Greener Habits: Living with nature

So how exactly do we go about living alongside nature? No matter how big or small an act is, it all collects into one lasting result. Whether you're a multi billion dollar company cutting down on your single use packaging, or you’re a household choosing to cut down on your meat consumption, there are always things that we can do to help make this world that little bit greener.

Way back in July of this year (2024), I returned from a trip to London with my partner to see one of our favourite musical artists live on stage. Prior to the event, we decided to pay the museum of natural history a visit. During this time, an exhibit was being held which showcased the weird and wonderful world of birds and how they lived in the days of old, up to the modern day. Towards the end of this exhibit, something of a ‘potential glimpse into the future’ was showcased. A digital illustration, a video of the modern world living alongside nature. Three environments were shown; the outskirts of the city, farmland, and an urban street. In these scenes, wildlife filled every tree, every lamppost, every patch of skyline, every verge, every waterway; the world was teeming with life. How could such a thing be possible? In short, by creating a ‘net zero’ world where everything is run off of renewable energy.

A question that is often asked is ‘why not now?’ The year 2050 has floated around a lot over the past decade, often in both positive and negative ways. It seems that the overriding consensus will be that the world will either take a turn for the better or the worst by this time. If we were to take this year as a timeframe to make things better, what exactly would be required? Now don't panic, I'm not about to throw a load of statistics at you here. Instead, I always hope that these blog posts merely provoke thought as opposed to overwhelming the mind with datasets and percentages (although that isn't to say that they won't make an appearance if they are required).

We often talk about where we are going wrong, and less about where we are making progress. The most obvious success being the journey we have made in the last century. Now don't get me wrong, things are by no means perfect, but I would argue that going from a highly industrialised world to one where significantly more greener alternatives are available is certainly a good start. Wind and solar power have gained significant ground in this time, treaties and agreements have been formed to protect crucial habitats, species like the Sea Otter, Pygmy Rwanda Waterlily, Island Night Lizard, and the Blue Whale have been saved from the slippery slope of extinction, subsidies for countries heavily impacted by our changing climate have been implemented, the list goes on.

Of course, I can't sit here and pretend that everything is going well. Promises require action, and action requires consistency, and consistency requires innovation. What I mean here is that if nations, governments, manufacturers, and even us consumers can't keep our promises and stick to them, then what hope is there? If maintaining a greener world is made more and more difficult by the day, why would people bother trying to change it? Let me give you an example - how many times have you seen litter scattered on the road side, or in bushes, or on the beach? Unfortunately, this is what forms a large majority of the issue - there are some people who simply don't care. We all leave our footprint, and we all contribute to climate change in our own way, yet i'd like to believe that most of us are decent enough to try and reduce our impact as much as possible. In this case, many of us have to pick up the slack for those that don't want to look in the mirror and hold themselves accountable.

So what can we do on an individual basis to reduce our impact, or at least compensate for the impact that we do create. Recycling and better shopping habits are just the tip of the iceberg, and should be something that we do out of habit anyway. I'd argue that it is the simple, underrated things that make the biggest difference. Building insect hotels and placing them in your garden, leaving food out for wildlife in a contained and controlled manner (i.e. a bowl of cat food for hedgehogs that's covered by a shelter), growing more wild flowers in your garden, eating less meat, sharing a journey with a friend rather than driving two separate vehicles, walking or cycling to nearby destinations rather than driving, buying loose fruit and vegetables rather than pre-packaged goods, planting trees - the list is positively endless. Whilst a lot of this sounds obvious, I believe it's these little things that are overlooked.

Simple things like educating our children to appreciate nature more, taking them out on walks and creating lasting memories, writing to our local MP’s about implementing greener policies, voting with our shopping habits, learning to cook more efficient meals so that we waste less and get more out of the ingredients we buy, supporting local producers and business that have greener interests at heart, all of these things pay dividends in the end. Because, it is the very end, when we get the chance to look back and ask ourselves ‘would my children, and the generations of our future, be proud of the world I have left for them?’

With gratitude and wild enthusiasm

Nathan