7 ACTIONS TO SAVE THE PLANET
We each have a role to play in tackling climate change and environmental degradation. Here are seven important ways that you can create a better future for planet Earth and all of us.
GO PLANT BASED
Attenborough says we must radically reduce the area we use to farm, to make space for returning wilderness. In order to do this, we must eat less meat and embrace a more plant-based diet. “If we are to farm less land, we must eat much less meat, especially red meat, and especially beef, which, when including the grain fed to cows, consumes 60 per cent of our farmland,” he explains. “Estimates suggest that by changing our habits, humankind could feed itself on just half of the land that we currently farm.”
VOLUNTEER TO PLANT TREES
“Forests are a fundamental component of our planet’s recovery,” he says. While large-scale deforestation may seem like an overwhelming global issue, individuals can do their part by helping rewild the land. Try volunteering at a tree planting day, or plant native trees in your backyard.
RECONNECT WITH NATURE
A lifelong naturalist, Attenborough says we all should find time to cultivate an appreciation for nature, even those living in cities. “Most of our cities have parks of one kind or another and then many parts of the country are wild parts. They have been put aside as little corners in which nature can flourish and you would be astonished at how much stuff you can see there ... how many different kinds of butterflies, how many different kinds of birds.”
SHIFT YOUR THINKING
“It’s all too easy when thinking about sustainability to focus on what we must give up and miss what we gain,” he says. “The reality is that a sustainable world is full of gains. It’s a world in which we gain cleaner air and water, quieter cities and in which electricity becomes more affordable and more available.”
SPEAK TO YOUR LEADERS
Attenborough advocates using your voice for political action. Addressing leaders at the 2021 G7 Summit, he said we have the skills to address climate change; all is needed is the will to do so. As individuals, we can voice our support for climate action, but call on leaders to act. “We should let our politicians and business leaders know that a sustainable future is not just something we need, it is something that, above all, we want.”
REDUCE AND REUSE
Many of us remember to recycle, but forget the need to reduce and reuse. Before recycling, think of ways to reduce and then reuse. Bring a reusable container when you pick up takeaways, or consider repairing something before throwing it away.
RAISE OTHERS OUT OF POVERTY
We must recognise that we are all connected in this world. “We want everyone on Earth to have a fair share, and that means we need to both lower consumption and find ways to stabilise our population growth,” he says. “The fairest way to stabilise the global population is to help poorer nations to develop. When this happens, diet and healthcare improve, child mortality decreases and families have fewer children.” You can help by donating to causes that lift people out of poverty, both locally and internationally.