benefits, and can support wildlife in numbers. The potential diversity of wildlife is illustrated by the long-term study of one suburban Leicester garden, which was managed sympathetically towards wildlife, where more than 2200 animal and plant species were recorded. Another study recorded more than 95 species of wild plant in a single garden.

1. Halve your meat consumption by 31 Dec 2020

World food production accounts for one third of CO2 emissions created by humans. And one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions is to produce less meat and produce more plant-based foods. High consumption of especially red and processed meat increases the risk of a variety of cancerous and cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes. Therefore, it is also healthier for your body when you halve meat consumption.

1. Avoid buying anything new for a year

A large part of our carbon footprint comes from the production and transport of electronics, clothing, furniture and other major items we buy. Brits have a very high consumption, and we change things considerably faster than in many other countries. You're going to save a lot of money when, instead of buying something new, you buy recycled products, exchange and reuse things, and repair faulty items.

1. Avoid air travel (trains are good) 

Air travel is a huge climate burden. Consider a return flight from Gatwick to Thailand or commuting 20 times from Gatwick to Glasgow in a year. These air journeys generate about 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per passenger. This corresponds to what we each have to reduce per year if we are to comply with the Paris Agreement. So, to get your climate account from the red in to the black resolve to stay on the ground and not fly.  And you might find beautiful places in Britain that you would not otherwise have experienced…

1. Cycle to work

It's not just good for the climate when cycling. It is both healthier, cheaper and even benefits the social economy. On average, Brits emit around 2,000 kg of CO2 per year by getting to and from work. If you cycle, you can get the emission almost to zero. Studies show that even shorter bike rides reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, dementia and heart disease. In addition, you avoid queues during rush hour, saving time on exercise and money on petrol and parking.

1. Halve e-data consumption by end of the year

Each time you use the Internet, one or more data centers are sent to work, which costs electricity and CO2. If you reduce your data consumption, you can make a big dent in your overall CO2 imprint. When you use less data, your devices consume less power, saving you money on electricity bills. When you go offline, you get rid of notifications, mails and messages that constantly bother you. Though you may miss out on gems like this article, this resolution gives you more time and tranquillity…

1. Set up an environmentally-friendly home

Approximately 40% of our energy consumption is domestic. Efficiency improvements and energy savings in homes are one of the big keys to achieving our climate goals. For example, if everyone in Britain replaced just one 100W light bulb with a 20W energy-saving one, we'd save 1000 MW per year (the same amount of energy as that produced by a nuclear power station). Implementing energy efficiency measures provides a better indoor climate, and when you save on electricity, water and heat, you also save money.

1. Support green pensions and savings

The money that you have to make when you retire is most likely invested in fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. Put pressure on your retirement company to phase out the black investments. It will have a huge effect. You can help give the green transition a huge push in the right direction. In addition, investment in fossil fuels is likely to yield far less returns in the future, as the world countries with the Paris Agreement have committed to phase out fossil fuel energy...