It's not business as usual at the Biome stores on 20 September 2019. We'll all be closed for three hours to show our support for the striking students, and to allow our team members to participate in the Climate Strike marches.
What is the Global Climate Strike?
On Friday, 20 September, millions of school children around the world are walking out of school to send a message to governments - now is the time for urgent and meaningful climate action. This time, adults are also joining them on the streets to show their support for the students. Biome is one of over 2000 businesses in the “Not Business as Usual” alliance of Australian and global businesses pledging to support our employees' participation in the climate strike.
What can you do about climate change?
1. Reduce use of palm oil in your skincare, cleaning and food products.
Aside from the devastation of deforestation and animal deaths due to palm oil monoculture, destruction of the carbon sink peat lands that lie under the tropical rainforests releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases and causes global warming. Choose
palm oil free.
2. Travel with less petrol.
Reduce petrol use by catching public transport, riding your bike and flying less. If you do fly or drive, offset your emissions by purchasing carbon credits that plant trees.
3. Stop using single use plastics.
99% of plastics are made from fossil fuels, and the extraction, processing and disposal of this petroleum causes global warming.
Choose to reuse.
4. Start conversations with your friends and family.
We can only solve this together, so we need to learn how to talk about climate change and what it means to us.
5. Write to your Member for Parliament and the Prime Minister.
Let them know how critical this issue is. Our current PM, Scott Morrison said that children should be in school getting an education, yet he does not value education enough to listen to the educated scientists about the climate emergency?
6. Use energy wisely.
Switch off in your home and workplace, and even better switch to Green Power.
7. Make your diet more climate friendly.
Eat less meat, eat local, buy from regenerative farmers, grow your own, buy less packaged foods, only buy what you need to avoid waste.
8. Consume less, waste less, live more simply.
Simplify and save money by buying less new things. Buy second hand, borrow instead of buy, repurpose, compost, donate what you don't need to put those items back into the circular economy.
9. Connect with nature.
Sometimes we lose the will to fight for what is so precious because we don't often get to appreciate nature. Humans are part of nature, we are just one species in the interconnected ecological biome of our planet.
10. Join the Climate Strike protest.
Not just on 20 September, but there are many ways to join your local climate movement. Check on Facebook for groups in your area such as Transition Cities.
Will it make a difference?
Yes, activism works! According to Sarah Wilson @_sarahwilson_ “every time 3.5% of any population has mobilised in activism, the change happened. This is an astonishing truth.” It will also make a much needed difference to young people's mental health, and create a stronger citizenship and vibrant democracy . Psychologist and author Steve Biddulph said student activism had very real mental health benefits. "Many children and teens are affected by the state of the world with climate and cruelty to refugees and the environment generally topping the list. "Involvement in helping the world is the key to mental health and making good adults for the future." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-29/should-kids-be-part-of-activism-and-protests/10566178 And as David Suzuki says, “In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.”
