You might have heard that the COP21 Agreement made in Paris last year came into effect on Thursday 3rd November. This means that countries including China, India, and the U.S. now are legally obliged to stick to the global temperature target of no more than 2°C above the pre-industrial levels, and to pursue a target of 1.5°C. This is a great step in the right direction, but cannot be done without everyone playing their part.
If you’re like me and care very much about challenges such as food security, biodiversity loss, access to water and global climate change, I’ve compiled a list of some things you can do to save the planet as a student at Southampton.
If you’re in halls, this might sound obvious but switch things off, meaning lights, extractor fans, lamps etc., when you're not going to be in the room or around for the day. You would be surprised at the number of times that I’d come home from a day of lectures to find bedroom and bathroom lights still on. I know it seems easy to use as much electricity and water as you want when in halls; some people say, “If only I do it it’s not going to make a difference…” But think about it this way; it’s a good habit to get into, especially if you’re moving into private-rented houses in your second and third year!
On that note, it's easier than you think to recycle (which all halls at Southampton cater for) and there are even annual competitions to win ice-cream!
If you want to make a direct impact on your carbon footprint, consider cutting out meat and dairy products from your diet. Not only will this save you money on groceries, it will also directly affect your personal contribution to emissions! The University's Vegetarian and Vegan Society will be able to help a lot as they are willing to help with any questions you may have, such as recipes, where to buy food, and general advice.
You have the option of doing your washing in halls on a lower temperature too, and if you invest in a clothes horse, you can cut out the dryer element (saving you money, once again).
Join groups which are environmentally focused. Green Action Southampton undertakes a range of projects including an SU Food Co-Op, to cut down on packaging and transport, candle-lit evenings at The Art House Café in Southampton (vegan!), the Southampton Climate Forum, and they also run the awesome Environmental Rock Music Festival! The Marine Conservation Society run weekly beach cleans in and around Hampshire, the Student Switch Off Society – funnily enough – switch things off, and I’ve heard it’s quite fun to run around campus and turn off as many plugs as you can…
If you’re more politically minded, you can join the Young Greens who meet regularly to discuss Green Party issues, and are focused mainly on change in Southampton, so there will be things you can actually get involved in! There are student groups for most major political parties.
Obviously, I’m not saying everyone has to do all of these things and join every student group starting from today, but maybe if you could pick one or two off the list and start there, you could really make a difference today.
Georgia
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