Taking action to help our environment and driving positive change are commendable achievements in society. Here are a few initiatives that have taken place recently that have raised awareness about environmental issues, and more specifically, about the issues associated with littering.

Trash isles

To show the extent of our damage to our planet, the Lad Bible created a “nation state” called Trash Isles, which has got a population that is bigger than the populations of 17 countries officially recognized by the United Nations. The online petition launched by the Lad Bible and the Plastic Oceans Foundation asks the UN to recognize the island of floating rubbish (which is the size of France!) as the earth’s 196^th country. The petition is supported by Al Gore, who was declared the first citizen of the Trash Isles. If the UN recognized it as a country, this would mean that other countries would have to take action to clean up this mass of floating waste in the Pacific Ocean. This is another example of using humor to tackle a serious environmental problem, and it seems to be working, as the petition has gathered over 220,000 signatures to date.

Why are you littering?

An environmental group in Indiana created an anti-litter campaign that went viral on Facebook. The campaign consisted of a sign that was set up at Wildcat Creek, which is an area that gathers a lot of rubbish, which has harmful effects on the local wildlife. The sign read: “Why are you littering? 1) I am a Jerk 2) I don’t care about natural areas 3) Mommy still cleans up after me 4) All of the above.”The image of the anti-litter sign was posted on Facebook in mid-September, and has been shared over 80,000 times. This is a great example of bringing attention to local environmental issues by combining the amplification of social media with the reliability of a sarcastic message. NICHES, the organization behind it, is a local non-profit that aims to protect, restore and sustain the ecosystems in the area.

Goodbye to plastic straws!

UK pub chain JD Wetherspoon has stopped using plastic straws in the drinks it serves, as a conscious effort to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the oceans and landfills. Instead, the company is planning to use biodegradable straws made of paper in 2018. The result? Wetherspoon says that this simple change will stop 70 million plastic straws entering landfills and oceans per year. Wetherspoon isn’t the only one taking part in this initiative. The wider campaign, “Refuse the Straw,” includes other restaurant and pub participants such as All Bar One and the Liberation Group. Together, they are protesting the use of plastic straws, particularly since plastic items take up to 500 years to decompose. It seems that this kind of effort will make a difference – when the 5p charge per plastic bag was introduced in the UK, there was an 85% drop in the use of plastic bags. There may have been a very small money-saving incentive, but a lot of the decrease in the use of plastic bags was also due to the awareness being raised on the environmental impact of plastic at the time. Another campaign that urged people to stop using plastic straws was the viral video of the sea turtle in Costa Rica that was suffering because it had a plastic straw stuck in its nose. The turtle survived after a group of people removed the straw and released it back into the wild, but it was an eye-opening and painful video to watch, which opened peoples’ eyes to the harsh reality of the effect of plastic waste in the oceans.

There are so many organisations out there that are taking action to protect our environment. Most of these are not-for-profit organizations, and require our support to keep going. Here are some of the most famous, international organisations championing positive change to our planet.

WWF

The WWF, short for the World Wide Fund for Nature, is the world’s leading independent conservation organization, aiming to sustain a world where people and nature can thrive together. The organization is active in various fields, such as ocean management, protecting endangered animals, making food sustainable and protecting our rivers, lakes and freshwater. By joining WWF as a member, you can help to contribute towards the protection of animals, places and people, as well as tackle environmental issues like climate change and the destruction of natural resources. You can make a donation of any amount to the organization, or you can become a member, with membership starting at £5 per month. As a member, you will receive three copies of Action Magazine throughout the year, a panda pin badge to show your support, and a Members’ Pack with news and activities for all the family. Another way to get involved is by adopting an animal, for as little as £3 per month. This is a great idea for a present for someone who would like to make a difference to the world in a positive way. Animals up for adoption include snow leopards, dolphins, elephants, tigers, pandas and polar bears.

Link: https://support.wwf.org.uk

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is an international, non-governmental environmental organization that aims to protect nature and promote peace across the globe, by exposing challenges and coming up with solutions to help our environment. Some of the areas where it is most active are: Combatting climate change; Protecting our oceans; Protecting our forests; Saving the Arctic; Working for peace and disarmament; and Eliminating toxic chemicals from our daily lives. Some of its most recent campaigns include campaigns to challenge nuclear power and to promote sustainable agriculture. You can donate any amount to Greenpeace, or you can join as a Member. You can join your local Greenpeace volunteer group, where you can take part in local campaigns, organise fundraisers and raise awareness through events and social media. One of Greenpeace’s current campaigns is trying to get Coca Cola to stop choking our oceans by getting them to take responsibility for their plastic and stop it from entering the oceans as waste.

Link: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk

Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth is one of the biggest environmental networks globally, with over 70 national member groups and over 5000 local activist groups. It was set up almost 50 years ago, and some of its focus areas include climate change, environmental justice, fair trade, land, food and water, forests, the banning of GMOs and conserving the environment. You can donate to the organization, or you can buy products from their shop. Alternatively, you can volunteer for their causes. An example of these is ‘The Bee Cause,’ a campaign to help ban bee-harming pesticides to save the bees on our planet. You can donate to the cause, which also enables you to take part in a more proactive way, as every person who donates gets a Bee Saver Kit, which includes everything you need to fight for this cause: A bee guide to help you find out how you can save bees where you live; wildflower seeds, to help grow bee food; a Bee ID guide to help you identify the species of bees around you; and a garden planner that tells you what kinds of flowers bees like.

Link: https://www.foe.co.uk

National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is world-renowned for their stunning images, videos, TV specials and magazine, and is one of the oldest organisations in its field, as it started up in 1888. Their actions mainly focus on protecting oceans, forests, species and societies, and donations contribute to research, education and exploration projects around the world. You can make monthly donations, on-off donations, or if you want to be extra generous, you can join the Grosvenor Council, which is made up of people who contribute an annual gift of $1000 or more to the Society. Different levels of membership have different perks, with some of the top levels including things like National Geographic expeditions and experiences, and curated tours of National Geographic Museum exhibitions.

Link: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/about

We all know that being proactive in helping the environment is a good – and necessary – thing, but we often find ourselves saying: “One person won’t make a difference.” However, if we all change our mindset, we can collectively improve our planet by taking action. No act is too small! Here are some actions that you can easily take to protect our environment.

• Plant a tree! Deforestation is responsible for a lot of damage to our planet, from extinction and climate change to poverty. One of the best actions you can take to reduce the negative effects of deforestation is planting trees to replace those that are lost. You can even donate money to organisations that will plant the trees for you.
  
  
• Use water wisely! One simple way of doing this is turning off the tap while you are brushing your teeth. If you have any leaky pipes in your house, get them fixed – it may not seem like you are losing a lot of water, but even a slow drip from a leaky tap can waste over 750 litres of water per day. Finally, if your tap water is safe to drink, opt for tap water over bottled water as this will reduce the plastic packaging you are using.
  
  
• Eat less meat! Did you know that about a fifth of all the man-made greenhouse gas emissions are created by the meat industry? By consuming less meat, you will help to reduce this figure, which will lower the negative effects on climate change. Eating less meat can also provide benefits to your health – all the more reason to eat more plant-based foods.
  
  
• Recycle and compost! All it takes is placing your recyclable waste in a recycle bin instead of a waste bin. An easy way to make a huge difference. Composting will also reduce the overall volume of waste that you produce, so less space will be taken up in landfills. An added bonus is that composting creates a natural fertilizer for gardening and farming, so you are actually giving something back to the land when you compost your solid waste.
  
  
• Reduce your car use! If you are able to use an alternative method to travel to work or to run your errands, then this can make a big difference to your carbon footprint. Walking, biking and public transport are all great ways to reduce overall greenhouse emissions, and these transportation methods will also save you money (and in the case of walking and biking, make you fitter!). If a car is absolutely necessary, then consider carpooling with friends or colleagues. In addition to this, you can also turn to online shopping to reduce your journeys to the supermarket.
  
  
• Shop smart! Since the introduction of the cost to buy plastic bags at supermarkets, the use of plastic bags has decreased, but it can be improved further. Bring your own bag when shopping to reduce your use of plastic. Apart from being careful how you shop, you should also be careful of what you shop. For instance, when choosing cleaning products, opt for the most eco-friendly cleaners, or better yet, make your own cleaning products at home. Most cleaning products on the market are made of harmful indoor pollutants, which you can avoid by making your own cleaners out of natural products that will still get the job done. When it comes to food and beverages, opt for the products that have the least amount of packaging. Opt for paper-based cartons over plastic bottles for products like juice, and try to buy fresh produce that is unpackaged.
  
  
• Save electricity! There are many ways to reduce your energy usage, from switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs to the simple act of switching off all electronic appliances when you are not using them. Even taking the plugs out of the sockets can help to save energy. Remember that air conditioning also uses up a lot of energy – use it sparingly and open the windows to get some fresh air instead whenever possible. In the cold winter months, make sure you wear warm clothes so that you’re not over-using your heater if not necessary.