Wanna EcoHustle?
10 dos- 10 don’ts
We all have the power to make a difference! Here are some ways that you can join forces with other eco-peeps and start changing shit!
Do:
- Become a vigilante consumer. Everything we buy has an impact and every purchase is a vote; for a brand, a product and a way of life. Choose low impact products which are healthy and improve your quality of life rather than mass produced, disposable tat that harms people, the planet and your soul.
- Plant trees; if you have a garden reduce the lawn size and increase the number of trees. If you don’t can you plant a tree somewhere else by gorilla gardening, in someone else’s garden or in a community space? Community tree planting packs available for free here from the Woodland Trust.
- Ensure your work-life doesn’t harm life-life. Does the company you work for sell or market harmful products? Are you working for a wasteful or polluting company? If yes…make the switch to an organization that is in line with your ethical aspirations.
- Make a point of understanding energy and then make informed decisions. Kettles, lawn mowers, hair driers, cars and hoovers use a lot. All electricity that comes out your plug is linked to power stations burning coal. The more you use… the more is burnt.
- Recycle rain water off the side of your home… then use it to:
- Grow vegetables: tomatoes, lettuce and herbs are really easy. Don’t want to buy composts in a plastic bag? No worries:
- Set up a compost heap or womery and start collecting organic waste. Linear systems are artificial, wasteful and wrong. Start processing your own waste and you can send almost nothing to landfill. Feels great… and you have awesome pot plants and veg!
- Engage your friends and family. Do you know someone with a 4 X 4 who goes on about climate change being a lie and how we urgently need a bigger nuclear deterrent? Go speak to them… you may not want to but it makes more sense then preaching to the converted.
- Cycle.
- Stay positive… there are scary trends everywhere you look but if life was easy it wouldn’t be interesting. Positive people around the globe are linking up to change the system from the grass roots up…whoop!
Don’t:
- Buy non essential items
- Fly short distance
- Drive in cities
- Watch adverts
- Have more than 2 kids
- Eat lots of meat
- Eat lots of fish
- Assume it will all work out alright in the end. Humans are flirting with extinction and we are running out of time to turn the situation around.
- Believe the lies: money doesn’t make the world go round; you won’t be happier if you buy that product; economic growth isn’t a fraction as important as conserving biodiversity; the financial crisis isn’t a real crisis; it’s a symptom of a failing system that needs changing
- Lose the faith: there is a growing network of concerned beings around the planet who want to join with you to make it better. We can be the change we wish to see in the world.
Anything missing? Please post below…
Rise Up by azrainman
7 Responses to Go Eco
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Good blog except …
Why eat any meat? easy to grow your own protein- eg Borlotti beans
Why fly?- full stop
Stop driving- do you need a car?
Eat lots of fish?- when stocks are declining fast???
Easiest way to avoid ads -get rid of the TV
Hi Phil,
Thanks for your comment. Hard to argue with!
The only reason I have is that absolutism can put people off.
Cheers,
Matt
It’s not enough to talk about revolution solely in terms of consumption.
It’s time to take back our right to organize, to assemble in public streets, in the commons, to have a voice in politics.
I wrote a post about why voting with your dollars/pounds/euros is not enough.
Check it out:
http://www.wildwomanfundraising.com/deserve-voice-voting-dollars/
Hi Mazarine,
That is a really excellent article! Thanks for sharing! I have been meaning to update this page for ages. i realize it is pretty superficial stuff. Thanks for giving me a prod I will get to it!
Best wishes,
Matt
Hi Matt,
What about taking on a carbon-neutral lifestyle? Is this a gimmick, a crap idea in the first place, or is it worth it? I suppose also that the real cost of offsetting would involve also estimating the cost of future mitigation and offsetting that? Ie: it would be bloody expensive! I don’t know. Perhaps also gives governments another excuse for not doing anything. Anyway, a blog or just a quick reply with your view on this (is it a good idea? is it worth it?) would be great.
Keep us the hustle.
Rad
PS – while I’m on here, have long been looking out for a blog from you on the climate crisis and capitalism/modes of production. For example, what would your response to this school of thought be?
http://monthlyreview.org/2012/12/01/the-planetary-emergency
Thanks!
Hi Rad,
A carbon-neutral lifestyle is great – but not through offsetting – by how you live.
So don’t drive a car and offset – just ride a bike. That doesn’t equate to a reduction in our quality of life. Local food vegetables and resources have less carbon attached and often are better for us anyway.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy an offset. But I jump at any opportunity to get trees in the ground.
Thanks for the link. Yes – capitalism as we know it fails spectacularly on pretty much every front. The best book I have read recently on fixing it was Prosperity Without Growth by Tim Jackson
Did you know I work at Trillion Fund now? We offer a cool and disruptive alternative to banks.
Hey Matt. Thanks for the response and book recommendation; have added it to the wishlist. Didn’t know about your new job until we just exchanged emails, but looks pretty rad. Congrats! Is it a commercial or investment bank? Or both? Guess we can continue this through email anyhow.
Cheers!