It is not easy being a geek and environmentally friendly.
But just because it isn’t easy doesn’t mean we should throw it in the too-hard bin. No way! We can reuse that attitude as motivation. A challenge. A very geeky challenge, perhaps even think of it as a quest. A quest to Save the World!
World Environment Day: Beat Plastic Pollution
June 5 is World Environment Day! This year, the theme is Beat Plastic Pollution. That’s right, folks: If you can’t reuse it, refuse it.
World Environment Day is recognized and endorsed by the United Nations. It’s the day to encourage everyone to come together for the sake of the environment.
Why would we want to participate in World Environment Day?
What Can I Do?
Okay, I am not going to throw a whole heap of stats at you; there is plenty of information available on the internet if you need to know exact numbers. Suffice to say, the best approach is to give you some direction on exactly what you can do.
This one is really easy. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Keep an eye out for our posts about World Environment Day–especially the post where we are tagging our fellow writers and readers to join us.
Your next step is to find one plastic thing you can replace in your life with a renewable or sustainable resource. Here are mini-bosses for you to defeat:
- Plastic Straws: Heading to a convention? Pack your own bamboo or stainless steel straws! Most come with their own little cleaner brush and pack easily away in your bag. If someone offers you a straw with your drink, politely decline their plastic straws and suggest they use paper straws as a quick and easy swap-over.
- Plastic cutlery: Eating out can still be fun without plastic utensils! A first action could be to replace it with metal or bamboo sets, small enough to fit in your bag or backpack. We are also learning of new and amazing ways for science to help out: Edible cutlery is not quite mainstream yet… but it soon will be. Be part of the momentum and ask for edible cutlery and plates!
- Coffee Cups: Most cafes will happily accept your reusable cups; some even offer discounts for your efforts. And there are plenty of geeky designs to choose from (like the Star Wars cups pictured below, from GeekCore). Just rinse it out between uses during the day and make sure you give it a good wash each night.
- Shopping bags: Picking up your comic book stash on Wednesday? Take your own bag and say no to plastic. Remember to point this out to your local shop as well; tag them to be part of the movement too! If they already wrap your comics in a paper bag, give them a smile and say thanks!
If all of these suggestions are old-news to you, THANK YOU!! You can level up and share your more advanced suggestions in the comments below! We are always looking for new ideas!
Once you have taken the step to make a change, share it with the world on social media (or even just in the comments here). Remember to tag @geekmomblogs in your post and anyone else you think should make a change. Add the hashtags #BeatPlasticPollution and #WorldEnvironmentDay to be part of the movement and watch how we can all make a small change to be part of a bigger impact.
Can I Really Make a Difference to a Big Problem?
Yes, yes, and multiples of yes.
Part of the #BeatPlasticPollution campaign is to tag other businesses who need to rethink their plastic usage.
For example, I’m tagging Event Cinemas and Hoyts Cinemas in Australia. I really want them to rethink their policy on “no BYO drinks in the cinema” and help reduce the number of disposable water bottles being thrown away every day. Allow patrons to bring their own cups for the frozen drinks rather than using disposable cups and straws. Or even choose paper straws instead of plastic.
When you show your effort to change, remember to tag others and encourage them to make a change. That’s how a movement happens: one step at a time.
World Environment Day Is Just One Day…
And it only takes one day to start a new habit.
Keep an eye out on for upcoming articles looking at geeky environmental science, introducing your geeklings to social activism, and a look at how the geeklings are already a few steps ahead of us. Don’t leave your actions to just one day. There’s a whole journey ahead of us!
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Good post. I also often read articles about this problem. I can share one interesting for you, here is a link – https://industrytoday.com/industry-and-the-environment/. It is about modern Industry and The Environment, in my opinion all people must know this!