By Amie Mignatti
The Earth is the precious, bountiful, abundant, and breathtakingly beautiful place that we call home. It supports us, feeds us, clothes us, provides shelter, and evokes a sense of joy and wonder in our hearts. And yet the human race tends to take for granted all we’ve been given, and the symbiotic relationship we have with the Earth in order to sustain our very existence.
In any relationship, there must be an equal amount of giving and taking in order for the relationship to thrive and grow. Our relationship with our planet is no different. Mankind has taken a lot from the Earth, and as we can see now, we have not given much back. It is of the utmost importance that we replace what we’ve taken, rebuild what we’ve destroyed, and change the way we interact with our planet. If we want the Earth to continue to sustain us, our children and future generations, then it is in our hands to replenish what has been lost.
There is a common mindset among us that there is nothing that we as individuals can do, that most of the “change” lies in the hands of politicians and businessmen, and so we turn a blind eye and continue to live life as we always had. This is dangerous, and this is ignorant. Change is uncomfortable, unfortunately. We don’t really like to be uncomfortable, so we just act as if nothing is happening and stay on our downward spiraling course of inaction.
However, there is PLENTY that we as individuals can do to help combat climate change, to reduce fossil fuels, and to lessen our own carbon footprint. Just by living in a major European city and in Germany, we already have many tools necessary to impact the environment in a positive way. I’ll share a few ideas of how you, too, can be a part of the solution.
Ride your bike, walk, take public transportation, or carpool rather than driving your car alone. This helps to cut down on CO2 emissions, which contribute to the warming temperatures of our planet.
Reduce meat, dairy, and sugar in your diet. Meat and sugar production are two of the heaviest polluters on this planet. A vegan diet, not heavy on soybeans, is the best option. Although this is not for everyone, it is the single biggest way humans can change the scale of global warming.
Reduce the amount of what you consume. Period. We don’t need so much stuff.
Stop buying single-use plastic and reuse what you have. This one is really difficult because so much of what we use comes in plastic or is even made of plastic. When you go to the grocery store, bring your own glass jars and buy in bulk instead of packaged goods, bring your own containers to the cheese/meat section, make your own toothpaste, use bar shampoos, etc… There are a lot of ways to reduce our uses of plastic; we just need to first be aware of how much we are consuming and then get creative.
Use the train rather than the plane. A lot of people really resist this one. We love to travel, and see new places to check them off of our “bucket list”, but at what expense? There are so many beautiful places reachable with the train, but so many of us have the idea that we must fly far away in order to have a “proper” holiday. This has grave effects on our planet and is one that we, as individuals, can control.
Use the internet and your phone less. If the internet were a country, it would be the third biggest polluter in the world. It takes a massive amount of energy to run computers and servers, to send emails, download and upload attachments, stream movies, etc. Think about it and see how you can change. Game night, anyone?!
There are many other ways we as individuals can contribute to the health of the planet, rather than its demise. I have outlined six of the easiest and best things we can do to help minimize our personal carbon footprint.
It is often said that we are children of the Earth, but it is now time to nurture the Earth as if it were your own child. If we love and respect the Earth the way we do our own friends and family, the scales can hopefully begin to tip back to balance.
Amie Mignatti
Amie Mignatti is committed to bringing children and adults into the outdoors, so that they can learn new skills, feel at home in nature, and be in a space where they can connect more deeply with themselves. She is confident that more time spent outdoors can lead to a healthier and calmer life, a more positive attitude and a never ending sense of wonder. She is happiest when she and her family are in the forest around the campfire with good friends. She leads courses and retreats for all ages.