Use Your Voice

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We are the first generation to know we’re destroying the world, and we could be the last that can do anything about it. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do especially if it’s to the right people.

We’ve been promised a better world – but our leaders are not on track to deliver. We need decisive action now. Your voice is powerful. Together, we can show we need urgent action on climate and nature.

It’s not just about speaking to the people in charge. Talk to your friends, neighbours and colleagues and get them to make positive changes too. Speak up, speak to everyone, and make your voice heard.

Be informed

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One of the best things you can do is to keep yourself informed – the more you know the better. It leaves you better equipped to have those conversations with your friends and family and the people you want to influence. Get yourself clued up on the facts, stay up to date with recent news on the state of our natural world and work out what you can do.

We have the world at our fingertips, so learn from influential people, keep up with the news and research organisations that are working to make our planet a better place.

IPCC: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.
The IPCC prepares comprehensive Assessment Reports about the state of scientific, technical and socio-economic knowledge on climate change, its impacts and future risks, and options for reducing the rate at which climate change is taking place. It also produces Special Reports on topics agreed to by its member governments, as well as Methodology Reports that provide guidelines for the preparation of greenhouse gas inventories.

The IPCC is finalizing the Sixth Assessment Report which consists of three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report.
https://www.ipcc.ch

United nations Environment programme:
https://www.unep.org

Secretary-General's opening remarks at press conference on climate – 27 July 2023
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/speeches/2023-07-27/secretary-generals-opening-remarks-press-conference-climate

NASA:
this website provides an extensive collection of resources, including information on scientific consensus, evidence, causes and effects.
https://climate.nasa.gov

Ask NASA:
https://climate.nasa.gov/explore/ask-nasa-climate/?page=0&per_page=40&order=publish_date+desc%2C+created_at+desc&search=&hide_filter_bar=true&grid_list_klass=full_news_list&category=25

Met Office:
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate

World Meteorological Organisation
https://public.wmo.int/en

WWF Living Planet Report:
https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-GB/

The Royal Society:
https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/climate-change-science-solutions/

Nature: Climate Change Journal
https://www.nature.com/nclimate/

BBC:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment

DeSmog:
DeSmog was founded in January 2006 to clear the PR pollution that is clouding the science and solutions to climate change. Our team quickly became the world’s number one source for accurate, fact-based information regarding global warming misinformation campaigns.

https://www.desmog.com/uk/

Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT)
Based in Machynlleth, Powys.

CAT offers practical solutions and hands-on learning to help create a zero carbon world.

https://cat.org.uk

CAT Zero Carbon Britain project: Zero Carbon Britain research reports include: a technical scenario modelling energy and land-use; a summary of low- and zero-carbon case studies from around the world; an exploring of the cultural, social and political barriers to change and how these can be overcome; and an in-depth look at food and diets.

https://cat.org.uk/info-resources/zero-carbon-britain/

Carbon Calculators
Footprint calculator: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/
Zero Giki Quick Carbon Calculator: https://zero.giki.earth
CAfS In-Depth carbon calculator: https://cafs.org.uk/sustainable-living-guide/how-to-use-the-cafs-carbon-calculators/

Be political

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Everyone in the UK over the age of 18 can vote for their MP. This is an opportunity to vote for someone who is representative of you and your views and will make the environment a top priority.

Being politically engaged is not limited to voting and it certainly isn’t limited by how young you are. Every year more and more young people are working together to show our political leaders that they want change.

We need to ensure we hold our politicians accountable. You can do that by contacting your local MP or attending constituency meetings where you will have an opportunity to make your voice heard. Find out who your MP is and how you can contact them.

https://voteclimate.uk

Travel responsibly

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One of the most efficient ways of lowering your environmental impact is by travelling responsibly. This means, whenever you can, choosing a more sustainable way to get from A to B - walk or cycle when you can.

Transport is one of the most polluting sectors in the UK. But holidaying closer to home can make a big impact on your carbon footprint. One short haul return flight can account for 10% of your yearly carbon emissions, and long-haul flights can completely determine your carbon impact.

If you have the time you can usually get trains to European destinations to cut your carbon footprint. Get creative and try to find alternate ways to travel.

If you do choose to go abroad and are looking to see the local wildlife, keep in mind how to go about it ethically. Attractions that involve you being able to pet, hold or feed animals for money are generally a no-go. Be wary of attractions involving any unnatural interactions with animals. As a rule: observe animals from afar in their natural habitat and look to support local conservation projects.

Useful links for air-free travel:
Reducing our carbon emissions is vital in avoiding climate breakdown. There are lots od things we can do, like eating less meat, using renewable energy, and driving less. But did you know that just one flight can wipe out all your carbon savings?

Flight-free UK
Taking a flight-free year is a great way to cut your emissions and give other ways of travelling a try. Their website also has some great suggested destinations and some very useful FAQs. Our mission is to inform people of the climate impact of aviation and inspire people to travel by other means.
https://flightfree.co.uk
Train travel
Train travel is a more rewarding alternative to flying which reduces our contribution to climate change and brings us closer to the countries we visit.

The Man in Seat 61
Detailed accounts of how to get to almost any country in the world without flying is guaranteed to get you excited about flight-free adventures.
https://www.seat61.com
Carbon savings of train travel: https://www.seat61.com/CO2flights

Byway
Take the stress out of planning your journey by letting Byway do it for you. Byway is a 100% flight-free travel agent, who will book your travel and accommodation and, as part of the package, provide a bespoke itinerary and on-trip WhatsApp support.

Byway was founded in 2020 by Cat Jones, a keen traveller who was constantly frustrated at how hard it is to travel without flying. She set up her own company to meet that need and help others discover the wonders of overland travel
You can choose from pre-designed trips or create your own from scratch, and there are plenty of options to get you excited about your holiday on the Byway trip builder.
https://www.byway.travel

Rail Europe
Formerly Loco2, Rail Europe is an excellent resource for booking rail travel across Europe. A great feature of the website is that it shows how much carbon you have saved on each journey through travelling by train rather than flying.
Some route options or rail providers don’t always work with Rail Europe, so some clever searching is sometimes needed. Use in tandem with seat61.com for best results!

Rome2Rio
https://www.rome2rio.com de-select the ‘flight’ option

Trainline
https://www.thetrainline.com

Coach companies
Comfortable, safe and timely, just one coach keeps around 50 cars off the road, and if coach journeys increased by just 15% per year in the UK we’d be seeing around 47 million fewer cars on our roads. And, contrary to popular belief, there are toilets onboard!

Per person per journey, coaches produce five times less CO2 than air travel. That’s a staggering environmental saving and comes with the fascinating bonus of being able to watch the scenery roll past beyond your window.
https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
https://uk.megabus.com

Check my bus is a fantastic website that lets you search for coach and bus routes across many different providers letting you find the cheapest fares and giving plenty of date and time flexibility.
https://www.checkmybus.co.uk

European travel
Flixbus operates a fleet of recognisably bright green coaches across Europe, so if your desire for adventure is tugging you further afield then Flixbus can get you there, from Birmingham to Berlin, or Bristol to Bruges. They too have a nifty map of destinations.
https://www.flixbus.co.uk

SnowExpress is specifically for skiers, and goes direct to the Alps from London Victoria coach station, meaning you can ski low-carbon and on a budget.
https://www.snowexpress.co.uk

Shearings is a coach tour operator with an astonishing variety of holidays and tours, from four days in Scotland to 16 days in Croatia.
https://www.shearings.com

Alfa travel specialises in UK coach holidays, with a modern fleet of coaches and some lovely destinations to boot.
https://www.alfatravel.co.uk/coach-holidays/

Cycling
The National Cycle Network is a UK-wide network of signed paths and routes for walking, wheeling, cycling and exploring outdoors.
https://www.sustrans.org.uk/national-cycle-network/

Travelling using an Electric car:
Useful info here: https://flightfree.co.uk/post/how-to-travel-by-electric-car/

Eat sustainably

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Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. What we eat contributes around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for almost 60% of global biodiversity loss.

Farming animals for meat and dairy requires space and huge inputs of water and feed. Today, one of the biggest causes of forest loss is the expansion of agricultural land for animal feed production, such as soy. And producing meat creates vastly more carbon dioxide than plants such as vegetables, grains and legumes.

Moving away from a meat-dominated diet towards a more plant-based diet can lower your impact on the environment. Vegetarian and vegan foods are massively on the rise and becoming far more common in restaurants, cafes and supermarkets, so you’ll rarely struggle.

Not only that, but cutting down on meat and dairy products can reduce your weekly food bills.

Local food

Reduce your waste

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We need to make wasting our resources unacceptable in all aspects of our life. Every product we buy has an environmental footprint and could end up in landfill. The impact of plastic pollution on our oceans is becoming increasingly clear, having drastic impacts on marine life.

Recycling what we can reduces the amount of new materials we are making, and upcycling is a creative way to make old items into something more valuable. This could be reusing a jam jar as a candle holder, or using old tins as plant pots – the possibilities are endless!

It’s not just the products we buy. It’s estimated that a third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted. Do your bit by eating up leftovers and use any ingredients you have spare to make interesting meals. Try to waste as little food as possible, and compost the organic waste you can’t eat.

Repair Cafe on our Local Environmental Groups Page

Watch what you buy

We can all do more to be more conscious about what we buy, and where we buy it from. Buying less will save you money, reduce waste and improve your environmental footprint. Living a less consumerist lifestyle can benefit you and our planet.

Use your purchasing power and make sure your money is going towards positive change. By supporting eco-friendly products which are less damaging to the environment, you’re encouraging companies to source and produce their products in a sustainable way.

Ethical Consumer is a not-for-profit co-operative that provides tools and resources to help you shop ethically and campaign for a more sustainable world. You can access detailed ethical ratings, personalised shopping guides, company profiles, and the UK's leading ethical consumer magazine for free or with a subscription.

Ethical consumer: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org

Freecycle: https://uk.freecycle.org

Volunteering

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World Wildlife Fund
Volunteering can be daunting, and expensive if you don’t know where to look. But it doesn’t need to be this hard to do good.
Often local nature reserves or parks are looking for regular volunteers, which can give you practical conservation experience as well as helping to restore nature your local area.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to help and kickstart a career in conservation. We have a network of youth internship schemes across the world where you can work on a placement with a WWF team or with one of our projects in the field. It’s an exciting opportunity to be able to work in the front line of nature conservation.

Taken from the WWF website here: https://www.wwf.org.uk/thingsyoucando


Welsh Wildlife Trust
There are plenty of ways you can donate your skills and time to look after wildlife! Opportunities include community gardening, species surveying (such as looking for otters!), caring for nature reserves, plant identification and GPS mapping. You can even run Wildlife Watch groups, which enable young people to discover and explore their local environment.

Our volunteers carry out a huge range of tasks but it doesn't have to be outdoors! You could find yourself making good use of your organisational, IT, administrative or financial skills too.

Each Wildlife Trust has a large number of both regular and casual volunteers, amounting to a total of more than 32,500 volunteers across the UK.

https://www.welshwildlife.org/get-involved/volunteer


Greenpeace
Together we defend the natural world and work for a green and peaceful future.

Up and down the country, people concerned about our planet’s future work together on Greenpeace campaigns. It’s all about showing those in power that there’s huge support for urgent action to take on climate change and protect our living world.

There are lots of different things you can do as part of a group so there’s a role for everyone.

https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/volunteering/join-a-local-volunteer-group/


WCVA
WCVA is the national membership body for voluntary organisations in Wales.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of voluntary and community organisations in Wales. They bring so many benefits, but recruiting and retaining volunteers means creating a positive and supportive environment.

These pages include information sheets covering a wide range of topics and advice, model policies, resources, information on grant funding and more. If you work with volunteers in Wales, or are looking to get into volunteering, then we’ve got you covered.

https://wcva.cymru/volunteering/



Stump Up for Trees

Stump Up For Trees is an ambitious, community-based charity focused on woodland creation and enhancing biodiversity in the Brecon Beacons area of south-east Wales.
The charity is planting one million trees, using innovative public-private funding initiatives.

Trees give life. It’s hard to overstate their benefits. Trees provide wildlife habitat, food, better air and water quality, medicine, shade, sustainable timber, natural flood management and healthier soils. Most importantly in today’s urgent debate about climate change, trees also sequester carbon dioxide.

Help us to plant more trees, and plant them well.

https://stumpupfortrees.org


National Trust
There are several ways in which you can get involved and volunteer in the Brecon Beacons. You can meet and greet visitors at Pont ar Daf, the main access point into the central Beacons, or you can become a ‘Length volunteer’ and help with upland footpath maintenance.


Meet and Greet volunteers at Pont ar Daf
Becoming a Meet and Greet volunteer is a great way of meeting new people while sharing your knowledge and first-hand experience of the area with visitors.

Situated at Pont ar Daf, the main access point onto the central Beacons, you’ll be providing a warm welcome even on the coolest day. As an ambassador for the National Trust your commitment to the cause while helping spread the conservation message with others is invaluable.

You’ll be helping to enhance the visitors’ journeys and you may be asked a question or two about local buses or attractions.


Lengths volunteers help us carry out upland path maintenance
If you enjoy the being in the outdoors, volunteering with the Lengths team could be ideal for you. The ranger team for Brecon Beacons and Monmouthshire carry out upland path maintenance on the Skirrid, Sugar Loaf and central Brecon Beacons and you can join them and get involved. Tasks include clearing drains, ditches and culverts and minor repair of structures such as pitching and wooden steps.
Being a Lengths volunteer gives you the opportunity to share the message of the National Trust’s vital conservation work, as well as helping visitors understand them while they enjoy these special places.


How do I get involved?
Whether you can help for a fixed time such as holiday periods, or for regular days each week, we’d love to hear from you. Some opportunities are seasonal so it's worth checking the National Trust volunteer website regularly for more information.

With a thorough induction and ongoing training, you’ll increase your own knowledge of these special places and being part of the Brecon Beacons and Monmouthshire team is a great way to learn new things.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wales/brecon-beacons/volunteering-in-the-brecon-beacons


Bannau Brycheiniog National Park
Volunteers make a huge contribution to the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority and are a highly valued and appreciated part of the team. Volunteers are people of all ages and from all walks of life who generously give their time to help us monitor, improve, and conserve this special landscape, as well as enhancing the experience of residents and visitors.

https://www.beacons-npa.gov.uk/the-authority/volunteering/
A friendly, vibrant, forward-thinking village in the South East corner of the county of Powys. We are surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park. 
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