1. Join environmental charities

When I began considering what to do first on my green quest, it was very hard to know where to start. Virtually every aspect of our lives has an effect on the environment and finding out the best way to act to reduce your impact in each case can be a difficult and confusing process. The obvious place to turn for advice and suggestions was the internet where there are many organisations attempting to fight climate change.

By supporting these organisations we can effectively and very easily contribute to their efforts to tackle climate change and protect the environment, both directly and indirectly. A small but regular financial contribution is not a difficult thing for anyone to shoulder. And it’s very easy to set up: using the internet, these groups are just a few clicks away. Within ten minutes I was able to join both Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, setting up direct debits that will donate a small amount money to them from my bank account every month. That’s it. I don’t have to worry about it again. And through the Gift Aid tax reclaim system you can increase the amount they receive from you by 28% without actually parting from any more cash.

By joining these organisations I will also be able to find out about their campaigns and how I can contribute more directly, from signing petitions and writing to my MP to boycotting certain companies and products and going on protests.

You too can join Greenpeace here: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/donate/by-direct-debit?PromoParam=WE001

And Friends of the Earth here: https://www.foe.co.uk/direct_debit_form_new.html

If you didn’t know:

Greenpeace is an international, independent and non-violent organisation that aims to prevent climate change and protect the environment by exposing and confronting environmental abuse by governments and countries around the world, and to promote responsible and just solutions to the environmental problems faced by the world. Greenpeace’s campaigns have contributed, among other things, to bans on nuclear weapons testing, mineral exploitation of Antarctica, and the dumping of industrial and radioactive waste at sea. Find out more here: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk

Friends of the Earth is an international network of organisations that seek to influence political and economic policies in favour of the environment, finding green alternatives based on fact to help people and governments change the way the world is run. Just recently, Friends of the Earth’s ‘Big Ask’ campaign contributed to the successful introduction of the UK’s Climate Change Bill which will require a legally binding reduction of the UK’s carbon emissions of 60% by 2050. Find out more here: http://www.foe.co.uk

You may want to support more organisations or, for whatever reason, you may not wish to join the two I have highlighted here. So here is a list of environmental charities: http://www.britishcouncil.org/environmentuk/charities.htm

Of course joining either of these organisations won’t directly reduce my carbon emissions, but they are both incredibly important in the fight against climate change. And this blog is designed to show how little things can make a contribution, so it’s not a bad way to start.