How to show the planet some love this Valentine’s Day

The earth is warming faster than a ready meal for one, so today The Climate Coalition is asking us to show love to the planet as well as people

The world is looking hot - and not in a good way. Yes, the earth is warming faster than ever before. The last decade was the warmest since records began. Alarmingly, global temperatures are on track to increase by at least 3°C towards the end of the century – twice what climate experts have warned is the limit to avoid severe economic, social and environmental consequences.

But today (Valentine's Day, in case the constant declarations of affection on Instagram weren't clogging up your feed) is all about celebrating love, and The Climate Coalition - an organisation dedicated to action against climate change - is asking us all to #ShowTheLove to our world today (the actual world, FYI, not your other half).

Last year for Show The Love, The Climate Coalition sent thousands of green hearts to MPs, asking politicians and world leaders to protect our future. And this year is no different. Running from February 5-29, the group is asking us to unite our voices for change that is impossible to ignore.

Here are a few ways to make your voice heard and to show the love for everything we want to protect from the climate crisis...

1. Request green hearts stickers from The Climate Coalition's site, fill them in, then share photos of your homemade hearts on social media with the hashtag #ShowTheLove.

2. Write to your MP - or send them a green heart with your message on. With so many newly elected, the time has never been better to ask them to champion climate solutions in Parliament.

3. Take a pledge - from Flight Free 2020 to Earth Hour - there are many ways you can vow to help not just today, but throughout the year.

4. Take part in a climate strike today. To find a strike event in your area, head on over to the @ukscn website.

The Climate Coalition says: 'We can clean up the air we breathe. We can have warmer homes powered by cleaner, cheaper energy. We can restore our green spaces and make it easier for Brits to live in a cleaner, greener world that future generations can enjoy.'

'To create a future where the things we love are protected from climate change, we need to see action today. The solutions to the climate crisis are at our fingertips, we just need to get on with it.'

This year we’ve seen the impacts of the climate crisis right on our doorstep (we saw record-breaking temperatures in February and a heatwave in July) - and further afield (the Australian wildfires), but the conversation about climate change is still not doing enough.

So let's action ourselves and watch the world take note.