Why would we even want to do this? I mean, aren't there enough people in the world doing something about it? Why should I bother? I'm just one person, right? Well, yes, you ARE just one person. But your reach and influence spreads over into many other lives so, technically, even though you are just you, you have family, friends and acquaintances who are going to be influenced by the things you do. This will apply even more so if you have kids.
Even if it is just little old you, you still have so much power in your hands. Most people don't realise how significant their contribution, however small, actually is. In case you aren't familiar with the Starfish story, here is a reminder below.
See what I'm saying? Personally, I can't think why the old man would even question the woman's actions. Wouldn't it make more sense to get in on the action and start saving the starfish too, on account of the number of starfish and the many miles of beach and her just being one person? Unbelievably, this attitude is pretty universal. That is why there are only a small handful of people who are actually doing their bit and far more people who aren't. Yes, it does sometimes feel frustrating to be one of the few. When I see my neighbours rubbish bins, on rubbish day, FILLED to the brim with recyclables DESPITE the fact that we now have a FREE service coming to collect all of our recyclables, I want to tear my hair out. I have to remind myself that it's not something within a lot of people's grasp. If you have lived one way for so long, it is really difficult to change.
But, with understanding comes responsibility. In other words, once you have an understanding of why things need to be done, you have a responsibility to do them. If you continue to ignore them, that is negligence. It's no longer ignorance. If you don't want to feel responsible for our planet, stop reading right now before you know too much to ignore it.
At least I warned you;) The fact is that our planet IS being harmed daily and it IS getting to the point from which there will be no return. The reason WE should be so concerned is because the earth has been around for millennia. WE haven't. Whole species have been wiped out but the earth still remains. In other words, it's humankind that will be wiped out by climate change, not the earth itself. The earth will eventually recover and some other species will become dominant. I can only hope it will be a more symbiotic relationship than humans have with the earth. Right now, we are more parasitic. We take and take and take and very few of us actually give back. Sounds harsh but it's the truth. Sit with that thought for a while and it will be hard to refute it.
So, back to the point of today's blog: what can YOU do to make a difference? It's actually ridiculously easy because you can start as small as you want and work your way up. Something happens when you start to become aware of the world around you, it opens up your mind even more and, before you know it, you are changing EVERYTHING and you are wondering what on earth took you so long.
Tip number one: Don't waste food
Did you know that South Africa generates 9 million tons of food waste PER YEAR?! It seems unbelievable to me given the amount of starving people in the world and yet, there you have it. There is absolutely no excuse for it and that is why it is number one on my list. I know people who simply REFUSE to eat leftovers, pointblank. I honestly can't figure out what could go so wrong with something you cooked between last night and this morning but, as soon as the sun rises, that food is no longer acceptable. What also happens is that people start a health kick, buy up the whole fruit and veggie section, and then cook one healthy meal with it before they start to make excuses about why macaroni cheese just sounds so much nicer and, before you know it, those fruits and veggies are going into the rubbish bin. It happens far more often than you realise.
We never waste in our house. The meal I cook for dinner one night is good enough for lunches for the next 4 or 5 days as far as I'm concerned. If I don't feel like eating it, I'll freeze it and it will be dinner or lunch some other time. I finish every fruit and vegetable in my fridge between breakfast smoothies, lunches and snacks. If I can see that something is going off I will either pop it in the dehydrator and dry it so that I can carry on using it or I will ferment it because fermenting foods makes them last forever.
How can you avoid tossing too much food? One way is to shop weekly for perishables and only buy enough to last you that week. Make sure to store them properly in your fridge. Don't leave them in their original plastic containers. Transfer them to ziplock bags and get as much air out of the bag as possible to prevent them spoiling more. Store all your leftovers properly too and, instead of buying a takeaway lunch, pack the leftovers for lunch the next day. You will be saving loads of money, helping your waistline and avoiding waste. If something is going off and you really don't want to eat it, put it all in a bag and give it to a homeless person at a robot. There are so many people who will be grateful for that. Don't think that you will insult them by giving them your leftovers. So many people are living below the bread line and fruit and vegetables are a luxury they simply can't afford, even if, in your mind, they are too old. Don't throw it in a bin, EVER. Please?
Tip number two: keep a water bucket next to your sink to save water
This is so easy it's ridiculous. Get a big container, like an old whey protein container for example. If you have an old bucket, that will work too. Keep it next to, or as near as possible, to your sink. Whenever you need to run the hot water for a while to get it warm, instead of letting the excess water run down the drain, put a jug under the tap and catch all that excess water and pour it into your bucket. The same applies to the cold water. Sometimes, in summer, if you run the cold tap it comes out boiling hot initially. Catch that warm water in a jug and add it to your bucket. You will be very surprised at how quickly that bucket fills up!
Use that water to water your indoor plants, wash your floors, put in your steamer if you have one, wash your hands with, boil eggs with and even water some of your outdoor plants too if you have too much water. My bucket is permanently full so I always have excess water to water my plants and do all of the the above things with. Just by doing that, you are saving litres and litres of water. Other ways to add to that water are, for example, if you boil eggs, pour that water back into your bucket to reuse. There's nothing wrong with it. It's boiled. That kills everything. It will cool in no time and you can use it to water your plants again. You will be saving some money on your water bill AND you'll be helping your planet so it's a win-win. Try it. It takes about 2 weeks to form a habit. This is a really good one to form!
Tip number three: Switch off lights when you aren't in a room
So simple and yet so hard for a lot of people to remember. We only have the big lights on in our house when we really need to see something in a room, and they use energy saving globes. We have little lights with energy saving globes for anything else. A light left on in a vacant room is like cooking a whole meal and then leaving it to go bad without ever eating it. It serves no-one and it ultimately wastes, whether it's electricity or food.
By all means, have security lights. Put a sensor on them so that they are only on when necessary. But if you are in your lounge watching TV, you don't need a light on in your kitchen. At the end of the day you can look at it as saving yourself money. Whether it's globes or your electricity bill, it's going to end up costing you. The added bonus is that you'll be helping the planet inadvertently and it's something that's so easy to do. If you are forgetful like me, write a little note and stick it on the light switch so that you'll remember when you switch it on, to turn it off. As I said, it will take 2 weeks to form the habit so the notes won't be there forever.
There you go, the first 3 tips in my eco-friendly tip series! I look forward to hearing how successful you were with them and I would also love to hear YOUR tips. I will happily add them to my blog if you share them with me!
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