in collaboration with Jord Watches.
A few weeks ago, I was sent a beautiful wooden watch from Jord. I haven’t worn a watch for nearly 20 years, but it was a great gift. It has made me think about how much I rely on my phone and this week I have been jolted into thinking seriously about time…
Enter the JORD giveaway here: https://www.jordwatches.com/g/whalecompany
As I write this, the sun is shining, the sky is a beautiful blue and I’m in a t-shirt. I think to myself, “Wow, this weather is lovely,” but it is mid-October and I am in the UK! Last week, I was at an outdoor environmental conference in the South of Italy, where the olive groves are used to soaking up the intense sun rays year-round, however we were subjected to torrential rain for two continuous days. You don’t have to be a scientist to realise that something is up.
As we travelled across Europe on our marathon expedition last year, Carlos and I witnessed raging wildfires consuming the dry hills in several countries; we paddled in a reservoir just north of Madrid, where the water level was 2 metres lower than the same time the previous year; and we heard the tragic news that more than 1200 people had lost their lives in severe monsoon floods in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Earthquakes, tsunamis and hurricanes are now a regular feature in the news and yet the government does not seem to be taking this seriously enough; moreover, there are a staggering number of people who, despite the compelling evidence, continue to deny the existence of climate change!
Atazar Reservoir 2017. The water, the year before, reached the level of the door, so you could SUP through.
This week, the IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – urged global government to take serious and drastic measures to reduce carbon emissions, following warnings that we will likely reach a warming of 1.5°C by 2030. The results of which will devastate 100s of millions of people worldwide. At 1.5°C, we will lose about 70-90% of our coral reefs, the majority of our small-scale fisheries and many of our vital mangrove forests. While this sounds bad, if we keep going to 2°C (where we are currently headed), we will lose ALL of our corals and almost all arctic ice in the summers. These two factors alone would set off catastrophic natural events around the world – massive extinctions of wildlife, air pollution that is unsafe for humans, rising sea levels and major loss of habitat – on top of more extreme natural disasters.
We need to reduce our global emissions by 45% in order to stay at this 1.5°C warming threshold. And we need to do it NOW.
I believe in the power of the people; we all have a part to play and now is the time to act. In a world that seems to be becoming more and more divided, we need to unite for the sake of our survival. It sounds dramatic because it is! So, the question is, what can we do?
- PLANT mangroves; see why here; check our website for more information soon
- eat fewer animal products – transition to plant-based food as much as possible
- buy locally sourced food
- drive electric cars, walk or cycle
- use videoconferencing instead of business travel
- travel by trains and buses where possible, reduce flights
- dry clothes on a rack instead of using a dryer
- buy used instead of new (especially clothes!)
- vote for political candidates who make the environment a priority; demand change and more environmental regulation
- talk to your friends and family – spread the word.
We need to take action and the time to act is NOW.
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For your chance to enter the JORD giveaway click here: https://www.jordwatches.com/g/whalecompany