As a member of Generation Z, I feel the collective anger at the current state of the world. Micro-plastics found in the ocean, forests destroyed for industrial activities, and soil degradation, the environmental crisis is fear-inducing. The feelings of hopelessness are crippling and cause us to enter into a cycle of despair about our capacity to create change in a world in crisis. The damage that has manifested into our reality is not at the fault of individuals but of the greedy system of capitalism destroying the capacity for compassion for others and care for the Earth. Past generations have been unconsciously contributing to the damage of the Earth by living without awareness of their actions. The health of our planet needs more than avoiding plastic straws and bags. We need radical change in how we live. It is time to shift into practicing conscious behaviors that change how we feel internally and the health of our Earth. As individuals taking the role of consumers, we need to call back our power by intentionally using our money.
The state of our Earth and communities is a manifestation of imbalance within. Many who feel a void within seek to fulfill that void with material assets. Even as young adults, we are encouraged to enter into an infatuation with making money before we even go through self-discovery. That leads to adults with no true identity acquiring excess material goods to fulfill the absence they feel internally. The reality is that those desires will never satisfy them. In Buddhism, desire lies at the root of suffering. Buddhists believe that the pursuit of pleasure and material goods will never satisfy because if you always live your life seeking more, you will never be content with what you have. In American society, the possession of having more than others is celebrated, even though it is the direct cause of suffering in communities and the degradation of the Earth.
The cultural emphasis on endless consumption deflects attention from spiritual hunger.”
- Bell Hooks
When one is caught in the cycle of desire, constantly seeking more to fulfill the void within, they will take from communities and the Earth to avoid the work they need to do within. This lifestyle of excess consumption leads to the exploitation of Earth’s resources and individuals. Consider this:
Do we need to destroy sacred land to build more hotels and resorts?
Do we need to buy new clothes with every shift in fashion trends, contributing to the fast fashion industry?
Do we need to consume excess meat and contribute to the industrialized meat industry?
Do we need to support brands that fail to pay their workers a fair and livable wage?
Do we really need more?
Our ability to find value and love internally is in alignment with our ability to connect and find value in community and nature. I can not help but wonder, do billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerburg truly love themselves? If they did, would they need so much in their lives to be satisfied? These men and other billionaires alike are constantly acquiring new properties, new cars, and new investments- using the plenty they have to take more from others, like in the way they buy acres of land in Hawaii and contribute to the increase in property prices that kick locals out of their own home.
What if we stopped conquering the Earth to show others that we have power and make choices built on gratitude, to keep our Earth healthy and her resources available to all?
Moving from Endless Consumption to Conscious Consumption
The key to change comes down to two things: awareness and action. By becoming aware of the interconnectedness of life, the energy that connects us all and the Earth, perception begins to shift. And as that veil lifts, we change our actions and connect to our power. As consumers, we have the authority to not give our money to businesses and brands that are not progressing towards harmony on Earth. As we apply pressure on businesses, corporations, and society to progress, we can make healthy and conscious choices to lessen our carbon footprint. To live in harmony with the Earth, we need to be conscious of where we invest our money and the environmental effect of our choices.
Food Choice
When we eat food with the environment in mind, our bodies benefit as well. In the past century, the food industry has changed substantially in America. It was common for food to be cultivated carefully and intentionally to protect its nutritional value, as that is how small, regenerative farming works. But in the 19th century, the farming and meat-producing industries changed to meet the growing demands for food, using industrialized methods for mass production. The industrialized food industry is how most food is grown and raised for Americans and is also the leading cause of dis-ease in the body and damage to the Earth. Food cultivated with industrialized methods depletes the soil of its nutrients with the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, contaminates water by releasing large volumes of chemicals, antibiotics, and growth hormones into water sources, and inhumanely treats livestock by raising them in enclosed places with little to no access to being outdoors, while also injecting them with growth hormones and feeding them lab created food to get the most meat out of the animal. The exploitive nature of these practices is harmful to the environment, as industrialized agriculture contributes to about 25 to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Center for Eco Literacy. This practice of agriculture is the reason why many people are disconnected from the Earth and is also the reason why chronic illness is prevalent throughout the population.
The solution to this crisis is to stop investing your money in companies and brands that use and support industrialized agriculture. This food is poor in quality and damages our Earth’s ecosystems and our bodies' ecosystem of energy (Qi), blood, and organs. Begin to research the food you and your family purchase and how that food is being grown. Prevalent companies in America like Dole, Bayer, Tyson Foods, and Perdue Farms all follow industrialized methods of growing food and raising livestock. It is time to invest our dollars towards businesses that care for the health of the Earth and the humans and animals in it.
Join the Slow Food Movement
With the awareness of food and its effect on the Earth and our bodies, it is time to choose quality over convenience. The Slow Food Movement, originating in Italy, calls for high-quality, natural, fair, and sustainable food for all. This movement began in 1989 as a protest against the growth of fast food and industrialized agriculture. This system of choosing and consuming food is based on the practice of gratitude, honoring, and celebrating food that is seasonal and locally grown that nourishes the body. The Slow Food Movement received its name to contrast the convenience of Fast food and its environmentally harmful effects. To join this movement, invest your money towards small organic farms that grow their food with the health of the Earth and body in mind, and towards businesses that raise their livestock humanely. Support local farms, source quality ingredients, eat with the Earth and the seasons in mind, and eat with gratitude - taking in the pleasure of every bite as you eat intentionally.
Fair Trade Sourcing
Fair trade is a term for a balanced trading partnership designed to create equity and sustainability in international trade. Living in a country like America, we have immediate access to international products and food and can go online on markets like Amazon and other big chains and purchase whatever we want at low prices. What is often not considered is where these items are coming from, and who is producing them. From shea butter to rice, spices, chocolate, and coffee, these popular products are derived internationally, coming from South America, Africa, and Asia- where the workers are paid low wages and often forced to work in unsafe conditions. When companies aim for mass production, they aim for countries where labor is cheap to produce their products and use poor quality materials or practices that are not eco-friendly because of their discounted price so they can make the most profit- a direct example of exploitation. Brands like Nestle, Hershey’s, and Phillip Morris have been accused of using child labor to create their products, pushing greed into their supply chain by using others for their material gain. Similar to Industrial Agriculture and its effect on food, companies aiming for mass production create more damage to the Earth than sustainable practices, all for the acquisition of more money. However, fair trade brands were developed based on the standards that production and farming practices are sustainable and the people putting in the labor are working in safe environments and paid a livable wage. It is designed with the Earth and its people in mind and promotes artisans located around the globe by paying them fairly to support them in what they are creating. Fair trade products usually come at a higher price compared to products that are not fair trade, however, the payment is directly supporting the people who put the labor in instead of supporting companies that exploit their workers and our Earth.
Mindful Shopping vs. Fast Fashion
The fast fashion industry produces about 10 percent of annual global carbon emissions, and by redirecting our contributions from fast fashion to sustainable, Earth-friendly brands- we honor the Earth and the future of our planet. Popular fashion retailers like Forever 21, Shein, H&M, and Zara produce new clothes with every change in fashion trends, which occurs multiple times every season. That leads to heaps of clothes being created and disowned when the trend changes. This kind of consumption is damaging, as unwanted clothes pile up in landfills, where clothes emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and Methane gas as they decompose. One does not need a new change in style with every shift in trend. If you shop for clothes consciously, you can select timeless clothes that can be styled into different combinations. Mindful shopping also includes reflecting on where your clothes are produced and what materials are used to make them. Brands like Shein and H&M prioritize mass consumption, meaning that the materials used are poor in quality and often contain plastic and other non-biodegradable materials, and they most likely pay their workers a low wage. Integrate research whenever you shop, and choose clothing brands that support the Earth and its humans.
One of my favorite clothing brands is Studio K. A brand developed in Bali, Indonesia, and sustainable and ethical fashion is their priority. They source organic cotton and bamboo to create their clothing, avoid single-use plastic in their production and shipping, and are a fair-trade business, promoting Women artisans and prioritizing that every worker earns a fair wage and works in a safe and supportive environment. Studio K specializes in creating timeless Yoga and island wear, and every piece is created with the intention of being gentle on the Earth. You do not have to sacrifice style and comfort to honor the Earth. By shopping mindfully and thrifting, donating, participating in clothing swaps, and sourcing quality and sustainable clothes, we stop our clothes from ending up in landfills.
Less = More
The Earth is our home, our altar of experience. Our time experiencing life on Earth is not long, and we must embody the practice of being good guests - honoring the Earth by walking lightly as its other creatures do. What is evident now is illness afflicting the world, manifesting into our bodies and minds, the violence and injustice plaguing communities globally, and ecosystems collapsing. It is all interconnected. It is our responsibility now to create change, empower ourselves internally, and reinvest in our Earth for future generations to experience the privilege of what it is to be alive. The Earth is here to support our existence, and when we neglect the responsibility of supporting her, health declines for both systems. To create lasting change, we need to be conscious of our consumption. It starts small, by redirecting our money towards practices and businesses that align with progression. When more individuals begin to embody this- the world changes. We are more powerful than we think, and although our power is strong as individuals, it is stronger in community. Change is a collective effort, and this transformation will result in more communication, equity, and fairness for all.
As the veil of your awareness lifts, remember to show yourself grace as you embody better choices for your health and the health of Mother Earth. Reflect and research where your dollar is going when you spend. Take action. And remember, you do not need material goods to show that you are a being of value. The value is within.
Written by:
Natalie Ventura
Certified Holistic Practitioner & Certified Yoga Instructor Creator of Garden of Awareness
Do you need support on learning how to share love towards your body while also making a difference on saving the Earth? Book a consultation here:
Want to support the initiative of Studio K and buy beautiful and organic Yoga and island wear handcrafted in Bali? Explore Studio K:
Use the code NATALIE for 15% off of your purchase.
