Can you make this change?
Complex problems rarely have one simple solution. Take climate change and our biodiversity crisis – these are two interrelated issues, each with multiple aspects and potential courses of action. I know many of us have a growing concern about the future, and naturally we want to play our part in trying to make a positive difference. But, by changing what?! What can we change at the individual level that is achievable and will help make a positive difference? It’s too easy to feel overwhelmed by this situation and stick with what you are currently doing. But the old ways of doing things are showing to lead to problems and I think making a series of small positive changes is the way to go.
There’s lots of guidance around on what we can each do (e.g., your transport, your diet, how you consume and generate waste, a social media campaign!), but here I wanted to share with you one change we have made on our modest urban section, by transitioning several lawn areas to native cover and the positive difference this has made to the biodiversity we see. One thing I like about what we have done is we have established some very long-lived trees which will contribute, even in a minute way, to our carbon sequestration needs and at the same time provided a habitat which the animals are clearly enjoying.
I’m a firm believer that climate and biodiversity issues need to be tackled in tandem. Please view this short video which covers this change. And have a think about what incremental changes you could make or have made and what the outcome has been.