Going Green in Tartu – Ayaz (Azerbaijan) 

Are you new in Tartu and you want to go green? Yes? Then, you are in the right place.

The environment is being polluted dramatically and it has already been announced that by 2030 we will pass the point where we cannot stop climate change. But there is still hope to change that by taking small actions that will have a great impact on this fight against global warming.

Here are the actions that you can take in Tartu:

1. Join strikes on Fridays!

Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish activist who started protesting outside the Swedish parliament in August 2018 about the need for immediate action to combat climate change. Over the year, the number of people who support this action increased extremely and this year on September the 20th, strikes all over the world happened with the participation of more than 7 million people. The strikes, generally, take place each Friday and are called #FridaysForFuture. The main idea of a strike is to raise awareness and give information about the current situation and what can be done in order to counter global warming. The strikes also happen in Tartu and if you are willing to participate in these strikes, grab your Global Climate Strike sign and join the mob on Friday in front of the Kissing Students fountain.

2. Sort your garbage!

In Tartu, it is quite easy to find the places where you can sort your garbage, and in the majority of dorms there are special garbage bins in which you can sort out your garbage easily. Effective segregation of waste means that less waste goes to landfill which makes it cheaper and better for people and the environment. It is also significant for public health.

3. Avoid plastic!

It is acknowledged that at some points you cannot avoid plastic bags or packages in the shopping. However, you can easily ignore plastic bags by grabbing your cotton bag before going shopping. The market is also a good option to avoid the plastic in which you can find organic food.

The address of the Tartu market: Tartu avaturg, Soola 10, 51014 Tartu

4.Support environmentalist NGOs!

In Tartu, there are some non-governmental organizations that organize events for fighting against global warming and you can be a volunteer at those organizations in order to help them reach more people. Here are some environmentalist NGOs that you can join:

• Estonian Green Movement: https://www.roheline.ee/en/organisation/
• Baltic Environmental Forum (BEF) Estonia: http://bef.ee/en/

5. Visit The Tartu Environmental Education Centre!

If you want to spend time in nature in the center of Tartu, then this place is amazing for you. At Tartu Environmental Education Centre you can experience exciting exhibitions, permanent exhibition ‘Transparent Nature House’ and a virtual tour, discovery trail and a tit trail for families, species-rich winter garden, green city park, stone path, information point on the environment. You also have a chance to book a workshop there.

6. Recycle your plastic or glass bottles!

At some shops such as “Coop”, you can recycle your bottles by putting them into the machine, and for that, you will have a check worth 0.10 euros for each bottle. You can either use this for getting a discount or you can change it for the amount written on the bill.

7. Reduce your meat consumption!

The more meat we consume, the more we contribute to global warming.  Eating less meat is also beneficial both financially and health wise. However, it is quite challenging for a lot of people. For this, you can use this platform which is offered by Harvard University: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/elevate-your-plate/

8. Re-grow kitchen scraps!

This sounds a bit hard but once you start, it might turn into an addiction and you really enjoy seeing the growth of the plants. Firstly, you can start by keeping cans, containers instead of throwing them away. Going zero-waste is always much better recycling ;). Then, you can start starting to re-grow your own plants. For this, you can find 2 blogs and 2 videos which can be quite interesting and useful for the beginners.

• DIY-Crafts: https://www.diyncrafts.com/4732/repurpose/25-foods-can-re-grow-kitchen-scraps
• Epic gardening: https://www.epicgardening.com/25-plants-that-you-can-regrow-from-your-kitchen-scraps/
• 14 Store Bought Vegetables & Herbs You Can Regrow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJuXpiEjdcc
• 20 Gardening Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind!! Easy DIYs and Life Hacks by Blossom

9. Get a plant or flower!

In Tartu, it is quite easy to find cheap and wonderful flowers and plants at shopping malls such as Kaubamaja or Prisma. But you can also find them almost at the exit of all supermarkets. Apart from cleaning the air, reducing stress, an decorate a room, plants play a crucial role in the fight against global warming. United Nations alarmed people to have a flower at their home to increase the number of bees. Over the years, bee populations declined unusually and since bees are key to food production because they pollinate crops, their population is vital. Annnnd, do not forget to celebrate World Bee Day on 20 May!

10. Use the electronic device!

Because of using a lot of paper within the studies, we let the deforestation of forests. Within this framework, you can always bring your electronic devices and use them in order to study instead of using paper. Obviously, you cannot do this every time, and the ones you should use the paper, do not forget to throw out the used to the proper trash bin.