It’s easy to get caught up and carried away wondering how much any one person can really make change. I believe one way to be successful is to figure out how to make giving back a part of your daily life.
For me, that looks like creating a nature-inspired line of artisan jewelry and giving back 10% of my proceeds to a wonderful organization that works hard to protect the planet in my area. Honoring nature and the natural world is at the very heart of my design process, and giving back financially is a concrete action I can make.
What could taking action look like in your life? Let’s dive into a few of the things you could get started on today to help protect our planet and fight back against climate change.
Get Loud and Make Your Voice Heard
In order to avoid the worst of climate change, we need systemic change on a grand scale. In order to make that happen, we need to make our voices heard and pressure our representatives for real change. Start at the ballot box by electing leaders who have committed to environmental action, then hold them to those commitments they made.
Give your leaders a target by asking them for specific action. If you see ways to help the environment where you work, live, or attend school, raise those issues with the appropriate people. It could be as simple as changing the lightbulbs in the town council building to energy efficient LED bulbs, or it could be as complicated as asking your corporation to set sustainability targets.
Consider The Power Of Your Money
Being energy efficient is being money efficient. A home that takes less energy to heat or cool is a home that will cost less, a factor that will become more and more important as energy costs continue to rise. Save money in the long run by investing in energy efficient insulation, heating and cooling systems, or solar panels today and lowering the cost of future utility bills.
Money talks, but what does your portfolio say about climate change? It’s easy to overlook our investments as a place to take action, but it’s important to make sure you’re investing in companies who are making and keeping commitments to become more sustainable.
Swap Products and Make A Lifestyle Change
Make changes in the products you use and the lifestyle you live to help the environment. Not every solution is going to work for you, but the important thing is to take the steps that make sense in your life.
For example, you could decide to become a vegetarian in order to have a more sustainable lifestyle. But it’s also good to just try and eat less red meat while increasing the number of plant-based meals you consume. It’s not sustainable unless it’s something you can genuinely incorporate into your life.
There are tons of options to switch household products into more sustainable versions. Single use products, such as plastic bags, plastic wrap, and paper towels can all be swapped with reusable products. Make choices at the grocery store to purchase items that have less packaging and reduce the single use plastic you bring into your home.
Don’t forget to think about the items in your closet as well! Fast fashion and plastic-based fabrics are terrible for the environment. Make the decision to purchase well-made clothing that will last you a long time (bonus points for items made with natural fibers like cotton or wool!).
Make A Connection To The Natural World Today
The important thing is to figure out what you can do in your life to make a change today. When we prioritize the Earth, it becomes more and more natural to do things that are good for the environment.
What action could you take today to help protect our environment?
