Former Bachelorette contestant James Trewethie has revealed to Who that his new love is… the environment!
A passionate charity worker, he’s an ambassador for this year’s Earth Hour which will take place this Saturday, March 30 at 8.30pm.
When asked why he decided to jump on board with such a great cause, James said it was a natural decision.
“I’m also an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund and when I was a child, I remember finding out about the WWF and the animals, nature and environment and I’ve spent so much time in it so it really upsets me because people are so disconnected from it,” he tells Who.
“Nature doesn’t have its own voice and if it did, people would probably listen. People are quite removed because if you, say, throw a cigarette butt on the ground, you don’t immediately see it going and choking an animal.”
“I’ve always been involved in charities and ocean clean-ups and helping the environment – it’s kind of that one thing that really lights the fire inside of me,” James reveals.
And while Earth Hour is only an hour out of the entire year, James says it’s a reminder for us to be mindful about our impact on the environment and the little ways in which we can make a difference in our daily lives.
“I think Earth Hour is an awesome opportunity to turn off everything just to say we’re standing with climate action and you want to support it and do something about it. I think it’s a really good time to reset and think, what is my relationship with the environment? Are there things that I’m doing that I could change? Being mindful and aware,” he says.
“People might think you’ve got to do all this stuff and say it’s too hard, but if everyone just picked one thing that they could change, then millions of people doing that one thing is just going to create a tidal wave of change.”
One of the ways in which James says is a simple way to reduce your impact on a daily basis is to use a reusable coffee cup for your morning brew.
“Like I’m driving now and I’ve got a keep cup here and for me, like I’m not perfect, but I’ve got a couple now because you leave one in your car, your bag and work. Another way is to limit your takeaway containers regardless,” says James.
“Even if you don’t have a keep cup, like if I’ve forgotten mine I’ll sit down and enjoy my coffee for five minutes in the cafe.”
(If you’re looking for a reusable coffee cup, Australian owned company SoL Cups sell super stylish ones).
If you’re keen to make a stand for climate action and get involved with this year’s Earth Hour, head to earthhour.org.au and register to participate.
“This year’s a little different,” James explains. “If you register, you’ll go into the draw to win a trip for two to Western Australia and Ningaloo Reef with the whale sharks, so there’s a good incentive!”
“The other thing that’s awesome for this year is that everybody who does put their name down, Earth Hour’s going to send a letter on behalf to members of federal parliament saying that you support climate action and we need to do something about it.”
“I always look at it like what kind of legacy do we want to leave behind? With the environment, we don’t see the impact right away but we’ve been really lucky to enjoy what’s here now because it’s so beautiful.”
James adds, “but if we don’t do something now it’s just not going to be the same.”
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