Do You Pass These Climate Change Tests?

BBC - Christiana Figueres

Christiana Figueres, who helped secure the Paris Climate Change Agreement in 2015, spoke to Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 Live. She shared her top five things that she thinks we, as individuals, could do to help the environment.
Ms Figueres is the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. She now uses her organisation Mission 2020 to pressure countries to do more to stop global warming.

1. What do you eat?

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"Make sure that you are not eating high carbon - which means not eating red meat every single day - if you’re eating red meat for seven days a week, begin with six, five, four - just yesterday I had a fantastic plant-based hamburger.
"There are options on the market, make sure you’re not signalling to the market that you remain in the red meat camp.

2. How do you transport yourself?

(Photo: Getty Images)

"If you are driving a high-carbon vehicle and if you’re the only person in the vehicle - that’s totally irresponsible.
"Move to public transport, move to shared vehicles, move to bicycles, move to all of the other transport means that are much more responsible.

3. Is your home insulated?

(Photo: Getty Images)

"4.5 million homes in the UK are not properly insulated. Instead of warming our homes do we have to warm up the entire neighbourhood?
"Can we insulate homes so that we’re only using the energy that we really need as opposed to wasting energy, and paying through the nose for energy that is unnecessary.

4. Where are your finances?

(Photo: Getty Images)

"Those of use of a certain age that by now have some disposable capital should know, where are our savings invested?
"If they’re invested in high carbon, not only is that irresponsible to the planet, it’s also irresponsible for yourself because you’re going to lose the value of those assets.

5. How do you vote?

(Photo: Getty Images)

"For those of use who live in a democracy, how do we vote?
"Are we voting for those public leaders at local and national level who understand what’s going on and are willing and courageous enough to take the decisions and implement the measures which are necessary."

Links

• Christiana Figueres Mission 2020
• Be The Change You Want To See In The World: How Individuals Can Help Save The Planet From Climate Catastrophe
• The Young Minds Solving Climate Change
• Harvard Scientists Want To Limit How Much Sunlight Reaches Earth's Surface In Order To Curb Global Warming
• How 34,500 Tonnes Of Food Waste Is Powering Melbourne Homes
• Climate Change: Narrate A History Beyond The ‘Triumph Of Humanity’ To Find Imaginative Solutions
• Adapting Yourself To Take Action On The Environment
• How Is Climate Change Affecting Australia?
• Climate Change: Focusing On How Individuals Can Help Is Very Convenient For Corporations