How to help Mother Nature
HELEN’S ACT OF WILDNESS IS TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN REDUCE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINT
WE can all talk about trying to reduce our carbon footprint but one Notts woman decided to take on the challenge.
Helen Griffiths decided that her carbon footprint had to be reduced. Now she is encouraging others to do the same as part of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s 30 Days Wild challenge.
“Start small and increase with time!” she says. “It’s the perfect random act of wildness”.
Helen, who works at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust as their Carbon Reduction Champion, is in the perfect role to stay motivated. Having set herself the personal challenge, she explained: “My interest and passion for carbon reduction grew with a personal journey dedicated to reducing my carbon footprint.
“I committed to changing my behaviours and habits in order to lower my footprint and reduce my impact on the planet, helping to restore, preserve and protect our natural environment, whilst improving our health and wellbeing. My random act of wildness is to encourage others to take action.”
Helen says every single one of us is capable of making changes in our lives that can and will benefit nature.
She said: “I enjoy spending as much time as possible outdoors and surrounded by nature, regularly walking and cycling around Nottingham and the surrounding area.
“There are opportunities for everyone to increase their knowledge and awareness, become informed and take action. We are all learning and working together.
Here are Helen’s steps towards a lower carbon lifestyle:
■ Rethink how natural resources are used and what you are buying. Understanding that natural resources are limited can greatly influence the choices you make in your everyday life.
■ Refuse to accept or support products and companies that unnecessarily harm the environment. Refuse items that are over-packaged or packaged in plastic when an alternative is available.
■ Reduce the number or resources used in everyday life. Use a reusable shopping bag. Ask for paper bags rather than plastic. Reduce energy usage, water usage, household waste (food, plastic) and transportation.
■ Reuse, repair or repurpose items instead of throwing them away. Repairing items reduces the consumption of materials and natural resources. By placing value in the items you have and repairing when needed, you are sustaining the products you own and reducing waste.
■ Rehome items you no longer need. Your trash might be someone else’s treasure. Donate to charity shops, use apps like Olio or Too Good To Go (fighting food waste) or give to family and friends.
■ Recycle where possible, but remember around 91 percent of plastic is NOT recycled, so consider the above options first. Clothing, shoes, cooking oil, motor oil, electronics, lightbulbs and batteries can all be recycled or disposed correctly of by specialists and local services.
■ Rot – compost your food waste. There may be local initiatives if you do not have the facilities at home.
Helen adds: “It is our duty to protect Mother Nature from those who refuse to see her beauty. Time is of the essence. We must take action now because every action counts.”