Tag: environment

Arctic Climate in Crisis

This month the Climate Change Collective of bloggers decided to discuss the issue of how Climate Change is affecting the Arctic. Not only that, but we hoped to work out how those changes impact the rest of the world.

That was quite a tall order but Michelle did a brilliant job in her lead post:

How climate change in the Arctic affects all of us

Shrinking sea ice is one of the biggest changes which has ramifications for wildlife, including Polar Bears and seals. Ice melting generally will increasingly lead to higher sea levels and extended periods of flooding around our coasts.

In my own region, the Fenlands of East Anglia were reclaimed from being wetlands hundreds of years ago. With current predictions, they are likely to be back under water by 2050 if global warming is not tamed.

We should all be watching what is happening in the Arctic with a keen interest.

Animals such as walruses have less sea ice to inhabit and are forced to group together on land, especially in places such as northern Russia. Restrictions on space make them more vulnerable to predators. Michelle explains how these habitat alterations are worrying indeed.

In A Nutshell

There are many changes to Arctic ecosystems which are directly associated with temperature change. With sea ice melting more rapidly, this area is going to suffer from the negative consequences sooner and affect the rest of us too.

If you haven’t seen The Climate Change Collective before, we are an enthusiastic bunch of bloggers who are keen to write about environmental issues. Our goal is to spread awareness and make suggestions for living more sustainable lives.

Thank you for reading my post. Please check out the lead article and comment your thoughts on it for Michelle.

Weather Or Climate?

When Michelle decided to write the latest lead post from the Climate Change Collective about the difference between Weather and Climate, I was especially intrigued.

As a Geography student I changed my degree after one year to a BSc(Hons) instead of a BA(Hons) in order that I could concentrate more on physical geography. A big part of this was the study of climate, and in particular, climate change.

A lot of people mix up the two things. Often people assume a few hot or cold days mean a change in climate but generally climate is about averages. Average rainfall, temperature and windspeed. Weather is more a description of what is happening right now in our blustery skies.

It’s cold outside – The difference between weather and climate

Lately, a short cold burst has led to people quickly condemning the idea of climate change. This is shortsighted and doesn’t make much sense.

Over half a century, world average temperatures have increased significantly. Occasional freak weather conditions do nothing to undo this fact.

Check out Michelle’s wonderful article to find out more about this subject. I hope that you can see how important it is to be able to distinguish between Weather and Climate.

Wrapping Up Doesn’t Have To Be A Waste.

As we reach the end of the year, I am delighted to be able to write another Climate Change Collective post. With Christmas on the horizon, there are some aspects of our rituals that can be environmentally awkward. One such aspect is packaging.

The UK uses 227,000 miles of wrapping paper each year. Each Christmas each UK household throws away three and a half black bags full of Christmas packaging. (Source: GWP)

Startling facts like this highlight just how important it is that we start to reign in our packaging obsession over the festive season.

The Trouble With Glitter

I have been checking recycling instructions for wrapping paper. It seems that the general UK advice is that if you can scrunch it up and it stays scrunched then it is recyclable. There is an important note added to that though. If it contains glitter or foil decoration, then it can’t be recycled.

This is disappointing but makes a lot of sense. However, it is the reason why so many general waste bins are going to be stuffed full of wrapping paper this week.

One of the worst offenders when it comes to being single-use is the renowned (and often pointless) gift bag. A shiny and expensive gift bag usually contains an already fully wrapped present. Is this really necessary?

Being covered in foil and soon worn out, a gift bag commonly makes its way swiftly into the rubbish bin.

But why do people wrap their presents and still feel the need for individual gift bags too?

Suggestions For Change

First of all people need to start thinking about the type of packaging they use. Does it have to be shiny and sparkly?

I will be honest and say that this Christmas I gave my presents without any wrapping on at all. I don’t have any children in my family but would have wrapped their presents if so.

Using coloured paper which has no foil is a simple way of making gift wrapping better for the environment. It should be the thought that matters and the consideration that went into the present buying, not the sparkly packaging.

Final Thoughts

If landfill sites are being filled with gift wrapping every Christmas, then we really need to challenge this. In the spirit of Christmas, should we not be giving back to the planet instead of polluting it with rubbish?

It takes tinfoil (the same as the foil found in wrapping paper) around 400 years to decompose according to Recycle Coach.

Let’s make an effort to move away from unnecessary packaging and towards a more sustainable future full of recyclable Christmas wrapping and emptier dustbins.

Thank you for reading this article. Please message me if you are a blogger wanting to join The Climate Change Collective. Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader) and I came up with an idea to establish a group of likeminded bloggers to write monthly features about the environment. Our group has blossomed and every member writes a link post each month.

To read the most recent post from our collective simply check out Caroline’s wonderful Reconnecting with nature and self article from November.