This Thursday is Earth Day 2021!
I’m sure there will be all kinds of advocacy. education and action steps promoted next (and if there are, I often share those sorts of things in my Instagram stories!) but I wanted to share a few of the more personal environmental actions I enjoy doing.
It’s no secret that transformative climate justice in our lifetimes will take wide-scale change in our societies at every level, but I’ve always been a big believer in working towards big, structural changes at state and national levels, but also personal changes at a more micro-level. It all helps move the needle towards protecting the earth, since there is no Planet B. 💜
Since Rob and I are so dedicated to our outdoorsy, nomadic lifestyle (which includes spending the majority of our time in local, state and national parks as well as hiking trails, campsites and nature reserves) we decided two years ago to begin making much more active decisions in our personal lives that reflected our climate justice values — if we were going to spend all of our time enjoying the beauty of this earth, we felt like it was important to be doing as much as we could to protect it. The idea of “saving the planet” can seem so scary and impossible, but small changes and adjustments can be more sustainable and joy-giving over time. And I should mention - Rob and I are certainly not perfect (we’re only human!) and really there’s no goal of perfection here, more like trying our best to do good when we can.
Below are a few of those small changes - and please reply with any of the sustainable, earth-friendly actions you like taking. I love learning!
Low waste and plastic-free alternatives: We’ve been slowly working toward a more low-waste lifestyle and really loving it! We recently started composting (we use Bennett Compost, which is a Philly-based company) and it’s really helped us reduce the amount of trash we throw away. A new sustainable retail shop called Good Buy Supply just opened in our neighborhood and I’ve been goin’ a little wild with it 😂 (oh, and they do ship if you see anything you like and live far away!) Right now I’m appreciating their metal straws, bulk cleaning sprays and detergent, and bulk shampoo and conditioner. I also started using beeswax food wraps as a replacement for tinfoil and they sell dish brushes that replace sponges. A year ago I would have been like “um wtf is a beeswax wrap” but now it’s all I use 😂
Sustainable and/or second-hand clothing: I recently discovered that Patagonia has a used clothing site called Worn Wear - and I scooped up a lot of hiking clothes/work-out clothes/gear that’s gently used and more affordable than their full-price stuff. New spring clothes I got from ThredUP, an online thrift store (everything was really affordable and the clothing I got is in super good condition). And obviously, I’m a big fan of Wholesome Culture - their clothing is ethically manufactured, printed on demand, made using sustainable materials and shipped in recycled packaging. Like, half of the cute shirts I own are from Wholesome Culture (omg please sponsor meeeee 😂)
Climate Justice educators I follow: There are so many amazing climate justice educators doing some incredible teaching right now. A (very short) list of folks I’ve learned a lot from that you can follow on Instagram (also, note: a lot of these educators post their Venmo or Cashapp handles in their bios so you can pay them for the incredible services they provide 🌱) : @browngirl_green, @greengirlleah, @intersectionalenvironmentalist, @queerbrownvegan, @cerowastecindy, @sheexplores, @outdooradvocacy
Also, everyone’s favorite vegan lady billionaire, Luna da Rosa, will be “taking over” the Hippie Chicks on Earth Day! I figured I’d invite her, since you know she’ll want to share the vegan recipes she cooks for Beck (that he secretly loves). Join the Hippie Chicks if you’re not a member yet!