How’s this for a possible definition? – how to find a way to minimise our personal impact on the planet and all the plants and animals who live on this planet with us.
The general understanding seems to be that the planet has been expanding and contracting for billions of years, and will likely be ok, however we seem to be on a trajectory to wipe out both ourselves and our fellow planet-inhabitants.
It’s a good time around now to reference the valuable podcast put together by 2 switched on locals, called (in a rather tongue-in-cheek-fashion) How to Save the World. 1
It’s a refreshing way to look at what each of us can be doing as individuals to make a difference. This is key, because I don’t know about you – sometimes I can feel somewhat overwhelmed as to where to start. The particular episode in the link below is for an interview with a couple who are collectively called The Rubbish Trip (a fun play on words)
They have so many practical ideas and tips to help those of us keenies to make small changes a little bit at a time.
It’s interesting timing too, as I was chatting with my sister the other day, who’s a teacher in the South Island and she was telling me about a trip to her local rubbish tip that she took the kids on. This is part of the work she’s instigated at her school for the Enviro Schools project to help the children be more aware of ways to look after their environment.
It turned out to be a powerful, educational process that show-cased multiple effective ways to manage so many ‘waste’ materials, from green waste (into high quality compost that they can sell), to using cement that otherwise would go to landfill for building new areas where they can put new composting bays, to harnessing the methane that’s being released from the decomposing rubbish and redirecting 50% of it to the local hospital to heat it during winter.
What a powerful lesson in thinking outside the square and making the most of our resources, even when they seem like they seem like a burden, and worthless.
It was also awesome to hear from my sister that The Rubbish Trip van had called in to her school on their recent South Island Tour!
Apparently no one could believe the number of trucks brimming with rubbish that were pulling up every few seconds to simply dump their contents into a hole. This hole will apparently reach capacity before 2040, and then they’re really not quite sure what to do next.
What about all the other landfill stations there are all over this country…and relatively speaking, we don’t have many people in NZ!
It was an eye-opener to learn that seemingly many people simply pop their stuff in the recycle bin without cleaning it, so then it simply gets added to the landfill.
So I’m curious to hear if there’s maybe one thing that you’re doing already, or perhaps one thing you now feel inspired to do, and if so – what it might be?
We’ll go a little deeper on this week’s #AlivewithFi and until I see you, have a fab week 🙂
Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O., I.N.H.C., is The LifeStyle Aligner. She’s an experienced practitioner since 1992 in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified Osteopath, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, speaker, educator, writer, certified raw vegan gluten-free chef, and Health Brand Ambassador.
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1 TheRubbishTrip.co.nz – Liam + Hannah