Micro Activism: 5 small ways to be more sustainable during lockdown

During lockdown, it feels like everything is on hold and any other news pales in comparison. However, climate change is still a very real global threat and we can still do our part during this time in whatever capacity each of us are able to. For those of us who are at home with more time on our hands, below are some ways you can adapt your lifestyle to be more sustainable:

1. Conserve electricity

Did you know that electricity and heat production are the single biggest source of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions (EPA Online, https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data)? During this time when many of us are spending the majority of the time at home this could be an optimum time to be more careful about our energy use in the home. Make sure lights are turned off when you’re not in the room and put on another jumper before switching on the central heating. It is not about making drastic cut backs but not using any resources unnecessarily. It may also be a good time to do some research and consider switching over to a more eco-friendly energy provider:

2. Search Engines

Switching up your default search engine to more a sustainable one like Ecosia. Ecosia uses ad revenue from searches to plant trees, meaning you are making the world a better place with every search: https://www.ecosia.org/?c=en

3. Save the Bees

Saving the bees is a crucial part of saving the planet. Most of the plants we reply on for feed require pollination (Friends of the Earth, Online, https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/why-do-we-need-bees) and so without bees we would have a severe food shortage. Simple things you can do to help save the bees include planting bee-friendly plants in your back garden, leaving out clean water in a bowl in the garden, buying honey from local suppliers or giving up honey altogether.

4. Lower your meat consumption

Many people go vegan or vegetarian to reduce their carbon footprint. However, every little helps. You could try making small changes in your diet from having one meat free meal per day or trying to eat plant-based one day per week. If you have more time on your hands during lockdown, this could be a great opportunity to experiment with new, meat-free dishes! There are plenty of blogs and websites online which can give you some meat-free meal inspo! Check out: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/g807/vegan-recipes/

5. Learn ways to up-cycle or fix your clothes

Fast fashion has a massive impact on the environment. To try and fight back against our “go and throw” society you could always try learning how to fix your old clothes before throwing them away such as sewing holes or loose threads. Before you go online to buy a new outfit, you could try and upcycle your old clothes such as embroidering a new pattern on a plain tshirt or bleaching leggings to create a ombre effect. There are a lot of crafting articles and blogs online where you can get some inspiration such as https://morningchores.com/upcycle-old-clothes/.

These are just a handful of ways you can be a #couchactivist during lockdown. Have you been taking up any new habits or hobbies recently to help beat climate change? Please drop us an e-mail at couchactivist@gmail.com or leave a comment.