Let’s step up and take responsibility for what comes next.
The last five years have been the warmest on record, driving more than $1.4 trillion in damages, all caused by climate-related disasters.
We’ve built a society that relies on fossil fuels, prioritizes short-term gains over long-term impacts, and is constantly pursuing unrestrained growth. We consume exponentially more than we give back. And it’s catching up with us at an exponential rate. It’s also calling our character into question because too often we wait for others to take the “go green” ball and run with it. We cannot wait and we cannot hope to be saved by someone else—we have to save ourselves.
Stop Waiting for Others to “Go Green”
It’s simple. Assume “someone else will take out the trash” and, let’s be real, the trash would sit for days (but let’s give a shout out for Garbage Workers who help our communities stay clean!). The same goes for saving the environment. If you don’t stand up and advocate for change—even simple, sustainable, personal change—the problem is only going to get worse.
Alternatively, you can take action—specifically, study your habits and implement sustainable practices into your lifestyle and into your awareness and into your politics. You don’t have to do everything all at once, but chances are you need to look and shift your habits and attitudes.
That can be as simple as remembering to take reusable grocery bags with you when you shop, sharing your banana bread recipe instead of tossing those mushy bananas in the trash, and becoming aware of who the elected officials are in your area are and what their policies are about energy use and ensuring that everyone—individuals AND organizations—are expected to do their part for creating a healthy and sustainable planet.
The small changes you make will have a domino effect in your own life and will give you a sense of efficacy and contribution, and that feeling can encourage others to hop in line. It’s a simple ripple effect that can make a massive difference.
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Make Small, Sustainable Switches
Did you know trains drive about 1.8% of the world’s transport CO2 emissions—but planes account for up to 12.3%? Crazier still, cars account for 71% of the world’s transport CO2 emissions.
While ditching planes for trains or bikes for cars isn’t always feasible, knowledge is power. Even a small swap can be powerful—a daily carpool, biking to the train or hopping a sleeper car versus jetting off is a great way to do your part and experience those go-to trips from a different perspective.
Another simple shift? Mind where you shop. Locally-made products don’t have to travel via plane, train, or automobile to land on the shelves, and therefore cause minimal environmental impact because of their local carbon footprint. On top of that, you’re supporting your local community which is always more sustainable than supporting big-box companies that ship their products around the world.
Here’s one more: jump on the “Meatless Monday” trend. You’ve definitely seen these hashtags on social media, and it turns out this wave is making a huge impact.
Not only does cutting back on meat consumption shave a noticeable amount off your grocery bill, but it also reduces greenhouse gasses and saves water. Beef produces 30kg of greenhouse gases per kg of food, while veggies and grains produce a mere .42kg and .45kg respectively. Not only that, a single pound of beef requires 1,700 gallons of water to produce. It’s simple—cut out meat when you can.
Practice Mindfulness to Reduce Waste
While it may not feel all that “green,” have you thought about your relationship to buying “stuff.” When do you shop and why? Do you consume new things because you think you need them: the coolest coat or car or camera?
Shopping can be fun, but so is window shopping, so is going to a museum, going for a hike. We live in a consumer society that tells us that new things make us feel better—and sometimes they actually do! But is it the stuff that you really want or the joy of the experience?
If you tune-in to what you’re really after, if you are mindful of how you want to feel, you probably don’t need to shop for clothes every weekend or purchase the newest gadget the minute it hits store shelves. You vote with your wallet, and you can use your awareness of the experiences you’re really after as well as your purchasing power to shift away from waste and toward more sustainable actions.
This doesn’t mean you have to pledge to only buy consignment clothing, shop at the local farmers market, shut down polluting companies, and go vegan today. Preserving the planet requires deliberate actions both large and small in manageable and consistent ways. Do NOT wait around for other people to take action. You can take action on your end, too. That shows character—and that’s key to protecting the planet.
