The Amazon is on fire and that is really, really bad. What’s worse is that it takes something this tragic and unbelievably damaging to spark anyone’s interest in what is going on with the environment. 

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you already know that humans are to blame for a majority of the fires burning up the Amazon today whether intentionally or unintentionally, as described in this CNN article. Deforestation is a crisis with the potential to convert the Amazon from a primary source of oxygen into a major source of carbon dioxide emissions. With the Amazon considered the “lungs of the Earth”, this is the disastrous future that we are likely to face if things don’t start to turn around…now. The WWF notes that “these fires are destroying ecosystems, displacing wildlife, and jeopardizing the livelihoods of millions”. 

You have a choice to make upon reading this article. You can choose to:

1. Read it and get really frustrated/emotional by how irresponsible humanity is and wonder why nobody can seem to take action on anything. You might even share it on social media to show your support. Sadly, however, a few hours from now you’ll forget about it and go on with your life. 
2. Read it, and realize that there ARE things that you, personally, can do to combat climate change. You can make these small changes in your own life and really make a difference. You can even continue the conversation, educating your family and friends on things that they too can do to enact change.

The choice is yours. So let’s get into it. 

Instead of waiting for tragedies like the burning of the Amazon rainforest to strike and responding reactively to them, every one of us needs to take a more proactive approach to changing the way we live our lives for the better. 

Behaviour change is tough, but attitude change is tougher. Maybe you haven’t thought about your role in climate change at all, or maybe you have but you’ve also thought “I’m one person, what impact will the things I do really have on the environment?” The thing is, with billions of people thinking that, the impact is undeniably huge. So, here’s what YOU can do today: 

Eat more plant-based meals

According to the Rainforest Alliance, one of the primary drivers of deforestation in the Amazon is agricultural expansion, mainly for beef production. By cutting back on demand for beef, the amount required for production declines as well. It’s obviously not going to be easy (steak IS delicious, after all), but by making a conscious effort to make 1-2 of the meals you eat per day plant-based, you can genuinely have an impact. Your health and your planet will thank you.  

Linked here are some plant-based recipes that even the dedicated meat-lover will adore.

Become a more conscious shopper

Another mindset mistake that people make is in the products and brands that they choose to purchase. You may know, deep down, that products containing palm oil contribute to the deforestation of rainforests (and the endangerment of countless species including orangutans and elephants) but you purchase them because “they’ve already been produced, so it would be worse to let them go to waste.” Wrong. Very, very wrong. By purchasing these products, stores continue to sell out of them. When a store sells out of something it means that the product is in high demand and brings in a lot of revenue for them, so they order more. With stores ordering more, the company that produces the product obviously will produce more to meet that demand.

So, by being a more conscious shopper and refusing to purchase products or brands that use ingredients like palm oil (and demanding those that are free of these ingredients), the stores will see the inventory of that product rise which is bad news for them. As a result, they’ll order less and with fewer purchase orders, the company producing the product will have to cut back on production, potentially in entirety at some point. This article by Rainforest Rescue calls out a few other ways that you can avoid and combat the impact of palm oil, specifically.   

Another way to become a more conscious consumer is to look for products that are Rainforest Alliance Certified^TM. A list of over 750 partner brands can be found on the Rainforest Alliance website here to get you started.

To sum it up, we really need to stop blaming the big corporations for EVERYTHING because we are just as much to blame. It’s our demand for their products that keeps them producing. 

Cut back on single-use plastics 

This one has already been getting a lot of buzz lately with plastic straws becoming public enemy number one. That’s a good start, but there’s more to it than that. Hand in hand with becoming a more conscious consumer, here are some other solutions to avoid single-use plastic products:

• Bring reusable shopping bags with you when you go grocery shopping. This one is easy to do the first time around, but forgetting to put the reusable bags back into your car after a shopping trip can be tough, I know. The 40 extra steps it’ll take to do this right away after unloading your groceries is worth it, so come on you can do it!! Plus, walking = exercise. It’s win-win. 
• Replace plastic toothbrushes with bamboo ones! You can buy some on Amazon here.
• Replace plastic water bottles with a reusable one. Most places that people spend a lot of time at now have stations that you can use to refill your own bottle (shout-out to the San Francisco Airport for banning the sale of plastic water bottles), so there’s really no excuse. There are also bottles available that filter the water for you if this is a concern that you have. The upfront cost appears high, but when you consider the amount of plastic water bottles you purchase and the positive impact you’re having on the environment, the investment is worth it. 
• Replace plastic baggies with food-safe storage containers. 
• Seek out replacements for other single-use plastics like disposable razors and deodorants.

Don’t litter. Instead, pick some up!

To be frank, if you’re still littering you’re kind of just an asshole. There are garbage cans literally EVERYWHERE and if there’s not one near you, you can hold the trash in your hand until there is one. Simple as that. 

What you can and should do is the exact opposite. Whenever you’re out for a leisurely stroll, why not bring a bag with you (and gloves if you’re squeamish) so that you can pick up whatever trash you may pass along the way? You’re already walking there anyways and it’s something actionable that you can start to do today.

Reduce, reuse, recycle…mindfully

This is another one that has been engrained in all of us from a young age, so much so that we seem to forget what exactly this means and the impact that it can have. Recycling, proper recycling that is, can have amazing environmental impact.  

There’s more to recycling than simply throwing every plastic product you own into the blue bin. Did you know that if an item being “recycled” contains any non-recyclable properties (i.e. the glue that holds a label on a plastic water bottle), the item isn’t actually recyclable? 

Be conscious of your habits

Let’s be honest, unless you’ve just been dragged behind a tractor through a field of mud and cow manure, nobody needs a 30 minute shower. Making a conscious effort to cut back on the amount of water you’re using can have a significant impact on your carbon footprint. In fact, Boston University claims that shortening your shower by just 2 minutes can cut your water usage by up to 10 gallons!! You can even start slow. If your showers normally take 20 minutes, set a timer on your phone for 15 minutes the next time you shower. Then, move the needle to 10 minutes. At the end of the day, nobody should take more than 10 minutes to shower in my opinion (exceptions exist of course, but you’d know if that genuinely applies to you).

Also, shut off the damn lights when you leave a room. If that’s just not something you think about maybe you should install motion sensor lights in your home instead. Heck, maybe we all should. 

Work where you live

Changing your lifestyle to this extent would take more than a day, of course, but it would be worth the shift. By foregoing a vehicle for walking, biking, or taking public transit wherever you can, you are doing your part to move towards better air quality. According to National Geographic, vehicles are responsible for 1/3 of all air pollution in the U.S. between the carbon monoxide, smog, and other pollutants that they emit. Not only does this have grave effects on the overall environment, but it negatively affects human health as we breathe in all of these toxins. If you can, purchasing an environmentally friendly vehicle is another option.

Volunteer

Volunteering is a fun and quick way to see the impact that your actions can have on the environment. The WWF is one organization that has plenty of opportunities to volunteer at different events. They also provide a variety of opportunities to host events of your own, such as cleaning up a local shoreline to help keep trash out of our aquatic ecosystems. 

There are many other organizations in Canada that need volunteers to support environmental causes. Sign up for your local Neighbourhood Network to be advised of any events near you. 

Volunteering definitely takes a time commitment but it’s worth it and is a great way to immediately see the fruits of your labour. 

Donate 

There are many organizations working tirelessly to ensure a habitable future for humankind on Earth. The people behind these organizations are Superheroes in my eyes. Obviously I can’t speak for all of them, but from an outside perspective they aren’t driven by money, they’re driven by impact. 

Unfortunately, this also means that they are likely not as funded as their profit-minded counterparts. Relying on donations is tough business, but it’s important. Find the cause that speaks most deeply to you and commit to supporting it, however you can. Here are a few options that speak to me:

Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Rescue

WWF

~ ~ 

At the end of the day, we all have a role to play in climate change. Instead of playing the blame game or falling victim to the Bystander Effect (failing to take action under the assumption that someone else will buck up, so you don’t need to), start making small changes in how you live your life every day. It may not feel like much, but if 1 billion people all of a sudden refuse to buy products with palm oil in them, guess what? Palm oil demand decreases and so does palm oil production and the associated deforestation. That’s just one example. 

So, stop being an asshole. You can do it. We can do it. Let’s work together to reverse the damage. We don’t need to wait for another environmental tragedy like the Amazon fires to strike to take action. In fact, we really can’t afford to.

Plant-based dinner tonight, anyone?