It’s the start of a new year, a new decade. I’m usually full of childlike enthusiasm for the potential of the year ahead. However, if I’m honest, I’m not feeling it this year. Our local midnight fireworks were cancelled due to potential bushfires and New Years Day felt like any other day of the year. I can’t shake my feeling of indifference. Different year, same day-to-day routine.
So why the New Year blues? I’ve been trying to pinpoint the root of my gloom and have settled on a sense of despair over the state of the world. It sounds melodramatic but I genuinely see hopelessness at every turn. Australia is facing the worst bushfires the country has ever seen. The damage to homes, wildlife and the environment is disastrous. Even though community spirit is high, the reality of the damage caused is heartbreaking.
While all eyes are on Australia, the attention is taken from the countries where suffering is constant and relentless. Sadly, such situations appear to attract far less media attention than they are due. According to the BBC, Zambia is on the brink of famine. Two million people are now in need of food aid due to drought and failed harvests. It’s rather perplexing that we’re unlikely to see Go Fund Me pages for the people of Zambia. This is not a criticism aimed at people’s generosity, in a time of disaster. Rather, I continually question what it is that stirs us to see a need and want to help.
Most of the time I block out the news and opt for children’s programmes and radio shows (love the ABC Kids Listen app!). When I occasionally engage with the news, I’m bombarded with the doom of climate change, the unbelievable decline of endangered animals and rapidly shrinking rain forests.
I constantly come back to one unanswerable question that will always drive me to support positive change: What world are we leaving for our children?
It may feel hopeless now but in my heart I know we can change the world for good through individual and corporate efforts. Here are a few ways in which I am trying to make a difference:
Be a bit old-fashioned | Re-use, recycle, reduce
My grandparents are – and were – so much better at keeping waste to a minimum. My generation has become too comfortable with the idea of a disposable society. We make purchases thoughtlessly and impulsively. Fast-fashion is preferred to quality clothing and food waste stats are utterly confronting.
I realise my individual waste is unlikely to have a massive impact on environmental or climate change. However, I wonder how I would feel if I was shown a picture of my accumulated rubbish and junk over a lifetime. It is not just the waste itself that bothers me. Rather, it is my mindset that I can buy things and not worry about the impact of my purchases. Unfortunately, the world can no longer sustain this mentality. Our attitude of entitlement is turning our planet into a massive rubbish dump.
These are some of the small changes I’ve been trying to implement and will add to in the coming year:
- Don’t throw out old clothes. Cut them up and use them as hankies and cleaning rags around the house. My mum thinks it is hilarious that I stuff an old tissue box with rags that I wash over and over. She has branded them our “snot-cloths”. If I’m saving the environment one “snot-cloth” at a time…yay me!
- Get hold of some reusable produce bags. My husband bought me some mesh produce bags to use instead of the plastic ones at the supermarket. I just keep them with all my other reusable shopping bags. It saves plastic and the frustration of individual pieces of fruit getting lost in your trolley because you didn’t want to take a plastic bag!
- Use beeswax wraps instead of cling film. I only recently joined the beeswax wraps party and I’m sorry it took me so long. They can be used in exactly the same way as cling film and then simply washed and reused over and over again. Just don’t make the mistake I did and wash them in hot water. I forgot that wax melts…whoops! This link gives details on how to use them correctly.
- Keep glass jars and use them for everything. I have a pantry shelf full of empty glass jars. I feel like a hoarder but they are really useful for storing pantry items, homemade cleaning or toiletry products, craft supplies and gifts such as homemade jam or playdough.
- Reduce food waste. I feel so guilty when I do a fridge clearout and I have to throw away food we didn’t eat before it went bad. This is avoided when I’m more organised and stick to a meal plan, even a vague one. I am going to refresh our meal plan this month and hopefully reduce our food waste to a negligible amount.
- Never, ever buy bottled water. This has been a non-negotiable for me for many years. Unless I’m in a country where the water is unsafe to drink I will not buy bottled water. I have a reusable water bottle and I fill it from the tap. No-brainer. You don’t need me to tell you about the “plastic in our oceans” stats.
- Carry my reusable coffee cup in my bag. I have even bought reusable babycino cups for my girls. Most takeaway coffee cups aren’t recyclable so that spontaneous coffee on-the-run could actually be costing the Earth.
For further waste-reduction inspiration and ways to make a difference, I get many tips from Mama Minimalist and Zero Waste Mum.
Eat more plant-based meals
I can sense the internal eye-rolling from friends and family when I hop on my plant-based eating bandwagon. I can’t help it! After reading Michael Greger’s How Not to Die, it is impossible to revert back to a meat-heavy, typical Western diet. Further, our reliance on meat as the basis of our diets is simply unsustainable from an environmental perspective. There are many good reasons to go plant-based and I’m working towards minimal meat consumption this year while maintaining a well-balanced and healthy diet for the whole family.
For further information and inspiration visit:
- Nutritionfacts.org
- Plant Proof
- Forks over Knives
- Jamie Oliver’s latest cookbook, Veg (not entirely plant-based but still full of recipes to encourage more wholefood consumption)
- Nourish magazine
Become a Global Citizen
If you are looking for motivation for your world-changing game, take a listen to this Cry Power podcast episode where Hozier interviews Hugh Evans. Hugh is co-founder of the Global Citizen movement and his passion and ambition are truly inspiring. Global Citizen’s mission is to mobilise individuals to help achieve the vision of ending extreme poverty by 2030. It sounds impossible but when you hear how determined Hugh and his team are, you may find yourself motivated to act. You can engage with issues – relating to the Sustainable Development Goals – through their app. Your action can truly make a difference and impact global issues. It’s as simple as making your voice heard via your mobile phone, tablet or laptop.
Shop local
I stumbled upon a local market today which offered fresh produce, handmade clothing and other artisan items. I ended up purchasing freshly picked strawberries, beautiful lavender essential oil and soda bread scones. One of the vendors thanked me for my support and I left feeling like I can make a difference somehow with my purchases. I never feel that way when I leave the grocery shop.
By buying local, seasonal and organic, I can have an impact on many different levels. Supporting local farmers and buying seasonal produce means less food needs to be imported. Organic farming promotes sustainable practices which don’t harm wildlife and insects, all of whom we rely on to maintain a healthy ecosystem. There is also something about engaging with the actual producers – and cutting out the middleman – that inspires that feelgood factor.
It may not seem like much but even writing down what I can do has encouraged me to believe for a better world. As my children grow up I intend to educate them on issues at an age-appropriate level. I always want them to feel they can play a part in positive change and make a difference. But I have to truly believe it is possible if I am to impart such ideas to my children.
So, cheers to 2020 and the many achievable dreams!