But wait! I hear you thinking, I'm just some joe blow struggling to care for their family and certainly no captain planet, what can I do that isn't just a drop in the ocean?
That's true, it takes many drops to make an ocean, but with enough people we can start a ripple and hopefully it can grow. It's ordinary people just like you and just like me that need to buck this trend of concerned immobilisation. Let's no longer be paralysed by the environmental challenge and start instead with something small.
For example, I have a small amount of disposable income, so some of that goes towards my favourite conservation charity. I also spend some free time volunteering - at the moment I volunteer as a tour guide at my local Botanic Gardens and also at my local landcare. Some things I won’t do, like you find me door knocking and honestly I don’t love writing to politicians - but I am still contributing in a way that feels worthwhile and meaningful.
So to dip your toes into environmental championing, I have a list of 5 things you can do to take action on behalf of a sustainable planet, and the best part is, you only need to pick one of them to do. Let’s explore how you can:
Recycle (on the Gold Coast)
This might seem like the low hanging fruit, but recycling is difficult to do well. For instance, did you know that recyclables need to be washed clean and put loose into your yellow bin rather than contained in plastic bags? Plastic bags are not recyclable and should stay out of the yellow bin.
I love sharing this tip - milk bottle lids alone are too small for the recycling process, but they can be successfully recycled by securing them back onto their containers. So once you’ve given the milk bottle a quick rinse, pop that lid back on. Now there’s one more easy step - be sure to stab the milk container (carefully), find a knife and stab that container well. When it’s crushed during recycling, air can escape through the stab holes (sorry) and the cap stays in place. Who knew that recycling could be oddly satisfying.
In 2024 here on the Gold Coast, soft plastics are still a problem and sadly need to be put into general waste for now, but a new ambitious recycling precinct scheduled for 2031 will make burying refuse in a hole in the ground a thing of the past (supposedly). Check out the ARRC project on the City of Gold Coast website for more information about that, and while you’re there it’s definitely worth a few minutes of your time to examine the recyclepedia - a fantastic exhaustive list of what can and cannot be recycled - from lids, to foil and batteries. It’s a fantastic resource, so if you’d like to recycle well, it’s easy to get informed!
Voting
I'm not about to tell you who to vote for, but ask yourself what variables do you consider when you’re deciding how to vote? Do nature laws influence your decisions? If yes, then fantastic! If no, why not? Politicians would have us believe they know what all the most important issues are. But what could be more important than fresh water, clean air…food? In Australia the problems of climate change and habitat destruction threaten the basic ecosystem services that we depend upon - the need for stronger political power to protect and conserve the environment is both significant and urgent. We can influence governments to uphold strong nature laws that protect and regenerate nature, and we can hold them accountable - how acceptable is it to you to live in a world crippled and polluted that can no longer provide the basic necessities of life? If you, like me, find it unacceptable, then vote to protect the very most important issue at hand.
Create a wildlife friendly garden
Consider yourself a bit of a green thumb? Why not create an oasis for native wildlife right in your very own backyard. Australia is home to a massive diversity of native plants, so if you have an exotic species you enjoy, there’s a good chance an equally lovely native alternative exists that you might utilise instead. Habitat clearing in Australia is a massive problem - by creating a native garden at home you can help connect corridors for wildlife, especially; birds, bats and insects - many of which are important pollinators and might exist only in places with native vegetation. So your native garden might feel private behind your fence, but you are contributing to a greater community of wildlife and the people that benefit from having wildlife in a functioning ecosystem.
Grow your own food
Tried that! Let me guess, the cucumber that took you months to cultivate ended up the size of your pinkie finger or the pineapple that you were so excited to pick was eaten by a rat! By all means jump right in, see what works, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, we can start smaller than all that. Everyone…Everyone can grow herbs. They’re a little thing yet they elevate our meals dramatically, AND they’re expensive to buy. A flaccid bit of parsley in a plastic container can set you back a few bucks, which doesn’t sound like much on the surface, but is actually monstrously expensive per gram. The question is can growing your own herbs make a difference to the environment? Of course! We’re so easily discouraged, but all these little actions have flow on effects. Most importantly, the more food you can grow at home, the more you can reduce your carbon footprint. It took a lot of energy to grow and ship and package that tiny little herb you picked off the shelf in the supermarket, and you can negate all of that, so be proud of your little parsley patch - you are making a difference!
Involve family and friends
Armed with all this wonderful new information you may now consider yourself as a pioneer of environmental change at home, but the changes you enact can be so much more powerful if you share them with others. Imagine how a ripple grows; good habits also gather momentum in a community. Start by gathering disciples at home; we can really benefit from discussing the changes we’d like to see. For example if you’d like to start gathering scraps for a compost heap, it might not be enough to simply add a scrap bowl to the kitchen and expect the family to get on board - because it’s hard to make changes if you don’t understand the value of making a change. Friends might be encouraged to make changes passively if you talk with them about what you’re doing and why you think it’s important, but remember to avoid using words like should or ought which might sound confrontational.
So there you have it, a small list - hopefully one of those resonates with you, and feels like an achievable change you can make in your life to better care for our planet. We all have a part to play, and remember many hands make light work.
True Blue Reptiles is a Mobile Reptile Zoo, specialising in Children's Reptile Parties. We care deeply for wildlife, but we’re under no dissolutions - without a healthy planet there cannot be animals and that includes our human animals too. So please jump on board our green band wagon, we’re on a mission here to save not only our wildlife, but also our planet. Our favourite charity is the Australian Conservation Foundation - for more information visit their website.
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