Earth Day 2019
Two weeks ago, I moved my family and my life to Oregon from New York City.
There were many reasons for this tree-change. It will take more than one blog post to truly unpack it, so I figured Earth Day was a good day to start with one of the major reasons.
I want to live more On Purpose.
By that, I mean I want to live more intentionally, mindfully and sustainably, being purposeful about my daily decisions. I also mean that I want to live in alignment with My Purpose - the reasons I feel I was put on this beautiful planet. I’m going to leave the latter for future posts.
For Earth Day, I invite you to join me on an exploration of six ways I have changed my habits, and purchases, to be kinder to the planet and kinder to myself. These aren’t as hard as you might first imagine. It’s kinda like a commitment to go to the gym regularly, or eat cleaner for our health. Just as these commitments to ourselves take some time to become habitual and feel like a necessity rather than an inconvenience, so too will these commitments to the planet.
1. Start to see the planet as an extension of YOU
The planet and everything in it is made up of energy, or vibrations. Every atom in every thing - whether you believe it is ‘alive’ or not - is oscillating, moving, vibrating at all times. It’s science.
If you understand this, it’s easier to start to see the planet, and everything in it, as an extension of you, rather than just a place that you live. All of that energy, everything around you, what you put in and on your body - it’s all energy that can help or harm.
Ask yourself what energy you’re putting into the world and into our planet? What daily decisions can you make to help the planet, rather than harm it? If you did this, how would that positively impact your own vibrations?
One of the best ways to expand your awareness of this is to care for some beautiful houseplants, or bring plants to the office. There’s nothing quite like keeping a house or office plant alive to remind you of the health of the planet being an extension of the little decisions you make.
2. Reduce your reliance on single-use plastics
Plastic is definitely not fantastic. If you’re reasonably educated, you already know this.
Consider the decisions you made in the last 48 hours. Did you buy a single-use plastic bottle of water? Did you use a plastic straw? Did you order-in from a place that uses plastic containers and forks/knives? Did you use plastic wrap to keep something fresh? Did you buy pre-cut vegetables because it was easier? Did you bag your fresh produce in single-use plastic bags? Did you use a Ziplock bag for your kid’s lunch today? Or give them individually wrapped cheese sticks, or a granola bar? Did you use beauty, laundry, cleaning, kitchen products in plastic bottles? Did you use a ball-point pen that is made from plastic? Did you use a disposable razor, a standard toothbrush, roll-on deodorant, dental floss or a Q-tip?
You get the idea. Single-use plastics are so prevalent in our daily lives, it’s easy to miss all the ways that you might be adding to the:
nearly TWO MILLION single-use plastic bags that are distributed in the world every minute
over 500 MILLION straws that are used once and thrown away each day
91% of plastic waste that is not recycled
plastic pollution making its way into our oceans, which is estimated to outweigh fish pound for pound by 2050
Reducing your reliance on single-use plastics is actually much easier today than it has ever been previously. Visit some of my fave Zero-Waste stores to get started with better, more planet-friendly options in your home and on-the-go:
PACKAGE FREE STORE // Use EARTHDAY25 to get 25% off your order for Earth Day
URBAN OREGANICS // New local fave for me. Use GOGREEN today to get 15% off your order for Earth Day
THE ECO WARRIOR // Great option for Australian consumers but also offers carbon-neutral global delivery options
LIFE WITHOUT PLASTIC // Canada friends - shop here!
3. Invest in beautiful, earth-friendly reusable bottles and cups
Stop buying water in plastic bottles. Immediately. For most of the people reading this post, your tap water is drinkable or filterable. Your reliance on single-use plastic bottles is for convenience alone. The Story of Bottled Water has been around long enough that there’s really no excuse anymore - invest in a beautiful reusable water bottle and coffee cup. Think of it as your next indulgent accessory.
I love the variety and personal style options of S’well (plus it keeps liquid cold or hot for HOURS!!) and carry my Keep Cup everywhere.
4. Reduce your reliance on animal products
I’ll be celebrating 10 years as a vegetarian this year. It’s been over 16 years since I ate bacon or red meat. I don’t often talk about my reasons for eliminating meat from my diet unless explicitly asked, because I believe there are many factors that can impact an individual’s decision regarding how much meat or animal products they required to be healthy.
That said, there is one undeniable truth that is widely misunderstood: the single industry that is most negatively impacting climate change in the world… is the Animal Agriculture industry. If you’d like to learn more, I highly recommend you watch Cowspiracy. I promise this isn’t a PETA-style horror film, but you will likely be horrified when you realize the impact your meal-decisions have on our planet.
Eat more plants! They are the highest vibration edible things on the globe and by putting them into your body, you are raising your vibe. Support local farmer’s markets and lower your food miles and your single-use plastic waste. Win:Win!
5. Check your utilities and upgrade to Green Power
I remember when Green Power options were first made available in Melbourne, Australia - where I lived at the time. It was significantly more expensive to opt-in for green energy options. If I recall correctly, my bill was about $40-$50 more every month. I had the means though, so I opted in and have been using green power options ever since for my home utilities.
Today, the price difference between traditional and green power options has diminished. In the USA, where I live now, it’s about $5-$6 more per month.
Call your utilities provider to discuss green energy options and the costs to you. If you live in an apartment building where you don’t get as much say in the provider used, you could start the discussion with building management, your neighbours and possibly lobby for the green alternatives to be made available.
6. Aim for a Lo / No-Tox Lifestyle
Honestly, this is probably another blog post in of itself. There is so much I can say here and want to share in terms of the brands and products I have shifted to in order to reduce the number of chemicals in my home, on my skin, in my gut and in my routines. So for now, here are 5 simple ways you can reduce the toxic chemicals you’re probably using without even realizing it (with bonus zero waste tips included!)
Change your antiperspirant for a non-toxic, zero-plastic deodorant like Meow Meow Tweet’s baking soda free roll-on stick.
Buy some glass spray bottles and make your own non-toxic cleaning solutions. I use doTERRA On Guard in filtered water, and others such as Eucalyptus, Lemon, Tea Tree, and Clove. (I’ll be hosting workshops about how essential oils can replace a ton of toxic chemicals in your life - are you receiving my love notes via email?).
Choose organic produce wherever possible. Seek it out. Find a grocery store that stocks mostly organic. My new obsession is New Seasons Market since moving to the Pacific North West. (Bonus: stay away from wheat.)
Do some research and switch to beauty and feminine care products like Blume. Seriously, I love them for more than their awesome name. Their Meltdown serum has completely replaced all other blemish-controlling products I use - it’s magical and non-toxic.
Buy an organic, natural latex mattress and get off the toxic bed you currently spend a third of your life laying in!! Since switching to new mattresses from My Green Mattress, and organic linens from SÕL Organics, my skin looks better, I sleep more soundly and I feel peace of mind knowing that I’m not sleeping in all these chemicals.
Can you commit to being kinder to the planet and yourself this Earth Day? I’d love to hear your earth-friendly tips, habits, ideas and also your reactions to this post in the comments.
Rather chat in private? DM me on Instagram.
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