I have been in Glasgow for the past four weeks now, and I really feel like this city has so much to offer. Last weekend I went on a trip to Edinburgh. There were so many bookstores, and I couldn’t resist, so I bought a lot of books and trinkets from them, like bookmarks and book covers. Today, I had a chill day; the weather wasn’t too bad, but it was getting gloomier by the minute. I got up to close my window, but as I pushed the window down, a letter slithered its way in. Picking it up, I sat on my bed and began to read:
“If this letter finds you, it’s because you messed up. Therefore, I have written a few pieces of advice to help you get back on track.
Although you have done many small good deeds, like using as many reusable objects as possible and walking to school, these actions are not enough to reduce the negative impacts your exchange session has on the Earth’s environment. Remember, you have flown to get to Glasgow and will have to fly back to get back home, which has already had an immense negative impact. So, your compulsive spending does not help your case!
I’m going to give you a few tips that you should follow if you want to see all the great wonders nature has to offer.
First, how about limiting your useless spending on physical objects that will only be used once? Instead, you could do more activities at school or even within the community of your apartment building. You can also start by buying your groceries from more local farms. If you want to visit castles and go hiking in the beautiful trails of Scotland, make sure you stay where you are meant to be and only admire them from afar. You can visit the Scottish Centre to learn about ecology and the natural environment to inform yourself about the environment of Glasgow and Scotland. It might even give you some part you could play in the improvement of the city.
I know you like to prepare everything in advance, but sometimes buying too much in advance will cause you to waste products or force you to use them more quickly. You should wait until there is almost no product left to make sure you are fully appreciating what you bought. Overconsumption is a real problem that can be reduced through these steps.
Although this is only a short list, I hope this will push you to do more research and change your routines a little bit.
Trust me, you don’t want to end up where I am now.
Sincerely,
Your future self.”
As I woke up, the letter was gone, but the words written in it still echoed through my mind. Perhaps the universe was trying to tell me something.
Reference
1. https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/scene/
2. https://glasgowcityofscienceandinnovation.com/new-glasgow-app-empowers-communities-to-tackle-climate-change-through- everyday-actions/
3. communiMap: https://ncr.glasgow.ac.uk/?p=2394
4. https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/download-our-apps/#climate-change-explorer_tab
5. https://www.scotlandsgreattrails.com/outdoor-info/
