All around the world, trees are being cut down produce the grain that feeds beef cattle; climate change and pollution are making it harder for plants and animals to flourish; fisheries are emptying our oceans. Here in Bristol, we declared an ecological emergency in February 2020. The hope is that our city will come together to take positive action to combat the loss of wildlife in the area.

You will probably have heard that wildlife is in trouble - but you may not realise quite how bad things are, or what impact this loss has on our way of life.

Since 1970, there has been a 50% decline in marine populations, a 68% decline in wild vertebrates and an 83% decline in freshwater wildlife globally.

Closer to home, in the Avon area, birds are on the decline. There are 80% fewer linnets in our skies than there were in 1994, and we’ve lost a horrific 96% of starlings and swifts. UK butterflies are also dying out.

If you have ever witnessed an XR rebellion, you might have seen banners stating that we are in the ’sixth mass extinction’. This isn’t alarmist rhetoric - unfortunately, it is reality. Species are going extinct 100 to 1,000 times faster than the background rate, meaning that 20-30% animals on earth are at the
very real risk of extinction.

Photo by Karina Vorozheeva on Unsplash
These numbers are horrifying for anyone who loves animals - but how will these losses impact our daily lives if they continue?

Approximately three-quarters of the crop types that we grow and consume need pollination to succeed, so without bees and insects, we are facing severe food shortages.

A loss of trees will impact on climate regulation, air quality and soil formation.

IPBES Chair Sir Robert Watson says: “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”

It’s clear that if we want to keep breathing air, eating food and enjoying nature, we need to tackle the ecological emergency as well as fighting climate change.

The good news is that there are things we can all
do to fight biodiversity loss.

Photo by John Mark Arnold on Unsplash

Being a forward-thinking kinda city, Bristol has a plan for tackling the ecological emergency. The One City Environment Board has an implementation strategy which includes developing more space for nature, reducing pesticide use, tackling pollution in Bristol’s waterways and addressing our global carbon footprint.

It’s great that these changes are happening at a systemic level - but what can you do to help?

If you have a garden, can you use it to create habitats for nature? You could pledge to go ‘no-mow’ - if you only mow your lawn once or twice a year, wildlife will flourish. Could you build a pond to encourage wildlife? If you don’t have a garden, you could write to the council and ask them to stop cutting the verges so often, or you could engage in some guerrilla gardening to get more wildflowers growing in common areas.  

If you use pesticides in your garden - stop it! I personally have been guilty of using Round Up to nix those pesky weeds that appear between the paving stones, but I’m going to stop doing that. Try growing plants closely together, to reduce the threat of weeds and pests, or staying on top of weeding by hand. If you feed and water the plants you do want to grow regularly, that will make them healthier and more able to fight off the diseases you might otherwise have to combat with pesticides.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Microplastics and microfibres are damaging our waterways. Can you cut down how often you wash your clothes? This will mean fewer of these harmful substances are released into the water. You might also want to buy organic cotton clothes, which are kinder to the planet from the start.

Something we can all do to help combat biodiversity loss and climate change is to consume less and consume better. Cutting down your red meat intake will mean fewer trees are cut down to feed those cows. Buying plastic free Christmas presents will mean less plastic ends up in the ocean. Buying local reduces pollution arising from overseas delivery, so always tick 'UK only' on eBay and Etsy.

Also - please tell your friends about the ecological emergency we’re all facing. Share this blog. Share the Strategy. Watch David Attenborough's A Life on Earth documentary and shout about it. Issues like these can be hard to talk about as many people either don’t want to hear it or feel it’s too late - we’re all doomed and nothing can be done. This isn’t true, so do your bit to tell others that their actions really do make a difference.

Many thanks to Ian Barrett of Avon Wildlife Trust for his talk to BCR and CCA, which inspired this blog post. Avon Wildlife Trust is committed to enabling wildlife to survive and thrive across the region. Joining the trust is another great action you can take to fight the Ecological Emergency.

On another note, readers of this blog might be interested to hear that our sister group, Clifton Climate Action are starting a series of monthly eco-challenges. Here’s what CCA member Julie has to say about the challenges:

From 1 November, we're starting a new initiative to get us all making those changes to our daily lives that will really add up and help in the climate and ecological emergencies.

Each month, we'll provide you with a menu of challenges on a theme and you can pick one or more, or come up with one of your own, and we can all do them together. Our first theme is clothing and you can find the challenges here. Be sure to let us know on our social media how you get on!

Easier Than You Think will be blogging about these challenges, so watch this space for more updates.  

Did you know: With more than 500,000 different species of animals and plants, Costa Rica houses at least 5% of the world's biodiversity?

As discussed our previous blog, Ethical Consumer Week is coming up at the end of October. Last time, we looked at some of the national and online shops where you can buy clothes which are kinder to the planet.

However, Bristol itself, which has been a Fair Trade City since 2005, is a great place for shopping with both the environment and ethics in mind. Plus of course buying local means you can pop down to the shops on your bike, rather than paying for lorries to move goods around the country.

Here are some of my top picks for ethical shopping in Bristol.

Arts and crafts

Independent art and gallery shop Room 212 on Gloucester Road sells arts and crafts made by local people, including owner Sarah Thorp. The shop offers a range of Bristol-related prints, jewellery and gifts, meaning it’s the perfect place to buy birthday or Christmas presents for your loved ones. The shop is described as ‘fiercely independent’ and is partially run by the local artists who sell their work there. Sarah says:  

"I  believe in encouraging people to shop local within their community, think about the products they buy, reduce waste and packaging."

Zero waste shops

There are a host of zero waste shops in Bristol. My favourite is Nom Wholefoods, who are a delivery service rather than a physical shop. Nom currently deliver to BS4, BS5, BS7, BS15, BS16, BS30, BS31 and BS36. However, they say they are looking to expand this catchment area, so get in touch with them if you live outside of those areas and want to use their services. Nom sell beans, pulses, coffee, herbs and spices, nuts and seeds, bathroom products and face masks. They will deliver in either paper bags or glass jars, which they will then refill. They will also refill your laundry detergent for you, meaning you can reuse those pesky plastic bottles that are cluttering up our oceans.

Photo by Tim Hüfner on Unsplash
Other zero waste shops in Bristol include Smaller Footprints (Clifton), Preserve, Scoopaway (both Gloucester Road) and Zero Green (Bedminster).

Clothing

Brothers We Stand sells men's clothes which are made ethically and created to last. Each item of clothing sold has a label which details its social and environmental impact, offering you a transparent window on what it is you’re buying. You can read more about their vision here. As well as an online shop, they also have a physical store in Whapping Wharf. Brothers We Stand sells colourful shirts, cosy hoodies and even has a range of vegan belts and wallets.

Buying your clothes second hand is always going to be more ethical than buying anything new. Fortunately, there is a dizzying array of charity shops in Bristol. My  recommendation is to get down to Cotham Hill in Clifton, where there are multiple options. You can also pick up books, records, DVDs, knick knacks and games in these shops, as well as clothes.

Food

Bristol has been crowned as the world’s number one city for vegans three years in a row, meaning it’s super easy to eat delicious food which hasn’t harmed the planet or any animals in almost any area of the city. As a vegan and great dinner enthusiast myself, I would personally recommend the plant-based options at Dangun (St Nick's), the burgers at Quay Street Diner (Harbourside) and the wraps at Baba Ganoush (St Paul's).

Additionally, the Old Market Assembly offers delicious food from a seasonal and sustainable flexitarian menu. These guys say they are ‘passionate about showcasing local supplier produce with creative, flavourful dishes we create everything fresh in house’. They offer veggie, vegan and meat dishes, meaning you don’t have to go entirely plant-based to eat here.