The surprising power you and I have to solve the climate crisis
We came across this really interesting TED talk from sharing economy entrepreneur, Tessa Clarke, the brains behind the Olio app which facilitates free sharing of household “stuff”. Payoff line: It’s time to share more, care more, and waste less.
We couldn’t agree more that we need a whole new model of consumption. Here are some of the stats Tessa shared in her talk:
- 65% of greenhouse gas emissions are generated as a direct result of household consumption.
- Globally, one third of the food we produce each year gets thrown away. If it were a country, food waste would be the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions after the US and China. That’s because a land mass larger than China is used to grow food that is never eaten – with all the implications of clearing land for food production, and all the methane-production that happens when food waste gets to landfilll.
- The world’s leading climate change scientists have identified reducing food waste as the #1 lever that humanity has to solve the climate crisis – above solar power. In an average developed country, half of all food waste takes place at household level.
What this means, is that without waiting for the corporate world or government to intervene, we can, individually, make a significant difference, and become part of the solution to climate change.
SOLVE@Waterfront’s commitment with the V&A Waterfront, the Two Oceans Aquarium and other like-minded entities to continue to explore Zero Waste continues!