Recent years have seen more of us than ever paying attention to what’s happening in the world around us. This is hardly surprising considering that climate change is becoming a very worrying reality, and that’s not to mention the fact that around 18 billion pounds of plastic trash ends up in our oceans annually.

 

Yet, as recent environmental protests have shown, many activists are damaging rather than helping the eco-cause. In fact, recent years have seen many more people turning away from these issues due to the outlandish actions of a few avid eco-warriors. 

 

This is the opposite of the impact that you want to have, and it’s an issue that begs the question – are you fighting the eco-fight right? It is, of course, possible that you’ve had this right all along. But, to make sure of that, consider whether you’re doing the following three key things. 

 

Educate yourself, environmentally speaking

Too often, people learn a few key facts, usually about ocean pollution, etc., and assume that’s enough to incite change. Honestly, though, ill-informed shouting doesn’t help anyone. By comparison, really taking the time to understand not only the issues but their solutions is your best bet. That way, you can start petitioning for genuine, actionable solutions that promote real change. For instance, researching local recycling policies could see you petitioning to your local government for improvements. Equally, researching local businesses could provide you with the right information to reach out about the importance of implementing improved waste procedures or even an oily water seperation system to offset waterway damage. Either way, these educated steps are going to get you a lot further than simply shouting about general environmental focuses.

 

Change your own behaviors

 

We all know that you should practice what you preach, and this is especially crucial from an environmental standpoint. After all, no one’s going to listen to your advice if you aren’t at least trying to reduce your carbon emissions or go zero waste. Ultimately, you need to be the change that you want to see in the environment. This is the best possible thing you can do to make a difference and, with a bit of luck, you might find that others soon start to follow along with you. At the very least, changing your own behaviors ensures that no one discredits your environmental stance when they find you have a penchant for fast-food or single-use plastic.

 

Educate before you implicate

 

We’ve spoken about the importance of educating yourself, but it’s also worth noting that you would be best off focusing on the education of others, too. After all, no-one’s perfect, and hearing you shouting about how damaging their waste disposal is won’t get anyone onside. Instead, take to educating people about the things that you’ve noticed, and suggesting small changes that could lead to large results. Even if people don’t scrap the harmful practices straight away, this generally gentler approach is far more likely to set them on a positive eco path, and it’ll be all because of you.