This blog was written to mark Earth Day 2022 for GiffGaff and its users and was put together by Graham:
How much do you really understand about climate change? Well, whether you’re just starting your eco-friendly journey, or have been invested in a sustainable lifestyle for a while, we have a treat for you.
For Earth Day, we’ve partnered with sustainable influencer, Immy (aka. Sustainably Vegan). In this blog, she’ll talk us through the basics of climate literacy and how changing our mindset is the first, and most important, step to helping the planet. Take it away, Immy.
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| Guest writer, Immy, aka Sustainably Vegan |
Hello, I’m Immy of Sustainably Vegan, here to help you kickstart your sustainable lifestyle this Earth Day (Friday 22 April 2022).
We all know about the importance of being sustainable, but not all of us understand why, or how. That’s why climate literacy is so important.
What is ‘climate literacy’?
Climate literacy is basically just a fancy way of saying you understand the key principles of the Earth’s climate, as well as how and why it’s changing.
Someone who’s climate literate understands enough of the science to examine the evidence they see in papers and on the news, and talk about them clearly and accurately.
They’ll also be able to appreciate the impact human behaviour has on climate change, and understand how their everyday activities could make a long-lasting difference.
The recent effects of climate change
The Earth’s temperature has been rising at a rapid rate since the pre-industrial era. In fact, our planet’s surface temperature has increased so fast in the past 50 years that it’s the biggest increase in any 50-year period for at least 2000 years.
The co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently used the words “it’s now or never” in reference to the Paris Agreement’s aim of keeping the global temperature rise to below 1.5°C. And, unfortunately, this makes it sound less dramatic than it should.
Because while 1.5°C might sound like a tiny increase to most people, if the planet’s temperature were to rise that much, it would be devastating for the environment.
Why is climate literacy important?
More action needs to be taken to slow climate change, and it needs to be taken now. But how can we make the right choices, if we don’t first understand the whys and hows around climate change?
If we can help people across the world feel better informed about their role in the climate crisis, we’ll be in a much better position both to limit climate change and to adapt to a world with more renewable energy.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get climate literate. It’s as simple as one, two, three:
1. The two ‘I’s
The first step to achieving carbon literacy is to be interested. And seeing as you’re reading this blog, you can probably give this one a big tick.
Remember, being carbon literate doesn’t mean you have to become a climate scientist. All you need is a basic knowledge of the Earth’s climate system and modelling. Just enough to understand the implications of rising temperatures and all the tiny knock on effects that can have (melting ice caps and tornadoes, for example).
Being interested also means staying informed. Though if you’re doing your own deep-dive research, try to find information that takes its evidence from peer-reviewed sources as these are most likely to be accurate.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
- BBC: What is climate change? A really simple guide
- NY Times: The science of climate change
- United Nations: What is climate change?
2. Taking action
Some of the most impactful choices we can make as individuals are to eat less meat, minimise our use of planes and cars, and reduce household waste (including water and energy).
We should also be conscious of our consumption in general. For example, many people upgrade their mobile phone without a second thought. However, as phones (and tech in general) are extremely resource-intensive to produce, it would be much more eco-friendly to choose a refurbished phone instead.
And it’s not just your decisions you have the power to change. Believe it or not, you as the consumer have far more influence than you think over policymakers and businesses.
Not only can you write to your member of parliament about local concerns, or to your favourite brands and about their sustainability policies. But even simpler than that, you can have influence by where you choose to spend your money in the first place.
Take your bank and/or insurance company as an example. Are they one of the many still investing in fossil fuels or deep-sea drilling? If they are, vote with your wallet and move to a company that doesn’t.
As American writer Anna Lappé once said: “Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.”
3. Educate others
Whenever I talk about sustainability, I always like to emphasise that the most important thing is to do the best with what you have.
This acknowledges different individual circumstances and accepts that some people are more able to make sustainable choices than others.
Having conversations with others about climate change and sustainability is the most simple, cost-free way to start raising climate literacy and acknowledge the impact we have on the planet every day.
It’s time for us all to come together to make change. And what better time to start that conversation than Earth Day?
Join the conversation on the giffgaff community forum, where you could win 500 Payback points in a fun Earth Day quiz. And follow my sustainable lifestyle tips through my Sustainably Vegan blog. So we can all start working together toward a brighter, greener future.
