“Every little helps” is a favourite saying from the giant supermarket chain of Tesco. This saying tends to presently be applied to many charities collecting money, but also in related issues, where change is trying to be achieved. Change is needed in the way EVERYONE is living, to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle, to preserve our world for our children’s children.
Many a morning, I will be in the Kitchen, which I share with 5 other girl students, and think to myself, is it that hard to re cycle all our plastic and paper? So many times, I myself will just take the packaging from my food and put it straight in the bin without thinking... the next thing you know you have thrown away an item that could have been recycled. But that one piece of plastic would that help?
Opening my car door, I don’t even think about, why am I not getting on that bus that has just driven past me? As I turn my car key in my ignition, I have just agreed to allow my personal freedom and enjoyment of driving, effect the WHOLE world’s atmosphere, by the release of gases and pollution. But, would just that one bus journey help?
On an average Wednesday afternoon, Adrian Barritt, visited our flat as a surprise guest! The purpose of Adrian’s visit was to speak directly with the residents on campus, and see if we are recycling and what we can do to act more sustainably i.e. turning the communal area lights off. During this time, the other girls in my flat, who aren’t the best at recycling etc, did for about 2days recycle, as it was at the front of their minds, but now, back in the ‘normal’ rhythm of life, many of the girls just chuck away recyclable things. Did that one-off visit truly help?
December is a popular month, with the celebration of Christmas, decoration of houses is very popular, even gardens, homes, offices and any where possible with light decorations. This does in fact help many people ‘prepare’ in the time of Advent, but they are knock on effects of the huge amounts of electricity being consumed. In my small room alone, I have a Christmas tree, with fairy lights on, another 2 sets of fairy lights, another set of red heart fairy lights, a lava lamp, a mood light square box, also with my laptop running, alarm clock/radio currently playing radio1, and also daily the use of my hair dryer and GHD straightners. If I was to turn off just all my light appliances, would that electricity saved actually help?
New York, Paris or London ... that is a decision I have to make to decide where it will be best to get the January bargains this year. Would my carbon foot print make any difference to sustainability?
Fruit and vegetables, where would be best for me to buy it today? Will the more expensive food at the local shop, where I would walk to be better to purchase, or get in my car and drive to a large chain supermarket and pay a cheaper price? This kind of daily decision like the above, I face every day, you could say even every hour! But can my decision to act sustainable actually be beneficial? I think that if everyone took one step to being more sustainable in their everyday lives, the impact would be so positive and the effects could be massive. Although I say this, I know that when I return home this weekend coming up, I will drive around the local area, causing pollution, whilst admiring the amounts of electricity being wasted in the forms of fairy lights and Christmas displays! I guess, we all have a long way to go before the UK and the world is anywhere near living sustainably.
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERANCE ON OUR OWN – BUT DO WE BOTHER TO MAKE A DIFFERANCE?
References
'Every little helps.'
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