1. Avoid Mass Market, Throw Away Fashion

The clothing sector generates 10% of all global carbon emissions and remains the second biggest industrial polluter, following the oil industry. Ironically, approximately 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make polyester fibre, the most commonly used fibre in the fast fashion industry. – inexpensive throw-away clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.

Fast fashion garments, which on average are worn less than 5 times and kept for just 35 days, produce over 400% more carbon emissions per item than garments worn 50 times and kept for 1 year. In addition to the CO2 emissions associated to production and transportation, fast fashion also facilitates deforestation on a grand scale.

Over 70 million trees are cut each year to produce cheaper fabrics such as rayon, viscose, modal and lyocell. Not to mention the water pollution from plastic microfibers, pesticides for cotton crops and toxic colouring dyes.

So by shunning fast fashion, by means of buying sustainable and environmentally friendly apparel, or better still purchasing or sourcing second hand clothing, you’ll significantly reduce your carbon footprint, while also looking rather dapper in ecological or retro threads.

3. Refuse Single-Use Plastic

Gone are the days when reusing jam jars and recycling tin cans was enough to save the planet. To make real environmental change and really reduce one’s carbon footprint, it’s high time we all started living plastic free or adopting a zero waste lifestyle.

300 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year. Without intervention, the amount of emissions from plastic will consume 17% of the global carbon budget by 2050!

By refusing single-use plastic, we as individuals can make a significant dent in these figures.

• Take your own reusable shopping bag to the shops
• Use own food containers, cup, and utensils to avoid unnecessary throw-away plastic
• Carry a reusable water bottle
• Invest in bamboo earbuds and toothbrush
• Say no to disposable straws and stirrers
• Avoid heavily and/or unnecessarily packaged foods
• Purchase solid packaging free detergents, soaps, and shaving creams
• Invest in or make your own eco friendly cosmetics
• Purchase from grocery stores and local markets that sell their produce loose and free of packaging.

5. Switch to Green Energy

The future of household energy lies in renewable energy sources such as wind, and solar power. Regardless of climate change, there are limitations on the availability of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal, while “green electricity” is becoming cheaper and more readily available.

Nowadays most energy suppliers offer “green electricity” tariffs, which seek to champion renewable energy. However, we recommend sourcing one that ensures your electricity supply is 100% renewable (Some companies purchase a mix of renewable and non-renewable electricity).

A 100% green supply means all the electricity you buy is ‘matched’ by purchases of renewable energy such as wind farms and hydroelectric power stations. As more people sign up for such schemes, it will drive up investment in these technologies and subsequently drive down renewable energy prices. It’s a feedback and you can be the catalyst of change.

Ready to start reducing your carbon footprint? Read on to learn how to calculate and manage your footprint and help restore nature through rewilding.

Fighting Climate Change through Rewilding

What is Rewilding?

Rewilding, a revolutionary branch of conservation, works on the core principles that nature can recover and thrive by itself if given the space and time needed with little human intervention. It is gaining momentum and praise for its astounding successes in transforming impoverish landscapes into thriving ecosystems and improving biodiversity. It does this by restoring ecosystem processes, replacing missing species, reconnecting habitats, and supporting other essential components of nature that have been damaged by human activity.

Advocates of the highest calibre promote rewilding on a grand scale to combat climate change: Sir David Attenborough recently stated “It is the only way out of this crisis that we ourselves have created. We must rewild the world!”     

How to get involved with Rewilding

Rewilding can take place on any scale which means anyone can start the process of bringing back nature. While the specific actions previously mentioned focus on reducing the carbon you personally emit into the atmosphere, rewilding offers you the chance to support biodiversity - fundamental in the fight against climate change. Rewilding your garden is a simple way to not only help native flora and fauna but also to conserve resources and avoid unsustainable and harmful gardening practices. If you want to up the scale, there are plenty of rewilding projects working to protect and restore ecosystems and in the process take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Our Projects page contains a list of exciting and impactful projects operating around the globe, contributing to such impacts is made easy, transparent and engaging through our Mossy Earth Membership.