Children of the world, you are the Generation to reverse Climate Change. Act now.

Wow - will September 20th 2109 go down in history as the day the world woke up because the children shouted so loudly? I sincerely hope so.

The Climate Strikes are fabulous. They have made so many more people aware of the looming climate crisis and put increasing pressure on Governments to act. However, it is not just Governments who need to act now to stop humanity destroying itself (and many other species and habitats at the same time) and we ALL need to make some big changes to our lifestyles. Even as children there is so much you can do right now reduce YOUR impact on the planet.  You are more than likely the last generation who can make the changes need to avert a total crisis.  Please read on and please become eco-friendly even before you are an adult.

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Eco-friendly actions children can do, right now.

Food

• Only take the food you will eat - don't take too much and don't waste food.
• Learn how to cook especially those things that are heavily packaged - don't just watch Bake Off, become a baker!!  Learn how to make bread, biscuits etc. Reject plastic packed processed food and aim for delicious home made goodies.
• Takeaways - the beef in your burger may have come from a cow grazed on land that was, until recently, rain forest. Your fried chicken will most likely be from a factory farmed bird pumped full of growth hormones.  Parents often buy takeaways when they are short of time to cook a meal but you can help out.  Do some of the cooking or help with other jobs around the house to free up your parent's time.
• Choose a vegetarian meal when you eat out.
• Cut out those plastic packaged snacks that may well also contain palm oil.

School

• Ask if your  school will set up an environmental club and help run it.
• Likewise ask for and help look after a school veg garden and suggest your school invites in environmental professionals to give talks and run workshops.
• Lunch boxes - make your own sweet/savoury snacks and use reusable sandwich wraps. Make seasonal salads in reusable containers.  Take a reusable water bottle and say no to so many fizzy drinks or squash.
• If you eat school dinners, pick the veggie option.
• If available choose lesson options that give you skills as well as academic qualifications - cookery, woodwork etc
• Look to follow a career that is environmentally friendly - green technology, environmental consultancy, organic agriculture etc. and chose the appropriate courses to reach our career goal.
• Learn about politics and how governments work so you will be better informed when you are old enough to vote.

Special Events

• Over the next year you'll all have a birthday and then there's Christmas, Halloween, Easter etc so ask for fewer gifts and/or eco-friendly ones. Reject all th eplastic paraphernalia that goes with Halloween.  The generous grandparent can be a sticking point but politely tell them that their apparent generosity spending out on gifts you don't need is actually damaging your future. By spoiling you now they are spoiling your future.

Fashion

• You are no doubt going to need a new wardrobe as you outgrow your current one but consider buying fewer items and choose those from ethical and sustainable suppliers. Even if you can't do this reject the excess and enjoy a slimmer wardrobe.
• Stop buying clothes online and returning those you don't like - did you know returned items invariably go to landfill as that is easier than checking they are clean and repackaging them?
• Wear clothes until they actually need washing and get out of the habit if tossing them in the wash basket as soon as you take them off. 
• Pass your outgrown clothes onto younger/smaller friends and family members and be proud to wear second hand.
• Learn to make, mend and alter your own clothes.

Personal care

• Toiletries - ask your parents to buy you eco-friendly brands and products such as bars of soap and solid shampoo. If these cost more you could pay for the extra yourself from your pocket money.
• Make up - consider how much you buy and finish what you have before you buy more. Could you cut back how much make-up you use, anyway? 
• Sanitary wear - use washable sanitary pads or a reusable Mooncup. These may appear expensive but in the long term you will save a fortune.

Your Garden

• Ask if  you can take over a small part of your garden and start growing some veg for your family.  Even without a garden you can grow some herbs in a pot or cress on a plate on the windowsill. There's more growing ideas here. 
• If you have no space in your garden you could offer to help out at the local allotments in exchange for veg and fruit.

Leisure time

• Join an environmental club or conservation organisation and start to become an expert on environmental issues.  You can get involved in wildlife surveys and maintaining local green spaces, parks and wildlife reserves.
• Learn a useful skill.  I've already mentioned about helping to cook at home so join a cooking club to build up kitchen skills.  What about joining a sewing class so you make and mend clothes? Or classes on carpentry etc that will mean you can make and mend all sorts of things.
• Become a Cub, Brownie or Guide as these organisations have become very green focused. You'll learn loads and be with other like minded people.
• Join and use the local library. 
• Could you help set up a toy library or a free book swap?
• Technology - your phone takes a lot of resources and energy to be built and the servers that allow you access to the internet use A LOT of electricity.  It's time to get used to keeping your current phone etc MUCH longer and using it A LOT less.  When you are busy helping cook meals and snacks, looking after that veg patch and spending time in that environmental club you'll be on the phone less anyway so it will last longer! And you really don't need the latest phone, earphones, games console, tv etc etc - be happy with what you have right now and make it last.
• Turn all your technology off when not in use - do not leave them on energy sapping standby.
• Switch your search engine to Ecosia who use their profits to plant trees.

Eco-friendly thinking

• Remember to turn off the light, put on a jumper rather than ask to turn up the heating, only boil the amount if water you need for your drink, use both sides of the paper, only print what you really need, use a refillable water bottle, say no to straws etc etc etc. Question all your actions and see if you can do better.
• Become an eco-complainer - contact shops, businesses, politicians to voice your concerns.  On the flip side praise those who are taking on board positive action. You may not have the same spending power/voting rights as your parents but remind those you contact that very soon you will be an adult and you will then have the choice where you spend your money/place your voting cross.  They need to prove to you that they are worthy in environmental terms of having your custom/vote.
• Consider how you spend your pocket money/allowance - choose wisely and don't just spend for the sake of it. Ask yourself if you really need to buy a particular thing or perhaps even more importantly does the planet need you to buy it?
• Learn to recognise greenwashing - many companies will be promoting things that appear to be really green but may be less so when you look into it a bit more. For example companies may from plastic straws to paper ones but either supplying them in plastic sleeves or the paper one actually is non recyclable or compostable. This is greenwashing and the best solution is to reject straws totally, even reusable ones as they take energy and resources to produce. 
• Ignore peer pressure - often as young people you want to fit in with everyone else and peer pressure can force you to make poor environmental choices.  Be strong and do what you know is right for the planet. Choose your friends carefully and be a green leader not a planet harming hanger on. 
• Learn to recognise fake news. Question everything and get to the truth. 
• Be the change you want to see in the world and be your parent's personal advisory service.  Research good environmental practice and help your whole family to make positive environmental choices.  This blog post lists 365 ways you can help the planet - help your parents to make these changes.

The future is in your hands.

I have heard some children blaming their parents for the state of the planet but this simply isn't true (who to blame is the subject of a whole separate blog post).  Yes, they have played their part in getting us to this crisis point mostly through ignorance of their actions but blaming them is not helpful.  In all likelihood the Climate Strikes you and your friends have set in motion will lead Governments to make changes but it will also need a committed change from the whole human race to ensure success, especially those of you lucky enough to live in the developed world. 

You have had luxury and convenience all your lives and to a level unlike any previous generation and whilst no-one is expecting you to return to poverty you will need to make many changes from now on.  Soon you will no longer be a child and by starting to live a greener lifestyle now you will find it so much easier as you enter adulthood.  You will be ready for a more simple life which does not crave material goods, that supports local and ethical businesses, where your food is seasonal and there is less waste. A world where we support everyone be they a fellow human, an animal or a plant.

I think I know the type of world you want to live in.  And for that world to be a reality it will be your personal lifestyle choices that will determine whether you and all the generations that come after you can achieve this.   For that reason there has never been a better day to start making changes. Show the world now that you can do what so many previous generations have failed to achieve.

Together you are strong. Together you can do this!