Everyday is a day to honor and celebrate our Earth, which is why we approach sustainability and environmentalism with serious concerns about our future.
A Planet Earth First sign in Maspalomas, Spain. Photo Boards. Unsplash
At CATALYST, we’ve reported on the increase of climate refugees, cities swallowed up by toxic waste and places to see before they disappear. But we’ve also reported on your passion and creativity to make positive change from every corner of the world. From empowering women and helping the planet with clean cookware to climate protests erupting near and far, we know that while we put pressure on world leaders, our every action, no matter how small, still makes an impact. It’s our hope to provide a deeper understanding to travelers and activists alike and share inspired methods of adopting more environmentally friendly ways of living every day.
So bring on the composting, thrifting, solar panels and a myriad of other ways to make changes in your life, for our planet, which we love.
1. Make Your Voice Heard
Climate change protester. Luke White. Unsplash
Before we dive into the personal lifestyle changes we can make, it’s important to acknowledge that the onus of our deteriorating environment falls on major corporations. In fact, just 90 companies are responsible for two-thirds of historical greenhouse gas emissions, which is why we see global climate strikes taking place around the world numbering protesters in the millions. The good news is that organizing around climate justice continues to get easier thanks to organizations like Fridays For Future, which allow people passionate about environmental change to learn about organizing, register their protests and report on strikes taking place around the globe. You can even check to see if there is a strike taking place near you.
2. Get Politically Involved
Finnish protestor holds a sign at a climate protest. Tania Malréchauffé. Unsplash
But it’s not just these companies doing damage to our planet. Wealthy countries like the USA, Canada, Japan and many in western Europe are responsible for half of all carbon dioxide emissions throughout history. Demanding politicians to tell the truth and act fast for environmental justice will bring major change to the health of our planet. Movements like Extinction Rebellion, a decentralized, international and politically non-partisan organization with local chapters in every corner of the globe, is dedicated to civil disobedience in order to put the pressure where it belongs. Consider joining the movement of nonviolent direct action by finding or starting a local XR chapter.
3. Overhaul Your Eating Habits
Produce market in France. Anna Kaminova. Unsplash
While we pressure power hungry governments and greedy corporations to get with the Earth-first program, one thing we must change in our daily lives is how we manage our food. While production, transportation and food handling accounts for a great deal of CO2 emissions, the food that ends up in landfills generates methane, an even more potent greenhouse gas. A great first step is to plan ahead to reduce food waste in food selection, meal preparation and storage of leftovers. Likewise, the Meat Industry is responsible for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gasses, and while much of this is on the production end, we can disrupt the supply and demand by increasing the plant elements of our diet and decreasing the meat. Take it a step further and adopt an entirely meatless diet: go vegetarian or vegan. If you’re unable to give up meat entirely, consider pescetarianism and learn how to make more sustainable seafood choices and commit to educating yourself about the many threats to ocean life. Other simple ways to overhaul your relationship to food is to eat and shop more locally—buy and grow at a local food co-op, community gardens or foodshare. And start composting at home or through your town’s community program (composting saves water too).
4. Go Plastic-free
Stop using plastic image. Volodymyr Hryshchenko. Unsplash
There is one ton of plastic waste for every human on the planet, and with the amount of plastic alternatives, it’s time to commit to plastic-free choices whenever possible. Take a reusable cup for coffee and tea instead of using paper or styrofoam cups, ask not to get plastic straws at restaurants and cafes if you can, carry a permanent water bottle and generally avoid plastic bottles, use sturdy cloth grocery bags when shopping and don’t forget to reuse plastic bags you’ve already have, and carry reusable cutlery and to-go containers when eating out. You can also choose to support plastic free initiatives like Stay Plastic Free, Plastic-Free Initiatives Coalition (PFI) and push to see plastic-free schools, business and communities with All At Once.
5. Reimagine Transportation
Cyclist in the city. Murillo de Paula. Unsplash
Gasoline-powered vehicles are major polluters leaving behind carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and unburned hydrocarbons in the air, not to mention burning gasoline produces the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2). We know transportation is a difficult issue, as so many of us live far away from our jobs, schools and shops. So aside from the obvious choice to walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible, here are a few other ideas to help you reimagine your life without relying so heavily on a gas-powered vehicle. Start car-pooling with friends or colleagues to and from work. Plan ahead and set a weekly allowance for miles driven, also called a driving budget. Take public transportation whenever possible as a last resort, and for those who are traveling, plan how to fly less or do carbon offsets for flights. If you're in the US, buy an electric car, which are better for the environment than gas powered ones, with federal and state rebates totaling up to $10,000. You can use this handy Beyond Tailpipe Emissions calculator to see just how much of an effect your electric vehicle may have.
6. Save Your Water to Save the Planet
A wooden rain barrel. Waldemar Brandt. Unsplash
Ever heard the saying, “All the water in the world is all the water in the world”? Well, it’s true. Water conservation should be at the top of our list when it comes to lifestyle changes that honor our planet. Just picture yourself as the botanist you know you have to be and ditch the picture perfect lawn. Instead, plant native trees, shrubs, vegetables, herbs and more to use less water (and soak up carbon and invigorate the local wildlife). Rain barrels are your property’s new water feature, and the first step to adopting water recycling practices in your home. Water recycling includes saving your pasta water to water indoor plants (once it’s cooled) and saving bathwater to flush your toilets (seriously, why are so many of us using clean drinking water to flush our waste?). This recycled water is called greywater, and we aren’t living in a time where it needs to be collected in buckets; there are greywater systems you can integrate into your home that send water from your shower to your toilet or from your sinks to your garden beds—the one with native plants, of course. You can also do things like time your showers, install a water saving shower head, compost instead of using the garbage disposal, fix leaky sinks and pipes or update your washing machine.
7. Reduce Electricity At Home
Solar panels on a stone house. Jeremy Bezanger. Unsplash
In countries like the USA, the power grids that supply homes with electricity are run off of coal, nuclear energy and natural gas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Nearly all parts of the electricity system can affect the environment... the environmental effects can include:
Emissions of greenhouse gasses and other air pollutants, especially when a fuel is burned.
Use of water resources to produce steam, provide cooling, and serve other functions.
Discharges of pollution into water bodies, including thermal pollution (water that is hotter than the original temperature of the water body).
Generation of solid waste, which may include hazardous waste.
Land use for fuel production, power generation, and transmission and distribution lines.
Effects on plants, animals, and ecosystems that result from the air, water, waste, and land impacts above.”
Needless to say, pay attention to turning off lights, computers and plug strips at home and in buildings. Swap your lightbulbs to be energy efficient ones. A few other boxes to tick for a more efficient household includes, using a clothesline instead of a dryer (your bank account with thank you as well as the Earth), schedule a free energy-efficiency audit if your region or state provides one, learn how to properly dispose of old electrical appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners, consider rooftop solar panels and/or a solar water heater, shift to 100% renewable electricity through community choice aggregation, get a heat pump or install a programmable thermostat and calculate your household’s carbon footprint to start to take actions toward reduction.
8. Forget Fast Fashion
The Halfmoon Bay Thrift truck sign. chrissie kremer. Unsplash
Fashion trends are changing faster than ever before, putting pressure on workers and brands to produce at an unprecedented rate. Not only does fast fashion exploit workers who must create clothes as cheaply and quickly as possible, the fast fashion industry requires 93 billion cubic meters of water. That accounts for 20% of industrial water pollution, which could instead meet the consumption needs of 5 million people. The industry also accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, and it doesn’t appear to be slowing. Between 1975 and 2018, the amount of textiles produced globally per person has more than doubled, accounting for a major chunk of the 92 million metric tons of textile waste generated each year. As consumers, we have to choose to shop against the trend of endlessly buying new clothes. So what’s in fashion? Clothes sold by ethical and responsible brands, mended and second hand clothes, clothing swaps or rentals and, of course, get involved in the Fashion Revolution or the Clean Clothes Campaign. But perhaps most importantly, buy less clothing.
9. Check Out the CATALYST Climate Book List
Nina Karnikowski book cover.
Did you know CATALYST has a curated list of books about travel and social action as well as a bookshop on our site where these books are sold? This includes titles that have guided this list and our own actions as catalysts for positive change in our fight for the Earth. Some favorites include Go Lightly: How to Travel Without Hurting the Planet by Nina Karnikowski, a sustainable travel handbook that inspires readers to explore the planet without causing more harm. Leah Thomas’ The Intersectional Environmentalist which “examines the inextricable link between environmentalism, racism, and privilege, and promotes awareness of the fundamental truth that we cannot save the planet without uplifting the voices of its people” And Braiding Sweetgrass where Robin Wall Kimmerer uses her life as an Indigenous a woman scientist to show us “that the awakening of ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.”
You can get our full Earth loving booklist here.
10. Keep Getting Climate Savvy
Wooden Workshops sign. Etienne Girardet. Unsplash
Raeann Mason
Raeann is the Content and Community Manager at CATALYST, an avid traveler, digital storyteller and guide writer. She studied Mass Communication & Media at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism where she found her passion for a/effective journalism and cultural exchange. An advocate of international solidarity and people's liberation, Raeann works to reshape the culture of travel and hospitality to be ethically sound and sustainable.