Make this one change that can have a major impact!
It’s never too late or too early to make effective and long lasting changes.
Faith is 9 and she is concerned about the devastation happening to Mother Earth. And rightfully so. She has heard different studies about how much longer the Earth can sustain at the rate of destruction we are on now. 12 years! YIKES!
We talk a lot about what our part is in this destruction and what we can do to make our footprint smaller and help turn this rate of destruction around.
Our Mother Earth is in trouble. The Amazon is on fire. The Earth is warmer than it’s ever been. Species are dying off. There is devastation around us.
What can be done to stop some of this devastation?
Whose job is it to make these things better?
Do you find yourself rooting for the politician that promises to vote in laws and regulations in support of climate change? Those who say they will protect the wildlife? That is great! We need leaders in office who are concerned about what is happening around us and who are working to make those changes. But it extends beyond our leaders.
There are 7 billion people on this Earth, and growing. And guess what? The change HAS to start with you! It just does.
Do you remember the Michael Jackson song, Man in the Mirror? The verse is, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to make a change.” We HAVE to take a good look in the mirror and at what we are doing or not doing as an individual and how it affects the world around us.
Should we depend on others to make the changes for us? I wish it worked like that. But, it won’t happen. And, if you think your change won’t make a difference, think again. Every change you make has a ripple effect.
So where is a good place to start when saving the Earth seems overwhelming?
There are so many areas of concern. Today, we’ll focus on…..
Plastic bags
Do you ever look around you and think, wow there is plastic everywhere? That is how I feel at the grocery store!
The amount of plastic being used at the grocery store alone is outrageous. Every piece of produce seems to be dropped into a plastic bag. People are pushing carts full of plastic bags. It’s a sea of plastic! We do not need to put bananas in plastic bags, people! That goes for a single lemon or lime or red bell pepper!
Simply place all of your produce in the cart or in your reusable shopping bag. It’s that easy!
And why do we think we need to use a plastic produce bag in the first place?
We have been used to doing it this way FOREVER so I believe it is done without much thought to what each of those plastic bags really mean. Until we know better, we don’t know any better.
Unfortunately, plastic does not break down and is not recyclable. So it ends up in the landfills, which are growing increasingly larger. Or it ends up in our oceans and in the bellies of the sea life. The plastic is literally killing our oceans.
What do we use instead?
There are so many great reusable bags for produce and for your bulk items. They even sell them at the grocery store and you can find anything online these days. Maybe you spend a couple of extra bucks to purchase a few reusable bags to take to the store with you.
· Repurpose
Reusable shopping bags are pretty inexpensive but you don’t need to purchase new bags. Look around your house and see what you have lying around that you can use.
Take in your own containers for bulk items such as rice, flour, granola and nuts. If you have a plethora of jars, like I do, take your jars with you. Get them weighed before you fill them up and you can forgo a bag completely. I always transfer my bulk items to jars when I get home anyway, so I get to skip the transfer when I use jars!
· Reuse
If you happen to have a stack of paper grocery bags piled up, put them in your trunk so they are ready to use on your next shopping trip.
If you have a drawer full of plastic produce bags, take those and reuse them as many times as you can. Don’t throw them in the garbage. Use them!
These are just a few ideas of how we can all cut back on our plastic while shopping. I know there are so many more. Perhaps you can share some of yours with us!
Compassion Is Love In Action
Cutting down on our plastic use is essential. And it starts with you. We all want to do the best we can. And a lot of the time what seems like small actions can have a big impact. So I want to know….which actions will you put behind your compassion to make lasting change?
Let’s all strive to do better. You can and do make a difference and each day you get to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” –Buddha
It’s the only way.
Thank you for reading!
Til next time,
Live Well. Be Well.
Tiana