5 Things You Can Do to Help Climate Change

Editor’s Note: We had the pleasure of staying at the world renowned Six Senses Laamu resort in the Maldives. While there, we met two spectacular women that work at Six Senses Laamu; Megan Latta, the Sustainability Officer, and Caitlin Gilmour, the Marine Biologist. In our travels, we have seen the effects of climate change firsthand. This is not just a theory anymore, it is happening to countries all around the world. We were fascinated by the way that climate change is effecting this idyllic archipelago. We asked these experts to give you an important cliffs notes version of climate change and what YOU can do to make a difference.

Caitlin is the Marine Biologist at Six Senses Laamu, where she spends her time educating guests on all things ocean-related while making sure it maintains its incredible beauty through reef maintenance and different marine research. Megan is Six Senses Laamu’s Sustainability Officer which means she spends her time implementing different initiatives to keep the island as environmentally friendly as possible with practices like minimizing the resort’s waste and teaching hosts and guests about sustainability. Hailing from Scotland and the U.S. respectively, the two are observing humans impact on the environment in a different way while living in the Maldives. In particular, Roamaroo asked how their perspective on climate change has been shaped since moving the island and how everyone can help in their cause of “saving the planet.”

5 Things We Learned About Climate Change Living in the Maldives

• Every choice can, and often does, have a global consequence. A plastic bag dropped in the Pacific Ocean in California can make it’s way all the way across the world to the Maldives where a sea turtle can mistake it for food or become entangled in it! Wasting paper at an office in London might mean more trees chopped down in the Amazon!
• Sea level rise is a very real problem and if we don’t do something to stop it, this entire country, filled with wonderful people and beautiful islands, will disappear.
• If everything starts from the sea–as many scientists agree it does–then we must treat our oceans better as even the most pristine waters and coral reefs are sustaining major damage around the world.
• Climate change isn’t just about the planet warming or ocean temperatures rising–it’s about species disappearing, environments losing the ability to house life. But, on a positive note, climate change is caused by people which means it can also be slowed down and hopefully reversed by people making better decisions. Stopping climate change doesn’t mean stopping interacting with the environment–it means interacting better. Go scuba diving, but avoid touching the ocean life. Enjoy seafood, but be aware of what kind of fish should not be eaten.

5 Things You Can Do To Help Climate Change

• Avoid plastic whenever possible–plastic bags and plastic bottles make up a huge amount of the waste we as humans create. Even worse, these items never completely break down in the environment and more often than not, end up in the ocean.
• Try implementing 1 or 2 small things into your living space to be more sustainable–plant a tomato or basil plant in your garden or even in a pot on your windowsill, grow your own herbs, or start recycling paper by using both sides! A few little changes make a difference and you might see how fun it is to help keep our planet beautiful! Seriously, check out Pinterest if you don’t know how to reuse an item!
• When you purchase new items, buy from companies that make their products with recycled materials such as Quiksilver and Patagonia to name a few.
• Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to all do a little bit too–big change is going to come from many small efforts. You can’t personally shut down a big oil company, but you become a little less dependent on it by walking a few more times a week. Try commuting by bike! We bike to work every day! Granted it’s a little simpler here, but as someone who used to cycle through a city, it is amazingly fun and not as scary as it may sound! Not too mention, it’s a lot cheaper than buying gas!
• RECYCLE! Seriously, when you throw things out, don’t be lazy! Take a few extra moments to put your waste in the proper bin! This is probably the most underestimated way you can make a difference especially if you live in a city with any recycling program, which is now almost every major U.S. city.