Nourished Magazine :: Wisdom to thrive by

The need and desire to protect our environment has never been greater. The majority of Australian’s now accept that climate change is a serious issue, which needs to be dealt with in a prompt and decisive manner. Unfortunately many of us still don’t feel any responsibility for this global problem and are very quick to point to government and big business as not only the guilty party, but also as the collective that should be solely responsible for the correction of this issue. It is this disconnect between our everyday actions and the consequences of these actions in our world around us, which stands at the root of our inaction and our feeling of helplessness.

In reality, individuals make up these corporations and governments and we as individuals need to initiate and create positive corrective change. While every business and government department has an ethical responsibility to work within an environmentally sustainable framework, individuals are not without these obligations. We use and purchase the products and services of these corporations and therefore are party to any negative environmental and social consequences that the production of those products may have.

“Affluenza” is possibly the most serious disease of the 21st century. We replace things that are not broken, throw out food that isn’t spoiled and purchase items for “the season” rather than a lifetime. Annual wasteful consumption in Western Australia alone amounts to $10.5 billion spent on goods that are never or hardly ever used.

While this can all sound very negative, the good news is that every one of us has the power to reduce our ecological footprint, and to have an impact. It can be as simple as changing habits. It is the little things we all choose to do each and every day that can make the difference for our health, our environment and importantly the health and environment that we leave the next generation.

One part of the solution is becoming a conscientious consumer.

Conscientious Consumption

The first item for consideration when looking at a prospect purchase is; do I really need it? If you do, the second question should be, is there an eco-friendly and non-toxic version of this product? There usually is, so whether it is organic cotton sheets or a handbag made from 100% recycled materials, the way we purchase makes a difference by reducing pesticide use, carbon emissions and water use. Importantly the way we as a society consume, sends a clear message to companies as to what the consumer wants and voting with your wallet remains a good way to initiate change.

Becoming a conscientious consumer is easier than you think; here are some simple suggestions, which you can start to implement today. While we wouldn’t expect individuals to be able to do these on every occasion, even making the change for 50% of the time would make a huge difference.

Out and About

It is often when we are out and about that the eco-warrior within each of us falls flat on his or her face.

• Take your own travel mug when ordering a take away coffee and reduce both your toxic load (from the plastic / paper products of the cup and lid) and your environmental impact.
• Have a reusable water bottle on hand so you can avoid purchasing plastic bottles if possible. (Plastic water bottles leak phylates into your water any way - Ed.)
• Have your eco bag handy, some of these are now so small, you can fit several in your handbag.
• If your workplace does not have full recycling facilities, make the effort to take your recyclable containers (say a glass juice bottle) home with you, so you can ensure it doesn’t end up as landfill.

Eating and Drinking

Consider your daily food and beverage intake, is it contributing to a healthy environment and improving conditions for farmers worldwide or is it encouraging excessive transportation of food, poor farming methods and developing world poverty.

• Choose food that is organic (organic farming generally uses less water and energy and does not pollute our environment or our food with synthetic chemicals) and local if possible (to avoid the pollution associated with excessive transportation).
• Choose Fair Trade products whenever possible. Tea and coffee are not produced in Australia so by choosing fair trade you are ensuring a fair price and fair working conditions for farmers in developing countries.
• Eat low on the food chain. Eating foods in as close to their natural state as possible not only saves on packaging, it also reduces our exposure to artificial additives. Avoiding grain fed meat is also important as the added environmental impact of growing grain to feed animals creates increased water, pesticide and transportation needs. The best option is for local, pasture fed organic varieties.

Gifts and Giving

Most of us have at least one or two old gifts lying around the house which have never used. Not because of any ill will toward the giver but rather, we just don’t need the item (ok and perhaps sometimes we just don’t like it!)

• If you are having a special occasion party, suggest that if guests would like to purchase a gift, they can give funds to a charity of their choice (or your choice if you care to give a list) or perhaps they could plant a tree in your honour. While not all individuals will take to this idea well it may reduce the number of presents that clog up your home and eventually our land.
• When giving gifts consider the impact in everything from the card and wrapping to the gift itself. If friends have a gift registry ask if they mind if you buy an eco-friendly version of one of the gifts they have requested. The green thing about eco gifts whether it is an organic bottle of wine or bamboo baby clothes is that is usually entices the individual to think about the eco credentials of the gift, which in turn usually leads to an overall thinking on all things eco-friendly. This is a very nice and non-confrontational way of spreading the green word.

These are just a few examples of the small things we can all start to do to reduce our environmental impact every day. In reality almost every thing we do can be done with less environmental impact – the key it just to get into the habit of thinking this way and then the sky really is the limit!

About the Author...

A long held appreciation for all things natural has culminated in CleanLife for this self confessed do-gooder. Gina believes that by living a CleanLife we can all improve our personal health, that of our environment and assist in improving the health and quality of life of our poorer neighbours. Gina's degree in the health sciences provides the perfect background for critical analysis of the latest research into current chemical intake and the impact it has on our health and our environment.