The past few months have proved to be an experience that many of us probably thought would never happen. A pandemic? In my lifetime? Of course not.
Humanity has changed a lot about this planet that we call home. We have built cities, transformed landscapes, and taken resources from the Earth that will not replenish for millions of years. Humans have become a new geological force, altering the Earth’s natural state in endless ways.
Lockdown has allowed a lot of time to reflect on how we can help our Earth. Through small yet incredibly meaningful acts in our daily lives, together collective change can be brought about to preserve our planet and all those who inhabit it. It is often under-acknowledged that environmental problems are intertwined with the injustices brought to the millions of marginalised people and their communities. Tackling social inequality means taking responsibility for what we can do to be more sustainable.
Shop consciously
One step to look out for Planet Earth is to shop consciously. The fashion industry uses over 15,000 chemicals, destroying ecosystems and polluting waterways. Whilst not only ecologically damaging, this practice also stimulates the ongoing social injustice that exists today, further harming workers. Cotton farming, whilst not only environmentally degrading due to the pesticide use, poisons thousands of farmers and their families every year.
Exploiting cheap labour involves workers having no choice but to work overtime to support themselves and their families. With the garment industry creating millions of jobs globally, these problems must be addressed.
Addressing these issues relies on the powerful role of the consumer. By reflecting on our choices, we can create change. The decision to buy fast fashion supports a short-lived, polluting supply chain and the large corporations who control it. Consumer power shapes the world we want to see, generating more ethical practises and a fairer industry.
With the equivalent of one truckload of clothing going to landfill or incineration every second, we can reflect on how often and how much we buy. Second-hand shopping is becoming increasingly popular, and there’s certainly a reason for it. Whilst charity shops are closed at the moment, the Depop app or eBay auctions have endless choice, and countless unique items. It is astonishing to see how much is being sold, much of it in perfect condition.
It is easy to be drawn to online shopping, especially in lockdown. Through considering what we truly need, the most important step in generating collective change is reducing our consumption. Being content with what we already own is something that proves to us that shopping only gives us temporary happiness.
Reduce consumption
Reducing our consumption of resources also involves plastic. This material, made from oil in the earth’s crust, is not infinite, and it destroys ecosystems everywhere. The amount of plastic pieces in our oceans could circle the earth 400 times, and these won’t disappear any time soon.
Our throwaway culture must end, and there are many solutions. Lockdown has allowed for more experimenting with different products and shopping habits. From taking your own bags to the supermarket, and a reusable water bottle or coffee cup on your outings, to supporting businesses that sell loose fruit and veg. Plastic-free shops are on the rise, and it’s amazing how much cheaper it is to refill the bags and jars you already have with kitchen goods rather than buying them in plastic packaging.
In terms of sanitation, sanitary pads are 90% plastic, and in the US alone 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons pollute landfills annually. Moon-cups are a great way to save from buying and discarding hundreds sanitary products.
Soap bars, shampoo bars, and bamboo toothbrushes are additional, cheap and simple methods to minimise our impact. Recently in lockdown, my household was close to buying a new shower curtain. The tables turned after we washed the one we already had with vinegar and baking powder – it came out like it was brand-new! One more thing saved from landfill. These small yet powerful choices in our everyday lives play a much larger role in the bigger picture. They have a significant impact, even if we cannot see the immediate benefit.
Think about food
Overall, it has been scientifically proven that what we eat has the largest impact on the planet. With the global population estimated to be 10 billion by 2050, shifts in our dietary choices are essential if there is to be enough land to feed everyone.
Livestock is the largest user of land; 80% of arable land on Earth is dedicated to animals or the food grown for them to eat. This space could be used to grow food for an extra 3.5 billion people. Vegetables, grains and legumes require far less land than meat and dairy. Whilst there are certain plants that have larger environmental impacts than others, such as the water-intensive almond, even the least sustainable vegetables and cereals still have less harm on the planet than the very lowest meat and dairy products.
Cows, whether for meat or dairy, contribute to climate change massively by releasing methane. This gas – 30x more powerful than carbon dioxide – warms our Earth significantly, contributing to global warming, which is already having disastrous effects globally.
One reason why eating more plants is of benefit to not only our health, but the planet, is how this regrowth of vegetation removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Deforestation for agriculture is dominated (67%) by feed for animals, not humans. Soy, often seen in supermarkets in the form of tofu and soy milk, is frequently blamed for rainforest destruction. In reality, 80% of Amazon soy grown is for livestock food.
With the dairy industry on the decline, some dairy farmers are shifting to producing plant-based alternatives. However, not all farmers are aware or are able to transition to other crops. Fortunately, organisations such as Miyoko help farms transition to plant-based agriculture. We must alter our eating habits if we are to significantly help our Earth.
Lockdown is an opportunity to experiment. One plant-based day per week is a meaningful start; it is inexpensive and nourishing. Protein is abundant in beans and pulses, with nuts, grains and leafy greens providing iron. A few of my favourite go-to recipes;
- Vegetable curries (chana masala and lentil dahl are great)
- Bean chili with rice or wraps
- Simple tomato pasta.
Baking is a great way to reduce plastic. A homemade baguette, which can also be made into garlic bread, is perfect for soup and pasta. I’ve become avid about cooking wholemeal rotis, which take 5 minutes, to accompany curry dishes.
Making little choices to lead more sustainable lives is something that we can all do, as soon as we decide that we desire to do so. Planet Earth is precious, and we need it as much as every other species that exists. We must do all we can to protect it. Through watching documentaries, reading articles and books, and building our awareness and knowledge, we can work out what we can do. There is so much to be understood to make sense of how our daily actions – which seem so small and insignificant – can create collective change.
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