How to Reduce Your Environmental Impact
Photo: Richard Rowe *
Climate change
Increasingly unpredictable and unstable weather patterns, and the
resulting damage from these – flooding, storm damage, melting
glaciers, rising sea levels and rising global temperatures -
will affect all of us. There is consensus within the scientific
community that the greenhouse gases which are emitted as a consequence
of our daily lives, contribute directly to this problem. Climate
change is happening and cannot be stopped. However, we can influence
the extent to which climate change occurs, through our collective
response and action. This means that we need to change our lifestyles,
and in so doing, reduce our impact on the environment.
Trees and woodlands
New Caledonian Woodlands is passionate about native species woodlands
in Scotland and about the benefits of replacing some of the 800,000
hectares of woodland that have been lost in Scotland over the last
few hundred years. We also think that hands-on conservation activity
is a very effective setting for getting people to think about environmental
issues and to commit to making changes to reduce their impact on
the environment.
By becoming involved in our native tree planting projects, you
are playing a role in the enhancement and improvement of Scotland’s
environment – for the benefit of nature, for the benefit
of people and for the future. In addition, the trees that are planted
will play a small but significant role in the offsetting of CO2.
Action we all need to take
While tree planting is a valuable part of dealing with climate
change and other crucial environmental issues, it can only make
up a component of the solution. Greenhouse gases are building up
in the earth’s atmosphere because of the actions of all of
us. Therefore, the most effective way to reduce the extent to which
this happens, is for all of us to move towards lifestyles that
cause less greenhouse gases to be produced and emitted. Some of
the changes we can make are easy to do and some have the potential
to enhance our lives and to save us money as well. Some are a little
harder to enact, but in many cases, what is required is a change
of mindset and of habit, rather than a terrible loss of lifestyle
or liberty.
Please look at the five factsheets below which aim to put an environmental
cost against some common activities and aspects of your life. The
factsheets pull together some interesting facts that will inform
you, and so assist you when deciding how to reduce your environmental
impact.
* Richard Rowe is author of Wildlife Traveller Scotland (Mainland and Islands) – two new travel guides covering 80 of Scotland’s finest wildlife destinations. Published by Pocket Mountains, the guides are available from all good bookshops and outdoor retailers.