We were approached by Lacie Martin from Raise Them Well to talk about climate anxiety, which is an issue we have seen increasing considerably as the climate emergency is covered by the media, sadly there is a media obsession with talking about the problem without offering a solution which is leading to a lot of anxiety as people feel powerless.
How to Deal With Climate Anxiety and Make a Difference
It’s hard to avoid discussions and media attention that quite rightly highlights the climate crisis at the moment but sadly too many of these stories are a major cause of climate anxiety.
We aren’t saying it’s business as usual, we do need to make some lifestyle changes but Raise them Well wants to make you aware that your aren’t powerless and you have the ability to make a positive impact to the planet with some small lifestyle choices that have very little effect on your day to day life.
We have been talking to The Pure Option a company that is on a mission to empower the consumer by giving them the option of a plant-based alternative to single use plastics just by changing the materials their products are made from, and they now have 400 products made of plants that replace petrol-based plastics.
The Pure Option describe themselves as a company started with the mission of solving the un-natural problem of plastics with a natural and sustainable plant-based alternative.
They describe this as a solution led approach, solutions not barriers, they want you to be able to live your life as you want minus the barriers that restrict how you live , we asked The Pure Option Technical Manager Charlie to explain what they mean by “Solutions without barriers”.
So what does “solutions without barriers actually mean?"
“ there is nothing wrong with plastics, they have changed the world we live in for the better, but single use products with a limited lifespan shouldn't be made of petrol based plastics, the single use packaging like take-away coffee cups aren't the problem , it's what they are made of that is the problem, so the solution is quite simple, just change the material to a plant based alternative that adds positively to the environment".
“We want you to live your life without barriers , it's what they are made of that is the problem , so we just change the material our products are made of to a plant based alternative, it's a surprisingly simple solution that has a huge environmental benefit, they are great for the planet from harvesting to disposal, it's completely circular and beneficial to the planet”
"Let's say you want to grab a coffee at your local coffee shop , why shouldn't you grab that coffee , we think you should be able to do that without the need of a barrier approach like a reusable cup, we just need to make the cups from a sustainable plant based cup and that’s what we do, we remove the plastic and replace it with something made from plants, it’s a simple sustainable and environmentally positive solution, the coffee cup isn’t the issue , the material it’s made of is the problem”.
“If we look at the disposable straw, most people prefer a drink with a straw but the current media obsession is to eliminate the straw or replace it with a re-usable straw but our approach is simpler and barrier free , just change the material to something plant based, it's barrier free and when it's disposed of, it adds positively to the environment it is disposed of in”.
We asked how using plant based materials works?
“We tend to use this picture as a simple way of explaining how a plant based product works”
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“ simply they come from plants and can be used to grow more plants, it simple, it's beneficial and it 100% sustainable”.
We asked so is climate anxiety a real problem?
“ there is no denying there is a problem, but we don’t like the constant doom and gloom we can all make a difference and we should be talking more about the solutions than the problem, companies like ours are solving climate related issues every day , in fact we believe that now that companies like Unilever are looking at their materials , the problems of plastics are a present issue and not a future issue, we are winning the war on plastics but sadly even with companies like Unilever doing incredible things, no one seems to be talking about the positive stories”
We asked so what the consumer can do to drive positive change?
They provided us with a list of things we can all do.
- If your favourite take-away business is using packaging like foam or plastic ask them to move to a more sustainable plant based alternative, good tips to be aware of is look for terms like PLA, Bagasse, sustainable board and compostable , as these will all be made of plant based materials.
- Ask your local MP to ask why the new plastic tax which was designed to reduce plastic use applies to plant-based packaging and not plastic packaging that contain recycled plastic, as this is just recycling a problem rather than removing the problem.
- Contact the news outlets that talk about the problem and don’t discuss the solutions and ask them why they don’t talk about the solutions.
- Be suspicious of terms like biodegradable as it can be an indication of it being beneficial to the environment, but as this is unregulated in the UK it can also be used to describe just about anything, it shouldn't be but is surprisingly complex as all compostable products are tested to a standard EN13432 which guarantees that they add positively to the environment when disposed of, put simply all compostable products are biodegradable but not all biodegradable products are compostable ( we did say it was complex).
You mention the plastic tax , what is the plastic tax and is it beneficial to the environment?
“When the Government announced The Plastic Tax we were pleased to see the Government doing something about the problems caused by plastic and we believed they were going to follow the example set by Countries like New Zealand and Ireland and drive the change to a plant based alternative but sadly they tax plant based products and providing you add 30% recycled plastics to a product you don't pay the tax, we obviously can't and won't do this so we pay an additional tax that has added to the cost of our products while plastic based products have a great way of avoiding it”.
But isn't recycling plastics a good idea?
“absolutely we should re-use plastics and recycle them and we have a huge legacy problem caused by plastics and their long term effects on the environment but this is recycling a problem and most plastics can only be recycled up to 4 times so all this is doing is delaying the problem for sometime in the future , we shouldn't be making single use products from plastics when the plant based alternative is readily available and we shouldn't be taxing the solution while allowing the companies making these plastics a way of paying the tax, the plastic companies love this tax as it makes the solution more expensive and we know with 100% certainty that the future is plant based but this makes it much further away that it should be, we should of followed the Dutch example and allowed plastics when their is no alternative but banned them where their is a plant based alternative, the UK obsession with recycling is just masking the problem here for longer”.
We asked there is a lot of green washing going on what tips would you give to avoid yourself being fooled by some of the fake green claims.
“Sadly only Australia and France have a legally enforceable definition term of what is biodegradable and from our research we can only find three things that aren’t biodegradable from the current definition and that is Plutonium rods, glass and silicone , everything breaks down eventually so the term has no real meaning, well done to the Australians for doing something about this , what you need to be looking for is the term compostable , it’s certified to a high standard and it means that if it is added to food waste it could be used to grow more plants, sadly currently the UK doesn’t allow compostable products to food waste but even if it ends up in your general waste, it won’t pollute, it won’t contaminate and it still offers environmental benefits”.
We asked what someone can do around the house to make a difference.
“We would always recommend using a water butt to collect your rain water and a home composter are two very low cost ways of making a positive difference around the home, having a home composter can be addictive, there is few things more satisfy than knowing vegetable and fruit you have grown come from your own food waste"
" Avoid using extremely damaging peat based compost, peat based compost releases huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere”
And finally, we asked The Pure Option what people suffering from climate anxiety should do to reduce their anxiety
“If you find the news is having a negative effect on your mental health, detox yourself from the news outlets that talk about the problem and don’t discuss the solutions".
“We would recommend contacting these news outlets and tell them about the effects on your health this constant negative news is having on your health , tell them you want to read about the solutions, Journalists are likely to change their writing style when you offer them a ready made story, so send them links of positive news stories, hopefully this will make these news sources rethink how it delivers it news stories about the environmental”
“ Remember your not powerless you have the ability to be the driver of change, only when we you realise you have the power to drive change by using the power of our wallets, will Companies and Governments change for the social good”
Relieving the Stress of Climate Anxiety
To help yourself to feel better and reduce the risk from climate anxiety, you first need to get control of your own anxiety and the team at Raise them Well recommend using these tips.
Talk to people
No one is going to say that the climate crisis isn’t a legitimate fear, but you cannot let it control your life. If you feel your anxiety levels increasing then take the time to talk to family and friends and voice your concerns, as the saying goes “a problem shared is a problem halved” and they made be able to give you a different perspective that help to reduce your stress levels.
Write it down
Many people find Writing in a journal is another way that you can get your feelings out and take the weight off of your mind, write it down and wipe it from your mind.
Media Detox
We recommend not staying up all night watching the news, or you will never get the seven to nine hours of sleep that you need to rest your mind and recharge your body and revitalise your mind.
Exercise
There is extensive research that shows exercise is a great way of reducing mental health issues sweat out more of that anxiety by doing 20 minutes of cardio and weight.
Eat Well
Avoid fast food which has trans-fats that can weigh you down mentally and physically.
Experience this incredible planet
Go out and see the world, go for a walk and it will remind you of why we need to be climate sensitive but not climate anxious, it's a beautiful world out there, enjoy it.
Make Small Changes Around the Home to Reduce Waste
Now that you are in a good state of mind, you can begin to feel even better by doing your part to help the environment.
It’s easy to feel powerless but as has been shown, we all can make a difference in our purchasing but there is also things we can do in our homes to make a difference and by being a sustainable global citizen you can encourage others to live more sustainably.
Change those bulbs
You can help by making small changes around the home. For instance, replace your incandescent bulbs with LEDs that will not only last longer and shine brighter but save you money in the long term.
You can further save electricity by turning off lights when you are not in the room and keeping them off until they are really needed.
Save water
You can also save water waste by replacing your faucet and showerhead with low-flow options that will get you just as clean for a fraction of the cost.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast, if rain is forecast you don’t need to water the garden.
You can also easily add a water butt to collect rainwater for gardens and these are relatively cheap to buy.
Compost your food waste
Your food waste can actually save you money and can be used to replace all the damage that using peat based compost damage that using peat based compost does to the planet.
Turn your passion into pounds
If you really want to make a difference then you can start an eco-friendly business , this could mean that you start a company that creates sustainable products like solar panels, or it could be a standard company that follows eco-friendly practices like being paperless or using compostable coffee cups.
Use social media as a tool for good
You can create engaging posts that are targeted at your primary demographic. When you do, you will want to show details of your business, including your eco-friendly efforts and the services that you provide. Many people like to upload a PDF, but taking a screen capture may be a good alternative to uploading a PDF. You can add this new file to your Facebook by clicking on the menu, and once you do, you will be able to engage with your customers. Just keep in mind that you will not be able to post PDFs to your personal page, only to your business page.
You can find out more about The Pure Option and their mission to make the world a more sustainable place by visiting their website.
Thanks to Lacie at Raise them well for discussing the problem, if you are feeling anxious about the environment and it is causing you increased stress levels please feel free to start a debate on our social media sites , just search for @thepureoption.
