There’s a new plan for a net-zero 2050, and you’re in it
We’ll never have top-down change without bottom-up change too
Simple climate action at home // I S S U E 8 // P L A S T I C S
It’s official: you are part of the solution
For the first time, big shifts in consumer behavior have been designed into a major plan to cut carbon emissions
By Jemima Kiss
How many times have you heard someone say there’s no point taking action on climate change, because it’s too little, too late? It’s a convenient point of view, because it means not having to change. But fatalism is no better than apathy. More importantly, individual action is part of the solution, and now it’s official.
This month, the International Energy Agency (IEA) acknowledged that individual behavior change will play an “essential” role in cutting emissions. The IEA details how this shift will be a major part of cutting global emissions to net-zero by 2050, alongside changes in energy production and increased renewables.
It’s the first time the IEA has included citizens as part of its forecast. Cutting down flying, using less air conditioning and heating, and working from home three days a week are all elements of the IEA plan. Governments are key to enabling and encouraging these lower-carbon actions, particularly by funding public transport, introducing slower driving speeds, and supporting working from home. The authors also note that cutting down meat consumption will be crucial if we are to meet their zero-emissions goals for 2050. More on that next week when we begin our month on soil and diets.
Our individual actions reinforce what’s possible collectively. Your actions matter, particularly when you talk with kids about these issues, the solutions, and what we can do.
Illustration: Jago Silver
The Hothouse Challenge: Your Results
Changing food shopping habits is a really big challenge. Most of us are set in a food-shopping routine that we do at least once a week, and we’ve been used to buying plastic-packaged food for decades. It’s the easiest option, and it’s what the supermarkets put front and center, always emphasizing convenience and price.
It takes effort to get over that hump and start doing things differently, but it can lead to a food adventure. That might be tastier, fresher produce from a farmers’ market, learning to make something from scratch that you previously bought readymade, or just starting to buy in bulk so that you get the satisfaction of cutting packaging out completely. Here’s a reminder how to get started. You don’t need to eliminate plastic right away. Just find a few easy steps to take. Soon, you’ll find how delicious it is to nearly kick the plastic habit.
What worked?
Making the problem visible: If you can see how much your household throws out, you can start to imagine the cumulative effect for your community.
Starting small: If it feels intimidating adapting your routine to bulk shopping, start with three things from your dry store that you use often, like sultanas, pasta, and rice.
Find alternatives: Running out of something is a perfect opportunity to change your shopping habits, one item at a time. There’s an increasing array of low-packaging or plastic-free alternatives, from toothbrushes and dental floss to refillable soaps.
What was tough?
It’s smelly: Some packaging, like pouches, are hard to rinse properly and end up being pretty smelly after a week; dirty recycling is one of the reasons China stopped accepting recyclable plastics. But thank you for persisting!
Being a parent: Those of you with small children are exhausted at the best of times. On top of everything 2020 has thrown at us, there are many days when the most convenient thing is the only thing you can cope with. That’s OK. This isn’t supposed to make you feel bad — just inspire you to make changes when it feels realistic.
Supermarket dilemmas: One Hothouser said they wanted to buy plant-based burgers, but those are almost impossible to buy without plastic. There’s no perfect answer (for now) for advanced plant-based burgers, like Impossible and Beyond Meat. But meat-free alternatives include Quorn products that use a cardboard box (with no plastic liner), or you could make your own. That’s not as much work as it sounds; a basic recipe takes about 20 minutes.
Our impact
This challenge in particular is hard to assess, because adjusting our shopping routine takes several weeks. Obviously it will take even longer for changing behaviour to reduce the demand for plastic packaging. But there are ways we can make our voices heard, and that’s what comes next.
We were very touched to receive this story from Bristol, in the UK. Two 10- year olds were so motivated by our plastic edition they made their own newsletters, printed and copied it, and distributed it to every house on their street. They’re planning a second round next week.
“Hi! My name is Tom and I live on your road, and I’ve got a really good friend called Rwbyn. We want to make a change for our generation and the world which we live in. We are asking you to do your bit to help stop climate change. As shoppers, we have power by choosing what to buy. Let’s stop buying food wrapped in unnecessary plastic.”
Tom and Rwbyn planning their media distribution strategy. Photo: Lotte Norgaard
Plastics: Level up your action
This is our philosophy: Taking action in our own lives helps us understand an issue, motivating us to engage more deeply and push for action in the wider world. It’s what makes systemic change possible. Rather than feeling paralyzed by the problem, we can imagine and demand what’s needed to slow climate change.
Take it from Rob Greenfield, who we’ll be profiling next month. Greenfield has spent his adult life designing an adventurous life in line with his values. For a year, he ate only food he grew or foraged. For a month, he wore all the trash he produced living as an average American. The point was not admonishing others to live like him. It was to show collective action only becomes possible when we feel confident in the possibility for change in our own lives.
“What happens [after taking individual action] is now I am empowered human being,” says Greenfield. “An empowered human being can stand up to corporations and politicians that are causing the destruction. And an empowered person, I believe, is generally much more capable of explaining a point of view and standing up for their point and being a person that people are going to really listen to to make that change.
“So the individual changes are extremely important. But without individual changes being also applied on a greater level, we stand no chance of overcoming the current situation that we're in. To sum it up, we need top down and bottom up at the same time. And we'll never have top down without bottom up.”
We’ve outlined ways you can get involved in your community and the institutions that affect our lives. That can be as simple as spending 30 seconds donating to a great project, or joining others in taking the next step.
Step One: Personal
Review our tips for cutting down plastic and get organized. Take your own bags shopping, avoid pre-packaged food, and start using the bulk section. Prepare an eating out kit (reusable cutlery, plates, cups, and a container) and take it whenever you go out. And start exploring reusable, refillable alternatives for products like razors, soap and cleaning products.
Step Two: Community
Donate: Find a good project local to you and support it with a monthly donation. Both Surfrider in the US and Surfers Against Sewage in the UK do great work fighting against plastic pollution. Also look at the work of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, the solutions-focused Ocean Cleanup, or find a project near you like the Bahamas Plastic Movement.
Volunteer: Offer your time and skills. The easiest way to donate your time is by doing a beach or river clean. You can do it by yourself, do it (socially distanced) with friends, or join an organized event like the Great British Beach Clean. Some organizations, like the Marine Conservation Society, offer lots of other projects you can get involved with.
Advocate: The Green Team movement has been growing in American schools. Work with other parents to help set up this scheme in your school which will educate kids, encourage environmental awareness, and save money on trash collection.
Step Three: Governance
Big business: Using the Litterati app we covered two weeks ago, you can start compiling a “digital landfill”. Download the app (iOS and Android), pick up trash, and then photograph each piece, tagging the company that created it. Companies are paying attention: Litterati enthusiasts in the Netherlands pushed one company to switch from plastic to paper wrappers. Tag the trash in your neighborhood, and see if you notice any repeat offenders.
Government: Take eight minutes to tell our elected representative that you want manufacturers to pay for the trash they create— the “extended producer liability” model we described two weeks ago. Instead of making cities and taxpayers foot the bill for landfills and expensive disposal, manufacturers fund the programs, incentivizing them to reconsider their plastic footprint. Find your local, state, and national representatives in the US, and use the excellent WriteToThem in the UK. Use this template to start drafting your email.
We’re pushing to bring you inspiring stories and powerful, actionable information that can help make a difference. But we need your input too. Tell us what changes you’ve made, however small, or let us know what problems you need answers to. We want to know how Hothouse can help. Just reply to this email, or do our short survey.
Next week, we’ll start digging into dirt, and diet. Join us!
Hothouse is a weekly climate action newsletter written and edited by Jemima Kiss, Mike Coren and Jim Giles. We rely on readers to support us, and everything we publish is free to read.
