Consumers Can Make a Difference

Continuing this week’s focus on the successful Blog Action Day is an editorial from LifeHack. Dustin Wax waxes ecstatic about how the best solution for the environment is for us to buy less, just stop consuming. I agree with his conclusion, but how he gets there is not something I will blindly support. It’s a good read though and I encourage to go read it (and also to buy less).

For most of us, simply dropping out, growing our own food and living off our own labor, is not an option and is hardly desirable even if it were an option. The answer to the dreadful over-consumption that fills our landfills with completely unnecessary crap, pollutes our water sources, kills off species after species (something like 40 a day!), and leaves us in a world of ever-diminishing beauty and diversity can’t be to drop out of consumption entirely, because it’s simply not an option.

But we can change the way we consume, and more importantly lessen the demands we place on consumption to complete us as individuals. This means developing a higher sense of self-reflexivity about what we do buy, and replacing our identities as consumers with identities as part of our families and communities — and maybe even as producers, once again.

50 Tips on Living Green

This is exactly what you think it is: 50 Green Tips for Earth Day and Beyond

A nice reminder of all the things you can do on a daily basis to make the world a little better.

Some samples from the list:
14. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
18. If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners.
21. Consider organic cleaning products like vinegar, borax, and baking soda.
33. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
46. Good to the last drop. Switch to fair trade coffee.

It’s NOT Going to be a Long Day

I had to fight with myself to get out of bed this morning. I hit that snooze button more times than I ever have before, it looked like today was going to be a little rough. Then I found this article How to raise the odds that it’s going to be a fantastic day!

So now I’m a little more optimistic about my day! Although I missed one of the suggestions:

Get up early. I know that sounds like punishment, and bed always feels especially comfortable first thing in the morning, but you should allow yourself plenty of time to get ready—and then some.

I follow this suggestion everyday, but it’s made easier because I ride my bike.

Vary your route to work as much as you can. Make it as interesting and varied as possible. Look around you. Enjoy the ride.

Start the Action Habit

I’ve been told that some habits are hard to break when referring to bad habits. Let’s reverse that and make a good habit hard to break. Fortunately the people over at Pick the Brain have a great article on the seven ways to grow the action habit.

They encourage people to take action to conquer many aspects of their lives. It’s an inspiring read, and after reading it I’m sure you’ll want to never break the action habit.

4. Use action to cure fear – Have you ever noticed that the most difficult part of public speaking is waiting for your turn to speak? Even professional speakers and actors experience pre-performance anxiety. Once they get started the fear disappears. Action is the best cure for fear. The most difficult time to take action is the very first time. After the ball is rolling, you’ll build confidence and things will keep getting easier. Kill fear by taking action and build on that confidence.

Cities Are Great!

cityPeople ought to live in urban centers to ensure the world develops in a good way according to a new United Nations report. People are already drawn to urban centers for employment, lifestyle, and education so it makes sense for politicians to plan for cities to continue growing. By embracing cities we can prepare for the future and make it a little better.

There are many economic, social, and environmental advantages to concentrating people and the services and jobs they need in close proximity to one another. The higher intensity of economic activity in cities favors jobs and income. In addition to this, proximity and concentration allow for governments to more effectively and inexpensively provide social services, infrastructure, and amenities to their citizens, the report explains.

Personally, I love living in the city because there is so much more awesomeness than in the suburbs and way more to do and experince than in the country, what’s your take on urban-centricism?

Photo by domcisme.

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