5 easy ways to make a difference
We are busy, we are tired, we feel the problem is too big for us to do anything about.
Well, no one is going to change the world single-handedly, that's for sure .
But each of us, doing small things, can add up to making a big difference.
And what price the pride you will feel in knowing you did what you could to
ensure your kids the chance of a decent future?
Switch to a green energy supplier
Drop one car journey a week
Talk to a friend
Install one low energy lightbulb
Tell your MP you're worried
What is now plain is that the emission of greenhouse gases ... is causing global warming at a rate that began as significant, has become alarming and is simply unsustainable in the long-term. And by long-term I do not mean centuries ahead. I mean within the lifetime of my children certainly; and possibly within my own. And by unsustainable ... I mean a challenge so far-reaching in its impact and irreversible in its destructive power, that it alters radically human existence.
Tony Blair, UK Prime Minister 9/14/2004
Switch to a green supplier
Switching your electricity supplier to one who uses renewable sources of electricity is the most important and simplest step you can take today.
The process of changing supplier is very simple
It doesn't mean you have an unreliable electricity supply your electricity comes off the grid as per normal, and the company you choose simply supplies to the grid a unit of renewable electricity for every unit you use
The cost differences are minimal or non-existent
The change will have a big impact on the amount of co2 your family produces
People switching to green energy suppliers sends a very clear signal to government and industry people want action on this issue.
See here for more information about suppliers of renewable electricity
http://www.ukgreenpower.co.uk/
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Drop one car journey a week
Ooh, bit more tricky this one. It maybe you don't have a car, or already limit the use of the car you already have. But again, every small step we take as individuals can have a big impact when multiplied across millions of people doing the same. Walking and cycling are great exercise, and getting the bus can be a great adventure for kids.
So go on for one journey a week dump the car, and walk tall.
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Talk to a friend
Word of mouth is the greatest influencer of all, the marketer's holy grail
( trust me marketing is my job ). The key to success is not to attack someone for not
making the same choices as you if you get their back up then all is lost.
Instead, if the opportunity presents itself, just talk in a non-threatening
way about your own concerns for your self and your children, and how difficult it is to make any changes to one's life or feel that as an individual you feel you can make a difference.
And then perhaps mention something you have done (perhaps switched to a green energy supplier, or been more concious about turning lights out ) and how better it has made you feel to know that at least you are trying. You will be surprised at how big an impact adopting such a modest approach can have.
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Install one low energy lightbulb
Available from a wide range of retailers,
this again is a simple, inexpensive step which reduces the co2
produced by your family and, if enough people buy them, sends a message to
government and business that people are ready for the changes needed to comabt
the climate change problem.
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Tell your MP you are worried
This really does work! A few letters on this issue forces the MP concerned to sit up and take notice, certainly if he or she wants to retain their seat. Tell them about your concerns as a parent about what climate change means for your children's future, and ask him or her what they are doing about this issue.
You can find out who your MP is, and their contact details, at this link
http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/
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