Climate Action: What is it, Why it Matters & How you Can Get Involved
If you’re reading this, I’d guess we can agree ‘climate action’ sounds like a good thing. Better yet, maybe it’s something you’ve been wanting to get more involved in but don’t yet know how. Well, firstly, that’s amazing; your eyes are open to the ongoing climate crisis and you care about seeing positive environmental change - welcome to the resistance!
I’m Calum, and I should start by saying I’m absolutely not a scientist and I definitely don’t have all the answers. I’ve been working in the drinks industry for almost a decade and much like my friends and colleagues at Karbon, I’ve been seeing ways in which the industry needs to change (and can change!) if we want to continue enjoying our beautiful blue planet with the luxury of a good beer in our hands. I also care immensely about our natural world and try to do what I can to protect it. This post is just the first of many to come and is very much a passion project of mine, meant to share the things I’ve learned so far in my climate action journey as well as the ever-expanding multitude of things I’m yet to learn. My hope is that you will join me on that journey and together we can begin to break down the somewhat daunting task of saving our home planet into smaller, more manageable pieces. In doing so, if you become inspired to find ways of making real change then you can consider yourself an activist too - it really is that simple.
So what is climate action, exactly? In my opinion, it can be anything you want it to be as long as it makes a positive difference to the environment. More specifically, to any environment. It’s not just about tying yourself to a tree or climbing an oil rig in the middle of the North Sea, it’s about recognizing ways in which you can make meaningful change in your daily life, your workplace or your community. These changes can be big or small, but you’ll more than likely find your comfort zone somewhere in the middle. I recommend starting by asking yourself a few simple questions: What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing, at work and in your personal life? What do you have to offer in the way of knowledge or skills that others might not? Once you have a better idea of the ways you can help, look around for what needs to be done and try to see how you can slot yourself in as part of the solution. Not everyone can stand on the front lines; maybe your climate action starts at your computer desk, and that’s just as important a role to play. Are you properly recycling at home or at work? What about the people close to you, are they still hooked on single-use plastic? Have you ever been disgusted by mountains of garbage lining your local beach? (Fun fact: a couple of years ago I picked up an American chocolate wrapper from 1986 on the shore of a small island in Scotland - plastic NEVER goes away). Why not organize a clean-up day with some friends? Remember, somebody has to make the first move and actually get their hands dirty every now and then. If not you, who will?
In a nutshell, if you have the privilege to make simple choices for the good of the planet, I believe that you should. Start slowly, in whatever way is comfortable and convenient, but continue to push outside of that comfort zone until your actions reflect your morals. I hope you’ll find, as I did, that it’s much easier than it first seems. Why not start now?
Author: Calum Robertson
