Here at Manly Sailing we’ve been watching the bushfires unfold across this beautiful country with a very heavy heart. The impact upon people’s homes and lives has been catastrophic, and the animals and wildlife are in drastic need of urgent help. Whilst it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, we think this is the perfect opportunity to start making some changes to protect the environment. As a small business, and part of such a vibrant local community, we know the importance of thinking and acting locally! It’s important not to underestimate the collective power of every person embracing small changes on a local level. Consider the following options for simple ways to start making a change at home or in your local community.

Clean up the beaches- here in the Northern Beaches we know how precious our beaches are, and how important it is to keep them clean. With 8 million tons of plastic dumped into our oceans every year, our marine life is suffering. Next time you and your family head to the beach, join the ‘Take 3 for the Sea’ initiative, and take 3 pieces of rubbish (or more!) with you to throw away or recycle. Want to get the whole family involved? Join a local community group like the ‘Northern Beaches Clean Up Crew’ who organise a clean up initiative on the last Sunday of every month. Help the planet and make friends at the same time!

Be a conscious consumer- Avoid buying single-use plastic, remember your reusable bags when you do the grocery shop, and grab your morning coffee in a reusable cup. At Hemingways in Manly, you’ll get a 30cent discount on your coffee if you take your own cup! Make an effort to support sustainable brands and companies. Local electricians ‘Energy Culture’ do a lot of important advocacy work educating customers and the community on sustainable alternatives. Manly-based family butchers ‘The Butcher & The Chef’ recently redesigned their whole operation to reduce their waste and use innovative measures to reduce their customers’ waste. Why not celebrate your efforts with a cold beer? Local business 4Pines Beer use a solar system to power their Brookevale brewery, and have won awards for their commitment to environmental and social responsibility.

Lend a hand- the Northern Beaches Council offer plenty of ways to help the local environment- contact them to learn how you could get involved in local Bushcare groups, or even get your colleagues involved in a corporate Bushcare day. Alternatively, the Coastal Environment Centre has programs for all ages and interests, and the Manly Environment Centre have a variety of programs- including monitoring adorable (but endangered) local native animals.

Household changes- think about what products and services your household uses on a daily basis. You could consider switching your electricity retailer to one that supports more renewable energy such as ‘Powershop Australia- www.powershop.com.au ’, or moving to a bank and super fund that does not invest your money in fossil fuels- check out the analysis of the major banks and superfunds at ‘Market Forces- www.marketforces.org.au

Get politically active- Write to your local State and Federal MPs to demand greater action to mitigate climate change. We suggest you ask your MP to support the Climate Change Bill that Zali Steggall MP proposes to introduce in March this year- a bill that would legislate a net-zero target by 2050.

We hope you’re feeling inspired to start making some small changes! Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, or would like to continue the discussion on climate change.