Climate change is big news these days and is finally perforating the general public’s conscious.
We are being told by the younger generation that if we don’t act now and make drastic changes to our daily lives, sea levels will rise, extreme weather events will become the default, countless animals will become extinct and my 8 year old is convinced we will run out of oxygen by the time he is old. He thinks old is 23.
The arguments against the science are receding faster than my hairline, so we now find ourselves in a position where we have to accept that climate change is here to stay. There is no getting away from it. The evidence is overwhelming.
There is a danger here though. Being constantly bombarded by bad news on the climate with the thinly veiled accusation of ‘it’s all our fault’ is maybe true, but it doesn’t help find a solution.
Too much of the same message can lead to an acceptance and a resignation that there is nothing that can be done. It becomes the norm.
So – lets move this argument on. How can we fix it? Can we fix it? Have we got time to fix it?
Clearly one individual cannot stop climate change single handedly, although Greta Thunberg is having a good go. However, a lot of people making small changes to their daily lives can have a big impact. And when lots of individuals make small changes, it adds up.
What then? I think measurement is the key. By measuring frequently, you can see your own progress and it can keep you focussed – especially if there is a target to aim for. [ In a way it is similar to a weight loss programme. Weighing yourself weekly keeps you on track and makes you think twice about having that extra bag of crisps.]
Telematics can help with this.
Having a box in your car, monitoring your driving, can help you become a smoother and therefore greener driver. That is a secondary benefit in my view to the main question – do you need to be driving the car at all?
By measuring the distance you drive – on an app, can also prompt you to think ‘Do I really need to make that journey by car and burn that fossil fuel?’ Is there another way to do it – by bus, train, bike, walk – or even not at all? Setting yourself a driven distance reduction target could help your bank balance, as you’ll not need to visit the petrol station quite so much.
You never know, it could also help the next generation to not run out of oxygen when they are “ancient”. Every little helps.