Tiny ways to help the planet

One of the promises I made myself while in Bali at the end of my travels was to properly start to act on my feelings about key issues. Instead of just getting upset about climate change and the ecological problems that are facing the world, to actually make changes myself and talk to others about what I am passionate about. One of the Yama’s in the Eight Limbs of Yoga is ahimsa or non violence and I really want to start applying this not only to how I treat myself and others but also how I treat the world. By treading more delicately on the earth hopefully I will be being less violent to my immediate surroundings and also being kinder to the wider world. However small we think we are, our actions are really taking effect across the earth.

This is the first of these posts and me keeping a promise to myself! I have been passionate about animals and nature for as long as I can remember. Forever playing outside as a kid, surrounded by dogs, guinea pigs, friends horses and geese, the school rabbit who no one else wanted over the holidays and living in a bedroom that was literally painted as if I was living under the sea. Dolphin above my bed, coral reef behind the door…completely normal right? David Attenborough has been the soundtrack to a large portion of my time and that’s why I can really no longer ignore or be quiet about what is happening. We still have a possibility to undo some of the damage so how about giving a few of these simple tips a go?

1. Turn off lights when you’re not in the room or the house and take other electrical items off of stand by
2. Recycle everything you possibly can. Familiarise yourself with what your council does or does not take and do everything you can
3. Try to buy food in as little packaging as possible and ideally locally to drop those food miles
4. Take a canvas bag with you everywhere. The less plastic bags we use the less will be produced
5. If you see litter pick it up. Do a 5 minute beach or park litter pick and take pride in the little corner you’ve made litter free
6. Whether it be in a cocktail or a smoothie refuse that plastic straw and tell them why. If you’re desperate to straw sip then buy yourself some reusable ones and pop it in your bag when you go out. America alone is estimated to use 500 million plastic straws a day, just imagine the difference if these were got rid of completely!
7. Be mindful of what you buy and maybe cut back on the amount you buy and where its from
8. Clothes wise try to limit the amount of synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon, acrylic etc)  you have and how often you wash them. Every time we wash clothes fibres are lost from the garment and flushed into our waste water, ultimately ending up in the sea. Natural fibres break down, synthetic ones don’t and just contribute to the plastic pollution in the oceans
9. Walk instead of driving if you can. Driving releases carbon dioxide into the environment which is one of the key greenhouse gases contributing towards climate change
10. Buy a reusable water bottle and use this instead of buying one use bottles. Not only is it cheaper but better for the environment too. If you wanted to go the whole hog you could even get a keep cup for your coffee and reusable cutlery for your salad!

Plastic is the big one I’m really trying to combat this year so it would be great if you could join me on just a few of the above ideas. If you have anything in particular you are doing yourself to try and help please do let me know in the comments below

Oh and if you fancy reading more about the impact plastic is having on our world and oceans then please have a look at The Plastic Soup, a new blog set up by one of my old school friends Lynne which is full of other ideas and facts