ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
(IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Keep in mind that change takes time to incorporate into daily life. Biting off too much at one time will often lead to feelings of overwhelm or failure. Even small changes need time to find their place in our daily routine. We are more likely to succeed when we choose a project that feels timely and authentic. Choose something that you relate to, and give it time to become a habit before picking something else.
Cut Yourself Some Slack: The second step is embracing the unavoidable wrong turns and imperfections. We all occasionally need time and space to regroup and reconsider. And all along the way, we need time and space to relax and enjoy ourselves guilt free. Stress from unrealistic expectations and pressure is hard for the body and spirit to process. We all have different needs, we all have different gifts to offer, and we all function best at different paces.
Keep the Focus on Corporations: Yes there are many ways that we, as individuals, can lighten our environmental footprint and support companies and organizations as they strive to do the same. But the biggest polluters and carbon emitters are still our corporations. If they lighten their environmental footprint, we all do so by default. We may feel small and powerless in the face of this issue, yet each person who contributes to the collective effort, adds momentum and strength to progress. We can do this by supporting political candidates, environmental organization, and news organizations who are working to hold industry accountable. We can also invest in funds that support environmental progress, and we can vote with our dollars as we shop. As we find ways to approach this issue, it is important to be patient. Within this process, we are drops of rain, contributing to the growing river of progress.
Reduce the use of Plastic: Plastic recycling is possibly one of the biggest green-washing campaigns being promoted currently. The concept was created in the 80’s by corporation who didn’t want to be responsible for their plastics, so they pushed the responsibility onto communities and consumers. Sadly, much of today’s plastic is actually not recyclable, and much of the plastic that is recyclable does not get recycled. As a result micro=plastics can be found in every ecosystem on the planet. Yet, living completely plastic free is near impossible for most of us. There are however things we can do. The biggest change we can make is avoid single-use plastics like water bottles and bags. Beyond this step, we can purchase foods and household item that are packages in glass, metal, or other recycled products. We can avoid plastic storage containers by using things like recycled glass jars. When we do need plastic or other product like silicon, we can purchase product that are made to last.
Avoid Throw-Away Fashion: Clothing production is the second biggest cause of pollution in the world. There are sustainable and/or organic clothing available, but they are often expensive and often do not come in the sizes or styles we need. We can help reduce clothing pollution in two ways. First, we can purchase clothes that are made to last. Secondly, when possible, we can purchase used clothing. There are plenty of upscale consignment stores that carry newer, high end clothing. We may not always be dressed in the latest fashion when following these two steps, but anytime we choose options that help unhook us from a shopping-focused mentality, it spreads to other parts of our lives. We save money, feel freer, and help the planet.
Don’t Worry About “Keeping up with the Jones”: Studies have shown that we get more long-term satisfaction out of having a fun experience rather than buying an item. Likewise, having more free time is better for our spirit compared to working longer hours in order to own a larger house etc. In other words, we are better able to keep things simple and live in the moment when we opt out of the race to the top. This opting out is also better for Earth as it lightens our environmental footprint. The less we build or buy, the fewer natural resources get used.
Carbon Offsets: There are many organizations and businesses that offer carbon offsets as a way to neutralize the carbon created by an activity or the production of a produce. For the most part this involves paying for tree planting that will absorb the carbon created. Nice in theory, but hard to verify. Even if the trees get planted it will take many years before they grow big enough to make a difference, assuming they make it to maturity. Sadly, there many ways the trees might not make it; some tree-starts will just not survive the planting, there are animals that might eat the small trees, and insect infestations that will eat the larger trees. And if the trees survive these hazards, they could still die in a fire, flood, mudslide, or hurricane, which would release the carbon held within. In other words, it is a safer bet for us to change our behavior rather than counting on the trees to clean up after us.
Use Things Up: We can also lighten our environmental footprint by using things until the very end of their life, when safe and doable. Many items that we throw away can actually be fixed. And even when they can’t, we may be able to gets some additional use with the help of glue, zip ties, and/or duct tape. This approach may leave us without the newest, trendiest items. but over a lifetime it reduces the amount of earth-resources used.
Eat Fewer Animal Products: Meat, dairy, and eggs take up an outsized amount of water, land, and grain to produce, and they release a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition to these issues, most industrial farm animals live in inhumane conditions, and their suffering reverberates out into the life-web. Becoming vegan is one approach, but we can also simply eat fewer of these products, and we can purchase them from sustainable, humane sources. These animal products do cost more, but if we eat less of them, we will still spend less, and our body will appreciate the additional plants in our diets.
Choose Urban Living: Living in an urban setting can be helpful in many ways. We can often make better use of public transportation. In many cases, we are closer to stores and restaurants. Choosing an urban life-style helps keep our cities to a more confined area, which avoids suburban sprawl. This in turn leaves more of the natural landscapes free of human construction and miss-use.
Rethink Transportation: The most effective approach to the problems with transportation is walking or riding a bicycle instead of driving, whenever possible. This is, of course, not possible in many situations, so the next best approach is using public transportation whenever possible. We can also reduce the amount of carbon released by buying hybrid or electrical vehicles. But each car on the road requires earth-resources to build and some form of energy to move. Electric cars may not omit carbon while driving, but the lithium mining and production process definitely did, and depending on where we live, the production of electricity does as well.
Switch to Green Energy: Solar and wind are becoming more available and more affordable each year, and these cleaner energy production options are becoming more available through our power companies as well. However, as we switch from oil or natural gas to electricity to make use of these cleaner resources, it is worth considering using up the furnaces and other appliances we currently have first. In many cases, replacing still functioning appliances with new ones often has a larger environmental footprint than using natural gas or oil for a few more years.
Invest in a Reusable Water Bottle and Coffee Cup: Large numbers of single use plastic water bottles, plastic drinking cups, and waxed coffee mugs get added to our landfills every day. By having reusable cups and bottles with us, we can keep our portion of these products from adding to the pile. By doing this we also save natural resources like water needed to produce these single use containers.
Buy in Bulk: Buying foods like rice, pasta and nuts in the bulk section is a great way to cut down on packaging. Even though some packaging can be recycled, it is better to avoid it all together when possible. Many stores offer paper bags in place of plastic, and many places also have reusable mesh bags available for sale. Buying in bulk will also save money. Part of what we pay for, when we buy boxed food, is the logo and the design of the box itself. Buying in bulk is also a good way to avoid the chemicals and preservatives that are often added to boxed foods. So it is good for the planet, good for our pocketbooks, and good for our bodies.
Avoid Food Waste: Western countries throw away too much food, food that used earth-resources to grow and transport. Beyond that, it is depressing. It can be very discouraging to cook at home when we end up throwing away ingredients for meals that never happened. Food waste can be avoided in many ways. It helps to make a plan before shopping. And when we make this plan, it is better to be realistic rather than idealistic. Likewise, shopping hungry or in the spur of the moment can lead to over shopping. We can also get creative with our leftovers. There are many ways to create a new meal with what’s in the fridge. Another way to avoid waste is freezing leftovers in portion size containers, for days when life gets too busy to cook.
Understand Expiration Dates: Many expiration dates refer to quality, not safety. For example, some bread begins to get dry after the expiration date. You can extend that date by keeping the bread in the fridge. You also use the drying bread to make garlic bread or French toast. That being said, We do not help the planet by eating bad tasting foods that may make us sick. Approach this with common sense and creativity rather than punishment.
Food Scraps: Many garbage companies have begun collecting food scrap as part of yard waste. This reduces the amount of stuff going into our landfills, which in turn reduces the amount of methane gas being produced by the landfills. Furthermore, in many places, the food scraps get composted and resold as gardening soil. This reduces the amount of top soil companies scrape into bags to sell at nurseries. We also save water and energy as we use the sink disposal less often. The list of acceptable items varies from town to town, but generally include vegetable and fruit scraps, raw or cooked, old bread and vegetarian leftovers, eggshells, coffee filters, paper towels, pizza boxes, and in some areas meat scraps.
Sign up for Community Clean-Up Days: Many communities have organizations that schedule clean up days for parks, beaches, and/or creeks. It usually involves an afternoon picking up trash with other environmentally minded folks. This can be a fun way to meet people and we get out into the fresh air.
Keep the Focus on Corporations: Yes there are many ways that we, as individuals, can lighten our environmental footprint and support companies and organizations as they strive to do the same. But the biggest polluters and carbon emitters are still our corporations. If they lighten their environmental footprint, we all do so by default. We may feel small and powerless in the face of this issue, yet each person who contributes to the collective effort, adds momentum and strength to progress. We can do this by supporting political candidates, environmental organization, and news organizations who are working to hold industry accountable. We can also invest in funds that support environmental progress, and we can vote with our dollars as we shop. As we find ways to approach this issue, it is important to be patient. Within this process, we are drops of rain, contributing to the growing river of progress.
Reduce the use of Plastic: Plastic recycling is possibly one of the biggest green-washing campaigns being promoted currently. The concept was created in the 80’s by corporation who didn’t want to be responsible for their plastics, so they pushed the responsibility onto communities and consumers. Sadly, much of today’s plastic is actually not recyclable, and much of the plastic that is recyclable does not get recycled. As a result micro=plastics can be found in every ecosystem on the planet. Yet, living completely plastic free is near impossible for most of us. There are however things we can do. The biggest change we can make is avoid single-use plastics like water bottles and bags. Beyond this step, we can purchase foods and household item that are packages in glass, metal, or other recycled products. We can avoid plastic storage containers by using things like recycled glass jars. When we do need plastic or other product like silicon, we can purchase product that are made to last.
Avoid Throw-Away Fashion: Clothing production is the second biggest cause of pollution in the world. There are sustainable and/or organic clothing available, but they are often expensive and often do not come in the sizes or styles we need. We can help reduce clothing pollution in two ways. First, we can purchase clothes that are made to last. Secondly, when possible, we can purchase used clothing. There are plenty of upscale consignment stores that carry newer, high end clothing. We may not always be dressed in the latest fashion when following these two steps, but anytime we choose options that help unhook us from a shopping-focused mentality, it spreads to other parts of our lives. We save money, feel freer, and help the planet.
Don’t Worry About “Keeping up with the Jones”: Studies have shown that we get more long-term satisfaction out of having a fun experience rather than buying an item. Likewise, having more free time is better for our spirit compared to working longer hours in order to own a larger house etc. In other words, we are better able to keep things simple and live in the moment when we opt out of the race to the top. This opting out is also better for Earth as it lightens our environmental footprint. The less we build or buy, the fewer natural resources get used.
Carbon Offsets: There are many organizations and businesses that offer carbon offsets as a way to neutralize the carbon created by an activity or the production of a produce. For the most part this involves paying for tree planting that will absorb the carbon created. Nice in theory, but hard to verify. Even if the trees get planted it will take many years before they grow big enough to make a difference, assuming they make it to maturity. Sadly, there many ways the trees might not make it; some tree-starts will just not survive the planting, there are animals that might eat the small trees, and insect infestations that will eat the larger trees. And if the trees survive these hazards, they could still die in a fire, flood, mudslide, or hurricane, which would release the carbon held within. In other words, it is a safer bet for us to change our behavior rather than counting on the trees to clean up after us.
Use Things Up: We can also lighten our environmental footprint by using things until the very end of their life, when safe and doable. Many items that we throw away can actually be fixed. And even when they can’t, we may be able to gets some additional use with the help of glue, zip ties, and/or duct tape. This approach may leave us without the newest, trendiest items. but over a lifetime it reduces the amount of earth-resources used.
Eat Fewer Animal Products: Meat, dairy, and eggs take up an outsized amount of water, land, and grain to produce, and they release a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition to these issues, most industrial farm animals live in inhumane conditions, and their suffering reverberates out into the life-web. Becoming vegan is one approach, but we can also simply eat fewer of these products, and we can purchase them from sustainable, humane sources. These animal products do cost more, but if we eat less of them, we will still spend less, and our body will appreciate the additional plants in our diets.
Choose Urban Living: Living in an urban setting can be helpful in many ways. We can often make better use of public transportation. In many cases, we are closer to stores and restaurants. Choosing an urban life-style helps keep our cities to a more confined area, which avoids suburban sprawl. This in turn leaves more of the natural landscapes free of human construction and miss-use.
Rethink Transportation: The most effective approach to the problems with transportation is walking or riding a bicycle instead of driving, whenever possible. This is, of course, not possible in many situations, so the next best approach is using public transportation whenever possible. We can also reduce the amount of carbon released by buying hybrid or electrical vehicles. But each car on the road requires earth-resources to build and some form of energy to move. Electric cars may not omit carbon while driving, but the lithium mining and production process definitely did, and depending on where we live, the production of electricity does as well.
Switch to Green Energy: Solar and wind are becoming more available and more affordable each year, and these cleaner energy production options are becoming more available through our power companies as well. However, as we switch from oil or natural gas to electricity to make use of these cleaner resources, it is worth considering using up the furnaces and other appliances we currently have first. In many cases, replacing still functioning appliances with new ones often has a larger environmental footprint than using natural gas or oil for a few more years.
Invest in a Reusable Water Bottle and Coffee Cup: Large numbers of single use plastic water bottles, plastic drinking cups, and waxed coffee mugs get added to our landfills every day. By having reusable cups and bottles with us, we can keep our portion of these products from adding to the pile. By doing this we also save natural resources like water needed to produce these single use containers.
Buy in Bulk: Buying foods like rice, pasta and nuts in the bulk section is a great way to cut down on packaging. Even though some packaging can be recycled, it is better to avoid it all together when possible. Many stores offer paper bags in place of plastic, and many places also have reusable mesh bags available for sale. Buying in bulk will also save money. Part of what we pay for, when we buy boxed food, is the logo and the design of the box itself. Buying in bulk is also a good way to avoid the chemicals and preservatives that are often added to boxed foods. So it is good for the planet, good for our pocketbooks, and good for our bodies.
Avoid Food Waste: Western countries throw away too much food, food that used earth-resources to grow and transport. Beyond that, it is depressing. It can be very discouraging to cook at home when we end up throwing away ingredients for meals that never happened. Food waste can be avoided in many ways. It helps to make a plan before shopping. And when we make this plan, it is better to be realistic rather than idealistic. Likewise, shopping hungry or in the spur of the moment can lead to over shopping. We can also get creative with our leftovers. There are many ways to create a new meal with what’s in the fridge. Another way to avoid waste is freezing leftovers in portion size containers, for days when life gets too busy to cook.
Understand Expiration Dates: Many expiration dates refer to quality, not safety. For example, some bread begins to get dry after the expiration date. You can extend that date by keeping the bread in the fridge. You also use the drying bread to make garlic bread or French toast. That being said, We do not help the planet by eating bad tasting foods that may make us sick. Approach this with common sense and creativity rather than punishment.
Food Scraps: Many garbage companies have begun collecting food scrap as part of yard waste. This reduces the amount of stuff going into our landfills, which in turn reduces the amount of methane gas being produced by the landfills. Furthermore, in many places, the food scraps get composted and resold as gardening soil. This reduces the amount of top soil companies scrape into bags to sell at nurseries. We also save water and energy as we use the sink disposal less often. The list of acceptable items varies from town to town, but generally include vegetable and fruit scraps, raw or cooked, old bread and vegetarian leftovers, eggshells, coffee filters, paper towels, pizza boxes, and in some areas meat scraps.
Sign up for Community Clean-Up Days: Many communities have organizations that schedule clean up days for parks, beaches, and/or creeks. It usually involves an afternoon picking up trash with other environmentally minded folks. This can be a fun way to meet people and we get out into the fresh air.