Changing behaviour – it’s not as hard as you think
Single use plastic bags – how we changed our behaviour and hardly noticed
Like the plastic bag ban here in NSW, it really comes down to a change in behaviour. As humans, we get so comfortable with the status quo, and fear change, that we often don’t see the benefits of an upgrade or improvement to the regular things we do or expect.
Free plastic bags at the checkout are not given here in Australia and a shopkeeper handing out single use plastic bags would be frowned upon by consumers. But did you know that single use plastic bags will not be banned until 1 July 2022? We’ve all got used to not using them once the big supermarkets stopped giving them to us.
Electric vehicles – now a normal sight on Aussie roads
The electric vehicle industry is also becoming the norm now with EV orders outpacing supply and charging stations a regular sight around the country. It’s expected that by 2030 (yes, only 8 years from now) EV sales will makes up 52% of new car sales in the USA – the home of the gas guzzling truck. Feels like we are getting the message! And more electric vehicles are sold each week in 2022 that total sales in 2012.
Are we changing too slowly?
Well, yes. It’s frustrating that we have seen massive government action over the last 2 years to deal with Covid-19. We need the same sort of action to slow down climate change and prevent the destruction of our beautiful planet, but world leaders seem reluctant to act. At home, we are slowly tip toeing towards single use plastic bans that will barely make a dent on the 14 million tonnes of plastic that end up in the ocean every year.
We all need to act as individuals and do our best to leave a better future for our children.