What is the single most effective way to make a positive impact on a daily basis?
On what surprised him most about humanity:
“Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
We exist in a very complicated and vastly interconnected world — one in which our personal choices have immense implications within and beyond ourselves. However, within this web of constant contradiction and confusion, there are ways to live that induce positive effects on ourselves and others. The most significant, customizable mixture is between diet and waste. By committing to a new paradigm of a whole foods, vegetarian diet, and a compost- and recycle-heavy waste system, we are establishing a sustainable, personally and societally-beneficial system with profound short and long term implications. Here is how I see it…
Whole Foods, Local, Vegetarian/Vegan Diet
I will begin by pointing out how firmly immersed we are in modern society. The simple experience of going to a supermarket — being surrounded by package upon package, exotic fruits from across the world, conglomerated items of 50 illegible ingredients, etc — it has all become so normal to us that we hardly question it. These “supermarkets” are a new invention — within the last century in the West and still not a reality for much of the world today! We are still adapting to this new reality, but ironically, we are trashing our bodies in the process. For all but the entirety of human existence, we have eaten locally, we have eaten wholly, and we have had gratitude and connection to the food we consumed. Our health and balance as humans has been interfered with by our massive cerebrums, somehow convincing us that our own health is secondary to efficiency, temporal pleasure, and convenience. I invite you to re-connect with your human incarnation; to eat locally, to eat whole foods, and to cultivate gratitude for the life-giving nutrients of the food you are eating.
The most common hindrances to making this type of commitment are that (1) Time — People don’t have the time to cook for themselves. (2) Taste — We are so used to our sugary, salty, and processed foods that we are bound to suffer from withdrawal early. And (3) Money — So many people that eat unhealthy food do so simply because of the cost-effectiveness. These are all valid concerns, but there are counter-points to each.
- Time – With one 20-minute shop once a week, we can pick up food for the entire week. With 20 or less minutes of cooking, we can cook enough food for two or more meals.
- Taste – The ‘tasty but terrible for your health’ food is unnecessary. Fresh, clean food is pleasant for the taste buds and the body. Adopting a model of living where eating is not merely to please the palette but to maximize your body’s health opens up so many doors.
- Money – An intelligent diet is a monetary investment. Supporting the local Farmers Market is not only beneficial for the community and your health, it is affordable for your wallet. What runs up large tabs is un-thoughtful spending more than anything. Even if it is slightly more expensive to buy local, whole foods, the investment is a healthier you, a healthier community, and a healthier global economy. Of all of the things we spend money on, perhaps there is none more important than the food we put in our bodies.
See also:
Zero/Low Waste Lifestyle
If you were to look in your garbage can, I infer that almost everything in it could have been diverted or avoided altogether. The vast majority of our garbage is either food waste, plastic, or other recyclable material. The elimination of waste is do-able with the intention and willingness to do so. It becomes especially do-able when we are living a lifestyle that promotes reduction in consumption, reuse of resources, and recycling/composting of the waste we do produce.
The Cycle — Most of our waste is dictated by our purchasing habits. Naturally, when we buy un-packaged food, we are drastically minimizing our first- and second-hand impact on the environment. By buying locally produced food, we are also bypassing the need to ship food long distances. Add in the abstinence from meat products, and we are drastically minimizing our second-hand footprint. Overall, by making these simple choices on a level of personal consumption, we are having immensely positive effects on the environment and the local and global market. Naturally, we will produce much less waste, much of which, when composted, becomes fertile soil for the next generation of crops.
Zero Waste Tips:
- Create a compost bin and recycling bin: You could use a compostable bag that you keep in the freezer for your compost bin, and a normal garbage can for your recycling bin. Perhaps keep a small bin for the landfill, as you will find that there is very little in the way of “trash.”
- Grow a garden: If you have the space, why not plant a garden? Enjoy fresh crops, a place to use your compost, and a project to re-connect you to nature, food, and your innate human qualities.
- Check out: How To Compost
3. Other steps: Avoid plastic, but re-use if necessary. Buy second-hand, sell old clothing. Donate old electronics. Take public transportation, fly less on airplanes. Invest in alternative energy, don’t support oil industry. Don’t pay for bottled water! Many more!
- Check out: Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
4. Reach out to your local government about implementing a municipal composting and single-stream recycling system. See where they’re at on these issues and whether they would consider investing in an overall cheaper, healthier, and all-around smarter alternative.
Implications Bedford, NY
Coming from an era of efficiency and entering an era of sustainability, we are going to have to adapt to a system that makes room for both. As citizens of this increasingly interconnected planet, we have to acknowledge that our actions have effects on others. As citizens of the US, more specifically, it becomes even more important that we choose lifestyles that place personal, communal, and global well-being over profit and temporal pleasure. As we shift our lifestyles to a more holistic paradigm, we are beginning to do the work necessary to sustain ourselves, the species and the planet.”
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