Twelve years to change

I am angry. Not because of Brexit, not because of the Tories, not even because of Boris Johnson's new haircut- even though these things do bother me immensely. I am angry because our planet is dying; it is overheating and it is drowning in our waste, but all I hear about is the bloody EU. Yes, I want to remain in. Yes, I want a people's vote. But what does it matter if the planet can no longer support us? Nothing matters if we bury our heads (probably in plastic) and ignore the truth that we are to blame for mass extinction and habitat destruction. 

Whenever I go to the supermarkets, I look for produce that isn't suffocated in plastic but I am now finding this harder than ever. Despite pledges to reduce plastic packaging by 2025, I and many others have concerns about the difficulty to shop with zero plastic waste. I understand the convenience of plastic, it's cheap and easy to produce, but small changes such as: loose fruit and vegetables; paper bags for bread, seeds and nuts; canned drinks including water; makes a huge difference. Though large companies claim that the majority of their packaging is now recyclable (mostly only at larger stores that provide this service-not kerbside-but it's a start), only 45.2% of household waste is actually recycled. Furthermore, the waste that is recycled is sent abroad to be processed, which does not necessarily mean that it is recycled, more often then not it is dumped. The Environmental Agency has not got the power to implement stronger controls on companies to prevent an abuse of their current system. Currently, the government is 'meeting' their targets on recycling, without actually enforcing UK guidelines in the recycling of UK waste, they have become comfortable. Only a third of plastic is never recycled or reused and two million pieces of plastic is used every MINUTE globally. And maybe one person can't make a difference, but there are seven billion of us, so if we each do our part, that'll be one hell of a change. 

Up next, remember that warm spell we had in February? We experienced 21.2°C in London, in winter. Granted, it is nice to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, but this terrified me. The world is feeling the heat, and its showing. Since 1960, there has been a major increase in both the severity and frequency of natural disasters, this not only impacts the natural environment but also causes the death of thousands of people. The increase in global temperature affects sea levels, storm surges, wind speed and can cause droughts. Whilst research suggests that the frequency of natural disasters will not be uniform throughout the world, the increase in severity undoubtedly will be. Photographs of polar bears in their melting habitat are well known, but the intensity of the problem is not as publicised. Increased drought not only causes species to dehydrate leading to a shift in ecosystems, but drives wild fires which destroy habitats. The unseasonable weather changes can also disrupt behavioural patterns for species; for example, flowers may bloom when the weather is warmer (such as in February this year) and then die from the cold when the weather returns to normal. Out of sight, coral reefs are feeling the pressure of warming seas, the algae that live within the coral exoskeleton and provides nutrients, are dying and a shocking rate. Not only are marine habitats becoming warmer, they are becoming more acidic from absorbing CO2; ocean acidity can be toxic for some sensitive species, especially shellfish who then cannot form their hard exterior.

With this pressure to adapt to higher temperatures, flora and fauna must also compete with habitat loss, mainly caused by deforestation or poorly placed infrastructure. In the Arctic, oil and gas drilling often engender spillage that cannot be contained efficiently, this oil is toxic for marine species. Furthermore, the noise produced by drilling can be fatal at worst and off-putting at best. Other constructions are built in areas that are thriving with life, displacing inhabitants. In the Amazon, hydro-electric dams are built to provide 'green' energy for the country; these dams block water pathways and reduce fish ranges. This not only affect fish reproduction but also skews the food web. Staying in the Amazon, deforestation for cattle farming has created a mass of contaminated runoff flowing into the rivers, this alters the chemical makeup of the water and can damage wildlife. As we move east to the Himalayas, farming is also destroying the surrounding forest as too many cattle and goat are found grazing within the forest and trees are felled for fuel. I understand the communities' need for agriculture, however, it must be understood that the land can only support so much. 

The attitude of parliament has remained blasé about plastic waste, climate change and habitat loss, overlooking opportunities to encourage corporations to lower their impact on the planet, instead wasting time insulting each other and enhancing their career. The Conservative government enjoys boasting their green policies such as 'Net-zero carbon emmissons by 2050' but that is too little too late. We have 12 years to reduce global warming to 1.5°C, we are currently destined to reach a rise of 3°C. Looking deeper, their policy aims to reduce emissions by 85% by 2050, which sounds brilliant-but this reduction is relative to the data from 1990. It must be remembered that is the same government that dissolved the Department of Energy and Climate Change in 2016 and replaced it with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. To me, that speaks volumes. On the bright side, Michael Gove may be making progress (a sentence I never thought I'd think, let alone type) in banning certain single use plastic items by October this year. While this is a great move, it does not go far enough to tackle the larger issue i.e. plastic films, packaging without recycling instructions, the creation of new plastic etc. Thousands of young people turned out last month to voice their anger about the lack of enthusiasm in tackling climate change, forcing the government to call a debate- the first in two years. This debate was attended by a pitiful number of politicians, and around 10 Tories. This government does not care.

The government seems to care far too much about Brexit and scraping nonsense trade deals and not enough about the future of the planet. No matter how many trade deals a country has, we cannot trade without natural resources, we cannot live without crops, we cannot breathe without clean air. We owe the planet much more than this, after all, we are provided with everything we need by nature.

But what can you do?

• Vote with your money. Each penny you spend goes to fuelling an industry, choose wisely. Cut your consumption of animal products (may sound like a preachy vegan but animal agriculture is the leading cause of greenhouse gas and deforestation and pollutes surrounding waters); choose eco-friendly alternatives for cleaning products/cosmetics/clothes (this is a great website: https://www.anythingbutplastic.co.uk/); visit zero packaging shops if they're nearby and; eat seasonal and locally sourced food! 
• Use public transport, where possible or walk to nearby places. Be mindful of flying habits (https://www.alternativeairlines.com/eco-friendly-airlines)
• Buy second hand- charity shops are brilliant for good quality things and a great price!
• Change your energy supplier, if you can, to an eco-friendly provider (Bulb, Green Star Energy, Ecotricity and Green Energy are all available in the UK, along with others), look into installing solar panels and insulate your home.
• RECYCLE- kerbside recycling can be restrictive but other companies offer services (https://www.terracycle.co.uk/en-GB/brigades ; Enval will recycle food pouches i.e. cat food) and some companies offer refill services. 
• Buy reusable water bottles, razors, shopping bags etc.
• VOTE, VOTE, VOTE for parties with meaningful green policies and for those who stand for the planet and young people.