There’s nothing more freeing than making well-informed choices in life. Whether it’s finding the right partner to spend our lives with, or what to have for breakfast, the indescribable feeling of satisfaction that arises from having made a good choice nourishes us. Making choices that question learned or taught behaviour, is also often what leads to the path to veganism.

The light and love of choosing the earth

We live in a time where we are strongly advised to make better choices for the future of our loved ones, humanity as a whole, and the planet. At times, it can feel overwhelming. But, rather than feel burdened with the weight on our shoulders we can accept that we are in a time that celebrates and nurtures novel, forward-thinking. The campaign towards saving the earth is innovative, creative and most importantly natural – in all senses of the word. It is one of the most positive qualities humanity has, to care and respect, to live simply, generously and effortlessly.

The theme for Earth Day 2022 is ‘Invest in our planet’ and is focused on finding solutions to combat the threat of climate change and making the transition to an equitable, prosperous green economy for all.

Living as naturally as possible is one of the best things humanity can do to invest in the Earth

It is hard to ignore the many ways that we have overindulged our existence here. With greater importance placed on consuming rather than connecting with the Earth – our lack of connection to nature has led to the position we find ourselves in currently. However, thankfully we can choose to step outside of the consumerist lifestyle many of us in Western civilisation have been immersed in and decide to take a step back from the hustle and bustle, and try to work with nature, rather than against it. Choosing to reconnect with nature can not only be great for mental and physical health, but it can also encourage us to make decisions that will help the planet regenerate itself. We are in a time of; if not now – then never, but this doesn’t have to be daunting, practicality is key in moving forward.

Start each day with the questions:

“What can I do in my daily routine to practise a more natural way of living that not only serves the planet, but allows it to operate in an organic way?”

Whilst as an individual we may not be able to reverse climate change, we can certainly do our part to prevent it from getting worse. In the words of Sir David Attenborough “There is no going back – no matter what we do now, it’s too late to avoid climate change and the poorest, the most vulnerable, those with the least security, are now certain to suffer.” However, what we can do moving forward is try to cooperate with the earth and let it heal itself. Here are some easily adaptable lifestyle choices we can make, not just for Earth Day, but all year round. 

• Make conscious adjustments to our diet; reduce consumption of foods that harm the planet. Vegan-friendly foods have a lower environmental impact than animal-based produce, but there are still vegan foods with a hefty carbon footprint. A great app for checking the carbon footprint of our meal choices is The Floop App which launches today. Choosing organic options can also help as they don’t use harmful chemicals that pollute water or have an impact on wildlife. Organic farming only permits the use of a select few natural pesticides as a last resort – this is juxtaposed to the approach of conventional farming. Ensuring food waste is minimised helps too; try to compost where possible or perhaps contact a local Food Bank that may benefit from food and beverage donations.

• The four R’s: reduce, re-use, recycle and repeat. If we don’t need it, don’t buy it. If we do need it, see if it’s available second hand ie: Facebook Marketplace, Shpock, Ebay, and/or local charity shops. If we have possessions no longer needed, give them to someone that might, one person's rubbish is another person's treasure, and if this isn’t possible, ensure to recycle responsibly. Then last but certainly not least, repeat the process; if we minimise purchases and waste, our impact on the planet will be minimised too.

• Efficiency; Save time and energy. Reflect on how to utilise time and daily activities to our advantage. For example, can I change my route to work? Could I use public transport instead of my car? Reduce consumption of screen time in the evening before going to bed to create a healthier, more peaceful bedtime routine. Perhaps wake up earlier, feeling fresh with enough time to swap the car for public transport. Perhaps during that time then being able to get some work done on the commute, or spend time listening to music, reading, or returning that missed phone call. Saving time means saving energy, and with gas and electric prices on the rise, this is a huge help.

ejausburg/Pixabay

In some ways making lifestyle changes might seem like a compromise, but in most cases it’s an opportunity to rearrange and find a more sustainable, happier approach to living. As individuals, we are not helpless or blameless when it comes to climate change, unfortunately, we will have all contributed to the damage to our environment in some way, shape, or form, but this doesn’t mean we can’t try to undo the damage and help our world heal and thrive once more.

This Earth Day, join us in taking accountability for our actions and invest in our planet. Together, each action, no matter how big or small, will make a huge difference – if we all pitch in. Earth is more than capable of healing, we simply need to give our planet a helping hand along the way.