Many of us have been talking about the Netflix film Don’t Look Up. If you’ve not seen it – spoiler alert! Whilst the plot depicts the approach of a catastrophic, ‘extinction-level’ comet heading straight for earth, it’s also a pretty clear allegory for climate change.
The impending doom in the film may be seen to mirror our own climate crisis and plays out a satirical scenario where, if nothing changes and no one ‘looks up,’ the outcome is less-than-rosy. The audience are quickly positioned on-side with (‘America’s sexiest scientist’) Dr Randall Mindy and PHD student Kate Dibiasky and are set up to view the film through the ‘privileged’ lens of dramatic irony. We feel, alongside them, the hair-tearing frustration and outrage as failure after failure sets humanity down a path of chaos and ultimate disaster.
If you’ve already got a climate conscience - and the chances are, if you’re here, you do - then, like me, you may well have been hyperventilating into a paper bag in your living room by the end of the film :) But it’s important to choose action over panic.
Knowing that climate change is as real to us (though perhaps slightly slower moving!) as the comet was to that fictional world in the film can make it difficult to see a route towards change.
So what can we do? We could get cross – blow up in frustration over the damage happening to our planet every single day… but we might end up with a meme of our angry faces like poor old Ms Dibiasky :) Instead maybe we could opt for recognising the differences we can make at home. We are not helpless: every choice we make as individuals makes a difference.
Here are a six simple ideas to get you started and to help you put the paper bag down and resume normal breathing ;)
- Consider turning down your heating by a degree – it could save up to 10% on your heating bill and 300kg of CO2 for the planet.
- Try shutting the curtains when you put the heating on in the evening. Bare windows are a big space to lose heat from.
- Turn off the lights when you’re not using a room for 15 minutes or more. This will save energy and has the added bonus of extending the life of your bulbs :)
- Make the change to plastic-free alternatives where they are an option. We know a great zero-plastic solution for your pet poop bags :)
- Think about your food choices. Many convenience meals come with a lot of packaging. Making your own pasta sauce or using a jar as opposed to that ‘ping’ meal could make a real difference to your waste output.
- Bulk buy your pet’s food – or consider choosing raw food to help save on packaging.
References:
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/when-turn-your-lights
Photo by Justin W
