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“Its worse, much worse, than you think” ~ David Wallace-Wells in The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
It’s taken me a long time to write this article because I had such a hard time wrapping my head around why people don’t care about our world and environment. Then, after speaking with multiple friends who were surprised by what I was saying, I realized that many people just don’t know. So I’ve decided to break it down for you, here is why you NEED to start living sustainably.
Number 1: We have only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change
- Yes you read that right – the research conducted by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated that we have only 11 years, and it could be even less. If we do not make the necessary changes by 2030, there is no turning back. Our environment will have suffered permanent damage leaving us ALL at risk.
Number 2: It’s about your generation
- This problem is no longer just about future generations, it’s about you – right now. I want you to picture a world with your neighbourhood flooded, forests on fire and the constant struggle to breathe as the air is so polluted. This world you’ve just pictured can easily become a reality for our generation. Based on the United Nations research, David Wallace-Wells commented, “…it’s projected that if we don’t avoid 2 degrees of warming, 153 million people will die from air pollution alone. That is the equivalent of 25 Holocausts.”
Number 3: We’re drowning in plastic
- Did you know that at least 8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans each year? That’s similar to emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute. Take a look in your cupboards, refrigerator, freezer – everywhere you look something is wrapped and wrapped in plastic. From cleaning supplies, to food, to makeup, to clothing – we’ve created a plastic epidemic, a world where we can’t see past the year 2050. That’s only 31 years away. In 31 years I’ll be 54, how old will you be?

There are so many more reasons to start living sustainably but I think I’ve said enough.
- If the research and statistics above don’t open your eyes then I don’t know what will. Maybe the thousands of youth walking out of schools to strike for climate change, or maybe 16 year old Greta Thunberg who has dedicated her life to demanding change because we are running out of time.
- You might think you alone cannot make a big impact, but you would be wrong. Every decision and choice you make matters – that reusable bag, your electric car, packing a lunch instead of going out, shopping local, making purchases from a bulk store with your own containers instead of buying items wrapped in plastic – everything you do matters because you have the ability to inspire others to do the same.
- I think one of the biggest barriers to living sustainably is that people think it is too difficult, but this is a misconception. There are very simple and affordable alternatives to the wasteful ones we are using now.
I will leave you with the words of someone who inspires me daily, 16 year old climate activist Greta Thunberg. In her TIME magazine interview she states, “I believe that once we start behaving as if we were in an existential crisis, then we can avoid a climate and ecological breakdown…but the opportunity to do so will not last for long. We have to start today.”
The time to act is now.
What are your sustainability goals? Share them in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!
