When did the world get so crazy?? Am I just getting old, or does it seem like things are so much more complicated and messy than back in the "good old days"?
With everything going on in the world today, it's tempting to stick your head in the sand and try to ignore the problems around us. Or, as so many of us do, to take the easy way out and blame the government, the right wing, the left wing, the immigrants, the "deplorables," the corporations, etc. for all the world's problems.
But like it or not, WE humans are all in this together, and we are ALL complicit in the issues we are facing today - from the effects of climate change (weather disasters, droughts, food shortages, pandemics), to our modern health crisis (over-consumption of industrialized foods leading to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.), to social unrest stemming from decades of ignoring the issues of oppression and lack of representation experienced by the working classes.
You and I, regardless of how "innocent" we may think we are of any wrongdoing, are part of the problem - and it is up to US (and by "us" I mean every living person on the planet today) to take steps to create a healthier and more sustainable future for the planet and all of humankind.
How do we get started? By arming ourselves with knowledge.
Knowledge truly is power (which is why the powerful have often sought to prevent others from gaining it - be it by burning books, preventing or discouraging literacy, or spreading "fake news"). The more you learn about how to take care of yourself, grow your own food, care for your own health, make your own "medicines," and the more you learn ways to make a positive difference in the world around you, the more power you have to make true, impactful, and lasting changes.
Even better, once you begin learning, you'll want to learn even more, and you'll begin to realize that just about EVERY choice you make - from the clothes you wear and what you wash them with, to what you have for breakfast, to the car you drive to work - can actually have an impact on the world around you. And you get to make the choice as to whether that impact is positive or negative. If that sounds overwhelming, change your perspective! Instead of overwhelming, look at it as liberating and empowering. YOU have the freedom to make choices that can make a real difference in the world!
Below are 6 ways to live more sustainably in today's world. Some of these are just simple, small daily habits that can make a big difference over time. Others are larger undertakings, but if you tackle them one step at a time, you'll soon be on your way to making a positive difference - both for yourself and your family, and for the planet at large.
With everything going on in the world today, it's tempting to stick your head in the sand and try to ignore the problems around us. Or, as so many of us do, to take the easy way out and blame the government, the right wing, the left wing, the immigrants, the "deplorables," the corporations, etc. for all the world's problems.
But like it or not, WE humans are all in this together, and we are ALL complicit in the issues we are facing today - from the effects of climate change (weather disasters, droughts, food shortages, pandemics), to our modern health crisis (over-consumption of industrialized foods leading to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.), to social unrest stemming from decades of ignoring the issues of oppression and lack of representation experienced by the working classes.
You and I, regardless of how "innocent" we may think we are of any wrongdoing, are part of the problem - and it is up to US (and by "us" I mean every living person on the planet today) to take steps to create a healthier and more sustainable future for the planet and all of humankind.
How do we get started? By arming ourselves with knowledge.
Knowledge truly is power (which is why the powerful have often sought to prevent others from gaining it - be it by burning books, preventing or discouraging literacy, or spreading "fake news"). The more you learn about how to take care of yourself, grow your own food, care for your own health, make your own "medicines," and the more you learn ways to make a positive difference in the world around you, the more power you have to make true, impactful, and lasting changes.
Even better, once you begin learning, you'll want to learn even more, and you'll begin to realize that just about EVERY choice you make - from the clothes you wear and what you wash them with, to what you have for breakfast, to the car you drive to work - can actually have an impact on the world around you. And you get to make the choice as to whether that impact is positive or negative. If that sounds overwhelming, change your perspective! Instead of overwhelming, look at it as liberating and empowering. YOU have the freedom to make choices that can make a real difference in the world!
Below are 6 ways to live more sustainably in today's world. Some of these are just simple, small daily habits that can make a big difference over time. Others are larger undertakings, but if you tackle them one step at a time, you'll soon be on your way to making a positive difference - both for yourself and your family, and for the planet at large.
1.) Grow Your Own Food - Or Buy Local
One of the biggest issues facing our world today is our destructive and unhealthy food supply. Industrial farming can be linked to everything from the destruction of our environment, to social inequalities, to our modern disease epidemic. By growing at least some of your own food, you are opting out of this destructive supply chain, and opting for health instead. (As a bonus, it's also fun and rewarding!)
If you aren't able to grow your own, buy as much food as you can that is locally produced. You'll be supporting your local community, and increasing the availability of healthy foods for others at the same time by letting your local small farmers know that there is a demand for their products. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find most of your foodstuffs from a local source - not just fruits and vegetables, but also meat, milk, eggs, cheese, bread, and more. Not only is this a more sustainable way to eat, but it is often much tastier as well!
2. Emphasize Reuse over Recycling
You may not have heard, but there is a recycling crisis in our country right now. With China refusing to take all our old garbage (and really, why should they?) landfills are filling up at record rates, and recycling centers are overwhelmed with non-recyclable materials. We've gotten too used to just tossing everything in the recycling bin - where only a percentage of all that stuff is actually recyclable. It's time to change our focus to reusable, and stop assuming we can just dispose of everything in the recycling bin and feel virtuous.
Invest a few extra dollars in some reusable water bottles, tote bags, and coffee cups - and use them! Commit to not buying anything that comes in a disposable container unless you absolutely can't avoid it. You can even bring your own reusable containers to fill up with bulk goods such as nuts, flour, and sugar at the supermarket. It's really not that hard!
3.) Skip the Plastic
This point is related to #2 above, but seriously people, we have GOT to stop using so much plastic! Landfills are overflowing with it, it's clogging up our oceans and killing our wildlife, and only a small percentage is ever recycled (if it's even recyclable at all).
Swap out your plastic toothbrushes for bamboo versions, get yourself some paper, bamboo, or metal drinking straws, use (or make) beeswax wraps instead of using plastic wrap, buy bulk goods and put them in reusable containers as mentioned above, and if you do have to buy things that are wrapped in plastic, commit to only doing so if you can find a way to reuse the packaging.
4. Dress Sustainably
There is a lot of info out there about "fast fashion" and how much of our textile goods end up in landfills each year. Besides all the waste, textile production can also be very resource-intensive, and creates millions of tons of pollutants every year. It's time to become more conscious about the clothing we buy - and what we do with it when we're done with it. Buying well-made clothing may cost a little more, but it will also last much longer.
Pay attention to sustainable brands, and shop from retailers that support sustainable clothing manufacturers that use materials such as organic cotton, and others that are less resource-intensive to produce.
5. Clean Up After Yourself - And Others
This one really makes me mad... Sometimes when I'm on a walk or a drive, I look at the roadsides and think - "Really?? Didn't your mother ever teach you to pick up after yourself?" Seriously, don't litter, people! We are adults here, and it's high time that we take responsibility for our own trash, and at the very least make sure it ends up in the right receptacle. And if you already don't litter, good for you! Take an extra minute or two to pick up other people's trash that you may see when you are out and about. It will lead to a cleaner and healthier world for you and everyone else.
6. Buy Less Crap – In Fact, Just Buy Less
We live in a consumerist society for sure - and while we may not be able to change society, we can certainly change our own buying habits. There's nothing wrong with having nice things that we enjoy, but before buying something, stop and think about whether you really need it. What will it really add to your life? How much will you enjoy it, and for how long? Do you really need it? And if you do, before you buy it, make a plan for what you will do with it when you're done with it. Is it recyclable? Can it be used for something else after you're finished using it for its intended purpose? How much waste will it create if you can't reuse or recycle it? Do you REALLY need it?
These 6 steps will help you increase the sustainability of life on Earth - but don't stop here! Here are hundreds of different ways that we can all make a difference just by making better, healthier, more sustainable choices in our everyday lives. Keep learning, keep growing, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we truly can change the world.
To your health,
Rose.
P.S. The tips above were inspired by this list from Karen O'Donohoe, host of the awesome show Grow, Cook, Eat.
One of the biggest issues facing our world today is our destructive and unhealthy food supply. Industrial farming can be linked to everything from the destruction of our environment, to social inequalities, to our modern disease epidemic. By growing at least some of your own food, you are opting out of this destructive supply chain, and opting for health instead. (As a bonus, it's also fun and rewarding!)
If you aren't able to grow your own, buy as much food as you can that is locally produced. You'll be supporting your local community, and increasing the availability of healthy foods for others at the same time by letting your local small farmers know that there is a demand for their products. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find most of your foodstuffs from a local source - not just fruits and vegetables, but also meat, milk, eggs, cheese, bread, and more. Not only is this a more sustainable way to eat, but it is often much tastier as well!
2. Emphasize Reuse over Recycling
You may not have heard, but there is a recycling crisis in our country right now. With China refusing to take all our old garbage (and really, why should they?) landfills are filling up at record rates, and recycling centers are overwhelmed with non-recyclable materials. We've gotten too used to just tossing everything in the recycling bin - where only a percentage of all that stuff is actually recyclable. It's time to change our focus to reusable, and stop assuming we can just dispose of everything in the recycling bin and feel virtuous.
Invest a few extra dollars in some reusable water bottles, tote bags, and coffee cups - and use them! Commit to not buying anything that comes in a disposable container unless you absolutely can't avoid it. You can even bring your own reusable containers to fill up with bulk goods such as nuts, flour, and sugar at the supermarket. It's really not that hard!
3.) Skip the Plastic
This point is related to #2 above, but seriously people, we have GOT to stop using so much plastic! Landfills are overflowing with it, it's clogging up our oceans and killing our wildlife, and only a small percentage is ever recycled (if it's even recyclable at all).
Swap out your plastic toothbrushes for bamboo versions, get yourself some paper, bamboo, or metal drinking straws, use (or make) beeswax wraps instead of using plastic wrap, buy bulk goods and put them in reusable containers as mentioned above, and if you do have to buy things that are wrapped in plastic, commit to only doing so if you can find a way to reuse the packaging.
4. Dress Sustainably
There is a lot of info out there about "fast fashion" and how much of our textile goods end up in landfills each year. Besides all the waste, textile production can also be very resource-intensive, and creates millions of tons of pollutants every year. It's time to become more conscious about the clothing we buy - and what we do with it when we're done with it. Buying well-made clothing may cost a little more, but it will also last much longer.
Pay attention to sustainable brands, and shop from retailers that support sustainable clothing manufacturers that use materials such as organic cotton, and others that are less resource-intensive to produce.
5. Clean Up After Yourself - And Others
This one really makes me mad... Sometimes when I'm on a walk or a drive, I look at the roadsides and think - "Really?? Didn't your mother ever teach you to pick up after yourself?" Seriously, don't litter, people! We are adults here, and it's high time that we take responsibility for our own trash, and at the very least make sure it ends up in the right receptacle. And if you already don't litter, good for you! Take an extra minute or two to pick up other people's trash that you may see when you are out and about. It will lead to a cleaner and healthier world for you and everyone else.
6. Buy Less Crap – In Fact, Just Buy Less
We live in a consumerist society for sure - and while we may not be able to change society, we can certainly change our own buying habits. There's nothing wrong with having nice things that we enjoy, but before buying something, stop and think about whether you really need it. What will it really add to your life? How much will you enjoy it, and for how long? Do you really need it? And if you do, before you buy it, make a plan for what you will do with it when you're done with it. Is it recyclable? Can it be used for something else after you're finished using it for its intended purpose? How much waste will it create if you can't reuse or recycle it? Do you REALLY need it?
These 6 steps will help you increase the sustainability of life on Earth - but don't stop here! Here are hundreds of different ways that we can all make a difference just by making better, healthier, more sustainable choices in our everyday lives. Keep learning, keep growing, and share your knowledge with others. Together, we truly can change the world.
To your health,
Rose.
P.S. The tips above were inspired by this list from Karen O'Donohoe, host of the awesome show Grow, Cook, Eat.
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