anna.yhshihI originally posted an article on MEDIUM to talk about three little actions we can take to make fewer impacts on the earth in 2021. However, it seems these are not enough to stop the situation from getting worse.
At that moment, a day called Dashu, the hottest day in the Chinese calendar, had just passed. We also can see the global news reported that heatwaves hit Europe and the UK, causing hundreds of deaths there. The temperature has been recorded to be over 40 degrees for the first time in the UK.
People in the UK always complain about the cold and gloomy weather. My friends who came from western used to envy that we could get nature tanned with sunshine and warm weather here. But honestly, it sounds horrible to me. As I have sensitive skin and can barely stand for humid and heat rash, I enjoyed the cool weather in the UK. So I can’t imagine the wonderful place has changed like this, then there are even rarely air-conditioners in the public stations or houses.
I also remembered a few hot days when I was in London. My store was humid and hot because the air-conditioner didn’t work, probably of seldom use. So we had to prepare cold drinks for our customers and ourselves to cool down our bodies. But ironically, air-conditioners can’t save us as the higher electricity consumption can worsen climate change.
I also remembered a few hot days when I was in London. My store was humid and hot because the air-conditioner didn’t work, probably of seldom use. So we had to prepare cold drinks for our customers and ourselves to cool down our bodies. But ironically, air-conditioners can’t save us as the higher electricity consumption can worsen climate change.
I think it is time we must make some changes in our daily life right now. Here is the article I posted on medium and re-edited it a bit. You can start from these tiny steps and can make huge impacts if more people begin to change.
Why do I care about climate change so much? The first reason is that I hate that the weather is humid and hot! I definitely will not accept there will be only one season which is summer! Another reason is that I saw an article when I was a kid which described a skinny polar bear that died because it couldn’t find food on the melting iceberg. I felt it broke my heart. The worst thing was, I didn’t realise then that more animals are dying because of climate change, even human beings.
When I studied in high school, I was assigned to sort and recycle rubbish in class. (Yes, everyone was responsible for cleaning and tidying the classroom.) We have been educated to do recycling since we were kids. Therefore, it was a big culture shock when I saw plenty of rubbish around Europe or the USA, and people threw trash in bins without separating them. Furthermore, people were still getting free plastic bags when they shopped in supermarkets in the UK in 2015, where FREE plastic bags have been banned in my country for many years. I was surprised by how people ACTUAL implemented these sustainable actions in reality in western countries.
And the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its climate report recently. The news seemed entirely ignored because of new pandemic waves and the withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan. It mentioned that if we keep making carbon emissions like now, the temperature will increase about 1.5degree in 20 years. It probably sounds like nothing to most people because we may think, “come on, just 1.5degree!” People thinking about polar bears’ death or other animals’ extinction are far from us. But if you pay more attention, future disasters are getting closer. The moment I am writing this article, there are already over 40 people who died of the flooding in New York City or New Jersey.
Do you still feel climate change is not your business?
There is no specific way to stop climate change, and everyone shouldn’t judge whether people should do good or not. But, the effects of extreme weather occur in everyone’s life. So I wonder how I can make a difference in the environment as I probably can’t be a vegetarian or never shop for clothes as I work in the fashion industry? Here are 3 ways I have been used to improve the world little by little.
1. Buy less unnecessary clothes.
It sounds not a good suggestion, primarily since I work for an industry that encourages people to shop impulsively. However, I realise that fashion should not equal consuming stuff you wear once or never. When I did my spring cleaning, I found that I had similar items I wore just once or never. Something I bought because I wanted it rather than I needed it. I am not talking about how much chemical pollution or energy consumption for cloth during production, but imagine how much carbon dioxide will pollute the air after burning these unwanted clothes. Nowadays, I always ask myself every time before I do any consumption. For example, do I really need it? How many times will I wear it? If I don’t want it anymore, where will it end up? If there is something I can’t answer clearly, I won’t make that purchase.
2. Bring your bottles or containers for takeaway.
I live in a country where it is super convenient to eat out. I am proud of this delicious and cheap street food but still worried about the rubbish we create with every purchase. I usually feel bad and guilty whenever I throw away plastic or paper takeaway boxes. So I try to bring my water bottle, container, or shopping bag. However, please think carefully about when and how to use this “environmental-friendly stuff”. It is to create more waste if not using them.
3. Do recycle.
Sometimes I can’t bring my stuff all the time because of carrying a small bag or just bad memory. It is okay sometimes, and you can at least remember to recycle. Teachers taught us to sort rubbish when I was a school kid, even for a little plastic straw. So I feel uncomfortable if anyone throws them directly into bins without any separating action. I also wash those plastic boxes before putting them into recycling bins to help people better put them into the reusing process. It is a small action to make a difference for the environment; everyone can make it just in a snap.
I really admire people who can practice a zero-waste lifestyle. Even if we can’t do 100% like them, we can still make a massive difference by slacking these tittle actions. More air-conditioners and ice creams can’t save us from heatwaves in the long term, and we have to see these changes seriously and make some fundamental changes right now.
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