CHANGE STARTS AT HOME

A key intention behind my book ‘go gently’ is to lessen the sense of overwhelm we can feel when approaching how to take action for the climate crisis. How can we each commit to positive changes in our day to day lives that are manageable and sustainable over time, so we don’t burn out, lose faith or joy in the process. There is nothing easy or pretty about the climate crisis and our actions don’t need to look perfect, or like anyone else’s. I like to see the actions I take as an opportunity to step up to what it means to be human, what it means to be in community. We each have unique skills, intelligence, identity and creativity that we can apply to our day to day activities.

My book focuses on the intimate environment of the home and self, and how helpful and empowering it is to cultivate practices here that are in line with the more global issues we care about. After attending a climate rally, reading a news headline, listening to an inspiring talk, or taking a direct action with Greenpeace I would return home and feel like my habits and choices weren’t quite lining up with the issues I cared about. For instance, I was growing increasingly concerned about the waste and pollution ending up in our oceans and how the declining health of our oceans also connects with our health. A major culprit of this pollution is single-use plastic packaging, a material I would interact with daily. How could I in my own small but mighty way lower my use and consumption of single-use plastic packaging to feel more tangibly part of the change I wanted to see.

This was my first time using a reusable vegetable bag in 2018.

I was cautious not to overwhelm myself and start tackling single-use plastic in my entire home. What if I could take an issue that concerns me and intersect it with something that brings me joy, now that sounds a little less overwhelming. I love to cook so I started with addressing single-use plastic packaging in my kitchen. I was quickly inspired to not only limit my use of single-use plastic but also look at waste in general, wasting less food, composting the food waste I did accumulate, making things from scratch, learning ways to preserve food. After a few months of doing that, I began to explore other areas of my home, laundry and cleaning, hygiene and beauty and so it goes on…

I have found that the minute you begin to be curious, try out different practical tips, recipes and ideas in the intimacy of your home the more you begin to believe that change is possible. The joy I felt from rolling up my sleeves and taking actions into my own hands. In moments where I got caught up on needing my actions to be perfect or see immediate progress, I stepped back from what I was doing and loosened the grip I had on only focusing on outcomes. Reminding myself to come back to the intersection of the issues I care about with what I seek joy in. In these moments I would also turn to others for inspiration. I have learnt so much from other people on their journey through Instagram, blogs, YouTube, books, Podcasts. There are so many opportunities to implement small changes that build to a positive and impactful lifestyle over time.

What issues within the climate crisis concerns you and how can that intersect with something you find joy in doing at home? 

Here are some fictional examples:

Sally is worried about deforestation and loves to read, so is exploring second hand book stores, reselling some of her favourite books and reading on her smartphone.

Julius is concerned about extractive fossil fuel industries and loves interior design, so they are looking at ways to lower the energy consumption in their home. 

James is anxious about the amount of waste we create as a society and loves beauty, so he is looking into how he could make some of his own products by hand, research ways to buy things in compostable or refillable containers.

Another great way to gather some inspiration on where to start taking action is to walk around the house and find an area of the home that brings you joy. Is there anything in that little nook that could be where you start to shift some habits?

Here are a few thoughts and ideas that pop into my mind as I walk around my house…

Living Room

When I sit down to read a book I love to light an incense or candle, what is the environmental impact of the materials used?

The blanket I snuggle up to watch a movie what type of fabric is that made from? Was it farmed or synthetically made? What are the living condition of the people who made it?

I must water my house plants, could I be collecting the water from the shower while it heats up?

Bedroom

I reach for a jacket that is missing a button, I must sew a new one on. I should look through my closet and see if anything else needs mending.

Its laundry day for my bed linen and it's sunny outside, I am going to make sure I air dry them and not use my dryer.

Kitchen

I reach to put my apple core in the container I store my compost on the counter and think soon as it gets warmer I will be storing my container in the freezer so it doesn’t attract flies.

Oops my fruit bowl is in direct sunlight, I am going to move it to a more shady area of the kitchen so my fruit doesn’t ripen too fast.

I am heading out for the day for a work project and am pleased I cooked extra dinner to have leftovers today. I love the odd collection of reusable containers I have, a mixed of up-cycled containers and bought ones.

I also remember to pick up my grocery shopping list, I find I am more prepared and don’t buy more food than I need when I have a list.

 Work Area

My computer pops up with a message that I am nearly out of storage space, I must sit down for an hour and delete files I no longer need and look through my “cloud” storage on Dropbox and do the same. The storing of data uses a lot of energy!

I quickly jot down a note on the back of an envelope, I often keep scraps of paper for this. I am using a pen, but I would love to find a pen that has refillable ink cartridges.

Bathroom

I am nearly out of shampoo and conditioner, I have just moved to a new neighborhood and need to find a store that offers refill. Another option is shampoo and conditioner bars.

I am brushing my teeth with my bamboo toothbrush and notice I am nearly out of my homemade toothpaste. I make my own as a lot is packaged in single-use plastic but there are alternatives out there too.

I go to flush the toilet after peeing but remember I really don’t need to flush it every time. I can save water.

Outdoor space

It's getting warmer outside I am looking forward to planting some salad varieties for the summer. I am going to study the sunlight and see where it would be best to plant them. Herbs are great plants to keep in pots on a balcony or window ledge.

I haven't seen many bees around, could I grow some plant species that attract pollinators like bees.

What plants are native to where I am in California? Could I look into growing those.

If I didn't have space for an at home compost system where would I put my food scraps? Do my local municipality collect it or is there anyone in my neighborhood operating a compost system. I think I noticed on at a nearby community garden.

Once we have found some balance in our home, we might be better equipped to take on the larger more collective issues within the climate crisis. Our actions cannot end but only begin with those we take at home, my book exists here because that’s where my actions retreated to when the reality of the climate crisis totally overwhelmed and terrified me. I slowly built back confidence and hope in the solutions that exists within our day to day lives that actually make you feel like you are being part of the change you want to see.

Start small, find joy and congratulate yourself on the little wins.

- Bonnie x