“What’s the water that you first fell in love with? What’s the water that you love the most right now in your life? What’s your go-to water?”
Dr. Wallace J Nichols, author of Blue Mind, asks this series of questions anytime he’s addressing an audience, and he did so in a virtual Q&A for Creative Mornings last September. These questions are personal ones, intended to remind people of the stake they have in conservation— rather than thinking about the Earth or the environment as an abstract concept that’s too huge to consider, he invites each person to think about which little piece of the Earth they have an emotional attachment to.
In this year where all of us have experienced sadness and grief in such large quantities, Nichols stresses the importance of returning to wherever your water is. “The main theme of Blue Mind really is that we undervalue water because we have a hard time talking about the cognitive, emotional, psychological, social, creative and spiritual health benefits which are vast and universal for all people.” The water has been with us as long as we’ve been human; we need it to survive not just on a physical level but on all deeper levels as well.
The same thing is true of our connection to nature as a whole. When we don’t spend time reflecting on how important it is to our wellbeing, it’s easy to forget that we need nature to survive and that we’re always better off with more of it in our lives. Devoting time to remembering the special parts of the environment that are important to each of us individually not only helps to us keep awareness of what we have to lose, but it can also help give us a place to start when it comes to helping out.
The truth is that the Earth needs our help; threats like the influx of plastic into the ocean, pollution, water shortage and climate change are putting all of our favorite green and blue places in jeopardy. Luckily, there are so many little ways for us to do our part and start building a brighter future for our planet.
Connecting to the Planet
The first step when it comes to helping the environment is just to find your emotional connection to it. Staying grounded in your personal motivation can help remind you what you’re working to preserve. Think about your favorite green spot or beach, and how important it is to you, and it’s easier to feel motivated to help keep it safe.
As we’ve all been cooped up, it might be harder than usual for us to feel connected to the Earth and engaged in helping to preserve it. To refresh your global perspective, try picking up some new streaming material to transport yourself to some of the most incredible places on the globe that need our help the most. Whether you want to get a wide scope of all the biodiversity this planet has to offer by watching a series like Planet Earth or want to closely follow a specific cause like scientists working to preserve coral reefs in Chasing Coral, finding a fresh perspective on how special our planet is can be a great place to start.
The easiest way to feel more connected to the environment is simply to get out in it. Has it been a while since you visited the beach or went on your favorite hike? It’s always good to remind ourselves of the things we truly love about nature by spending some time outside. Whether you decide to spend a day in the wilderness or simply take a book to your local park for the afternoon, taking a moment to strengthen your connection to the planet will help you feel more grounded in it.
Getting Involved Locally
Chances are, you can take a step today to help keep your favorite piece of nature safe and clean, whether it’s a park, trail or beach. Try checking social media or event sites like EventBrite to see if there are any beach, river or park cleanups in your area; if there isn’t already a cleanup event in the works, try organizing one of your own!
If you have a passion for wildlife, see if a local wildlife preserve could use volunteers, docents, or even donations in the form of supplies. It’s easy to get more engaged and connected to nature’s importance when you start to look in your own backyard!
Easy Ways To Eliminate Single-Use Plastic
Single-use plastic has been wreaking havoc on our environment, and often it means that some of this plastic ends up in our oceans. This problem has only gotten more urgent over COVID, when disposable takeout containers, plastic utensils, and other single-use goods have become necessary parts of our life. This is why it can be so powerful to find places where we can avoid plastic altogether.
Have you ever thought about how much plastic it takes just to keep buying the same cleaning products, soaps or shampoos over and over again? Many products, like multipurpose sprays and hand soaps, are mostly made of water, meaning that it’s not hard to create the same product at home while skipping the extra plastic and the price tag.
You can buy soap capsules from subscription companies like Blueland and then simply add them to some water in a glass bottle, sparing yourself a trip to the store and a single-use container. Purchasing laundry detergent powder instead of liquid can take one more plastic bottle out of the equation. There are many formulas online for multi-purpose cleaners that use household ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and essential oils, giving you the ability to make more whenever you want and store it in a reusable glass spray bottle.
Many of the products we use in the shower also have no-plastic counterparts that are kinder to our environment. Several companies sell shampoo, conditioner and body wash all in bar form, no plastic packaging required. Products like refillable deodorant, lotion bars and tooth powder are even available, making a plastic-free bathroom more possible than ever.
If you go through hair ties by the bushel, you might get stressed out wondering where all the lost ones (and the plastic they’re made of) end up. Luckily, Terra Ties has a great, eco-friendly alternative, made from natural rubber and organic cotton that work just as well as traditional elastic ties without any of the guilt when you misplace them.
One of the biggest places we’ve seen single-use plastic pile up this year is in the collective online shopping habit we’ve picked up in quarantine. Luckily, convenience doesn’t have to mean waste! Package Free is an online storefront where you can buy a lot of essentials and they’ll come to you without any wasteful packaging that will end up in a landfill. Package Free even sells certain products that we use everyday, like body wash and conditioner, in metal containers that you can send in to be refilled, meaning no waste gets created at all!
Replace Disposable Items With Reusable Ones
Did you know that many of the disposable products you go through every day have reusable counterparts? Replacing a few of these items in your home won’t just help reduce your impact on the environment but will save you money in the long run. For instance, if you depend on your Keurig to start your morning on the right foot, consider buying a reusable K-cup, which you can fill with grounds of your choice. This simple switch can help keep hundreds of K-cups out of landfills. If you’re a fan of iced beverages, a handful of metal or glass straws on hand will save you from needing to buy plastic ones that will never biodegrade.
Going reusable for your leftovers has never been more possible; a roll of beeswax food wrap, reusable silicone bags or glass food containers will last longer and prevent waste. If you’ve got a dog, biodegradable waste bags are a great way of making sure your furry friend isn’t impacting the environment for the worse.
So many disposable items around your house have permanent alternatives— when you start to look around, the sky is the limit. Reusable dryer balls can provide the same benefits as dryer sheets while lasting longer. Bamboo toothbrushes are entirely compostable after you throw them away, making them a kinder option for the Earth than regular plastic toothbrushes. Investing in a menstrual cup instead of traditional sanitary products can save dozens of trips to the store for sanitary products and prevent a lot of waste.
Watch Out For Microplastics
For years we’ve known that certain products release tiny pieces of plastic into our water supply when we use them in the sink or shower; these can end up in the ocean and sometimes might even make their way back onto our plates in the fish we eat. One easy way to avoid products with microplastics is to steer clear of facial cleansers that use microbeads for exfoliants. Many brands like St. Ives and Burt’s Bees use natural alternatives like ground peach stones and walnuts for exfoliators, making them safer to use and more natural.
Many household sponges are made of a mixture of cellulose and either polyester or nylon, which aren’t biodegradable and can’t be recycled. When we use these materials to scrub dishes, it can release nonbiodegradable plastic fibers into the water. Using a natural sponge cuts out these fibers altogether, and all you have to do to keep it clean is let it soak in a mixture of water and baking soda for fifteen minutes every few weeks.
Conserve Power and Water
Not only does finding ways to save water and power put more money in your pocket, but it can help to reduce the impact on the environment as well. Making easy substitutions like energy efficient devices or LED lightbulbs can help reduce your energy usage (and the price tag that comes with it) with very little effort. Wrapping or covering all foods and drinks in your refrigerator is a small way to reduce the moisture in your fridge, meaning that the compressor doesn’t have to work as hard or expend as much energy. And did you know that running even a small load of dishes in your dishwasher saves more water than doing those dishes by hand? Making few small changes won’t just save you money but it can help to reduce the amount of power and water we use up every day as well.
This planet is important to each of us, not just because it’s the place we live but because it’s the place that gives us life. When you think about the green spaces you love or the parts of nature that are central to some of your favorite memories, you can’t help but want to do something to help keep those same things intact for the next generation. Whether it’s investing in a cool new product or just staying mindful of everything the environment has to offer us, connecting to and investing in the Earth around us will always help us feel more whole.
