In the face of climate change and nature loss crises, sustainability is not a ‘nice-to-have’ lifestyle choice to publicise on Instagram, but an imperative change in the individual and collective mindset. Sadly, the last few months have provided yet more evidence of the challenge we are facing as a society. In the same week that winter flooding severely impacted communities across the UK, it was confirmed by scientists that 2023 was the warmest year on record globally, with a new temperature record being broken almost every day from June onwards.
In September, the State of Nature Report revealed that one in six Great British species are at risk of extinction. This statistic is of particular concern to us at The Rivers Trust, as we already know that freshwater wildlife is especially vulnerable.
In the face of such terrifying events, it’s understandable to feel helpless and intimidated. However, we must not let the big picture scare us into thinking we cannot make a difference. The saying is “think global, act local” for a reason.