Earth overshoot day may sound like an anniversary for when a comet overshot the earth, narrowly missing us and almost causing a second mass extinction after the dinosaurs. Hooray! But it isn’t. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. For this day does indeed lead us to our doom and unfortunately, we have set a new record this year.
Every now and then, you arrive at a situation which there is really no way around. Sometimes you have to go against your values and make some tough decisions.
For me, this happened last week when I completed by practice Gold Duke of Edinborough adventurous journey. It was so much fun but all good adventures come with a small price - lots and lots of plastic. A new term is being thrown around in the media which is really catching on. Similar but not identical to “vegan”, a “plant based diet” is a more philosophical and ‘kind’ version to the sometimes religious vegan practice.
I'm not going to lie. I have been so excited about Plastic Free July this year and that excitement level just went through the roof! For me, July is my favourite month because, although I'm not a fan of the cold, it is my ambitious month of experimentation. I have been looking forward to this day all year!!! I know, it sounds a bit over the top but I honestly love Plastic Free July. It is an Australian born initiative which makes me so proud and there is now so much momentum behind plastic free living which makes the whole adventure so much more fun. My top tips for PFJ...1. Sign up and make a pledgeYou would be surprised at how many people don't realise that you can actually sign up for Plastic Free July. I think a lot of people assume it's just a slogan to encourage people to reduce plastic but, in actual fact, it's a worldwide movement of people working together to raise awareness about single use plastics and the possibilities in living plastic free.
PFJ collects the data from the registrations to be used as a powerful campaigning tool but also for research and analysis. It helps us to grasp the scale of plastic that we are using and to gauge the public support for plastic free alternatives. So if you haven't already done so, make sure you sign up and make a pledge! I love Plastic Free July because it isn't about absolutes - you can choose to refuse all single use plastics or you can tackle one aspect like straws or plastic bags. This means that everyone can get on board at a level that is manageable for them. |
AuthorMy name is Taylor and I want to educate young people about sustainability and conservation. Archives
December 2019
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