Why We Need Nature And Nature Needs Us
Our daily duty
April 22: Earth Day
Did you know? Did you participate? Or, do you feel, like me, that every day should be earth day?
The earth provides us with every essential we need to survive at a basic, yet divine level. These essentials include food, water, natural shelter, medicine, materials to make clothing and not forgetting the oxygen we breathe. Without oxygen, we wouldn’t even be able to exist, and without the other “fruits of nature”, we would cut down our lifespan and be on our way out of here pretty quickly.
But did you know that every minute of every day the earth is working to keep a balance amongst this highly technical ecosystem of the five elements (fire, water, earth, air, space) Simply so we can survive? Too much heat? Problems. Too cold? Problems. Lack of earth? Problems. Lack of air? Problems. Lack of space? Problems. Too much or too little of anything causes disruption and imbalance. How do you feel if you’ve drunk too much alcohol? Or consumed too much chocolate cake? You feel a disturbance, right? Well, it’s probably not going to be too disruptive to do this once in a while (although I’m not advising it) but if you did this every day, you’re going to end up with internal and external issues. Possibly diabetes, liver failure, kidney dysfunction, obesity for starters, which all lead to early death and generally an unhappy life of pain. Something most of us are not striving for.
Our precious ecosystems
The earth, like us humans, never stops working to build a universal balance to survive, thrive and birth new life. A system that needs care, consideration, love, attention and understanding from us. But not all humans are understanding, considerate, caring or loving towards the planet. Just like a bad relationship, some parties only take, pull, drain, use and never give back. Yet, what confuses me is, when there are no trees to take in the CO2 for us to breathe the fresh oxygen, no fertile land left for us to grow crops, no fish in the sea to keep the water from turning into a swamp plagued with disease, no ozone layer to keep us protected from the radiation of the sun, what will these people do then, and what was all the taking for?
David Attenborough stated in his 2020 documentary entitled A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future, said
“We moved from being a part of nature to being apart from nature.”
Time is running out. So much of our natural world with its essential resources is already gone. It is predicted that due to the speed of fishing and mile-long trailing nets that drag along the ocean’s floors, our seas could be empty by 2048 (based on a study by Boris Worm in in06 ). Endangered species such as Orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino are rapidly declining as their rainforest habitats are being destroyed for commercial use for beef, soy and palm oil production for our European tables (see the full effects of deforestation here: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/45002/europe-meat-deforestation-save-amazon/)
Seas are rising because of melting ice caps from an increase in heat, due to the continuous burning of fossil fuels from petrol and diesel automobile use, cruise liners, factories and the like. Not forgetting that there is extensive slave and underage labour happening around the world, to feed our unnecessary greed (excessive cheap clothing, food, gadgets) You can watch how mica that is found in eyeshadow and other makeup sources is mined by children as young as eleven years old, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeR-h9C2fgc as well as how cobalt (found in mobile phones) is unethically mined in the Congo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9jscWk2DMg
Do your part
Our planet is suffering and this means we are too. Even if its’ not right in front of your face. The worlds natural resources and ethics are depleting, just so the speed at which we get our food and other products are quick, affordable, plentiful and in demand. Greed has taken over. But we can make efforts to support our planet, to help get its equilibrium back. So, crops can grow freely and abundantly, mountain water is fresh to drink and the sea is full of marine life, the air is fresh because the rainforests are blossoming again.
So how can we support the planets rejuvenation process as individuals?
The key ingredients to living in harmony with the planet are: reducing, recycling and reusing.
Here are a few ideas to consider and implement.
· Going Vegan
A plant-based diet is said to help the environment by reducing the demand for meat, fish and its by-products and in turn reducing the fossil fuels used in production plus lowering the dangerous methane gas produced by cows. To read more about the benefits on your health and the health of the planet just by switching to a plant-based diet, go to https://www.govegan.org.uk/why-go-vegan/
Do be mindful that supplements of iron, vitamin b12 and calcium may need to be considered on a plant based diet.
· Grow your own crops
No transportation fuels, no packaging, no pesticides in your food and you don’t need to go anywhere to pick it up, what’s not to love?
· Reuse water
According to the World Economic Forum, water supply crises are among the 3 greatest threats facing the planet, so let’s be more mindful about our water usage. So, washed up? Got some water left over? Don’t use the hose, use washing up water to water your plants. Plants have nature filter systems to clean out any impurities from the water. Also, try collecting some rain rainwater as a bucket for these watering needs, so you are not heading to the mains for this supple.
· Keep energy efficient
Environmental benefits of saving energy in the home can lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants in our air, as well as decrease water usage. Economically, improving energy efficiency can lower individual’s utility bills, create jobs, and help stabilize electricity prices and volatility. So, monitor your heating usage. Save energy and your energy bills by keeping the lights off in the day and minimise having it on at night. Do you need it on at all in the daytime? or maybe put on a timer, so it’s on just before you wake up and off once you’ve taken that shower. The benefits of saving energy
· Walk/cycle rather than take public transport
Come on, you know it’s also better for your health, it may just make a little more time management to get into a routine, but what a positive and uplifting way to start your day – with some exercise! Oh, and it will save you quite a bit of money too!
· Take a shorter shower-
Why save water usage: 3% of the earth's water is fresh. 2.5% of the earth's free freshwater unavailable: locked up in glaciers, polar ice caps, atmosphere, and soil; highly polluted; or, lies too far under the earth's surface to be extracted at an affordable cost. So actually 0.5% of the earth's water is available freshwater. (Taken from https://www.usbr.gov/)The rest is cleaned by man to make it usable and drinkable, which takes a whopping amount of energy to develop daily (Greenhouse gas alert again)
Did you know:
A power shower uses 13 litres of water per minute.
A mixer shower uses 8 litres of water per minute.
An electric shower uses 5 litres of water per minute.
Now, for how long do you normally have a shower? And times that by approximately 365 days a year, and the number of people in your household? And …….that is just one household…. So, please put an alarm on for your shower or make it quick!!!
· Use reusable cotton bags
Plastics can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose, depending on the material and structure.
Most people do have an awareness now to bring reusable bags with them whilst shopping, mainly due to the extra price on a shopping bag at the end of your grocery shop. Still, consider taking cotton bags with you whilst shopping for any item, especially loose produce, so you don’t have to buy items in plastic containers at all.
· Buy loose tea or biodegradable tea bags
Some tea bags are made of plastic… yes you heard that right! Here’s a little test the BBC did regarding tea bags and plastic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0PnkwOsHkEOpt
Opt for biodegradable teabags from brands like Clipper and as a reminder, you can normally get two or three cups of tea out of one teabag so fully utilise what you do have. The best choice however would be to ditch the tea bag and buy the leaves and a nice reusable strainer (so many options on the market now). This way you are helping preserve the environment and you can make yourself a whole pot of tea to drink throughout the day.
· Want to go on holiday? Join with nature
I’d like to think we will all get the chance to start planning our holidays soon. When that day comes (Hallelujah) let’s try to lower our transportation methods and choose outdoor activities that bring us in touch with the world’s natural beauty. Camping holidays that include outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, foraging, are all great ways to stay active, healthy, lower our carbon footprint and of course getting back to being at one with nature again. They also keep us away from commercial hotel chains like Hilton, Hyatt and Intercontinental hotels that although suggest they are making changes to be more sustainable still amass a gross amount of food waste, water and energy usage, chemical product use and plastic packaging on a daily basis. Of course, you can look for more sustainable hotel options within this list here by The Hotel Journal: https://thehoteljournal.com/worlds-most-sustainable-hotels/
· Use natural cleaning products
Lemon, white spirit vinegar and alcohol are all-natural antibacterial and stain removers. Try opting for these instead of a chemical disinfectant that can pollute our waters amongst many other things.
Here’s also a few tips on how to use these naturally derived cleaners: https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/old-school-cleaning-rules-to-break
· Turn your microwave off
Did you know that keeping your microwave switched on at the mains when not in use means you are still consuming energy? That shocked me also when I found out! Of course, not having a microwave at all is good for your health due to the radiation used to heat our food.
To find out more about energy usage whilst leaving appliances on standby go to https://www.thegreenage.co.uk/the-cost-of-leaving-appliances-in-standby-mode/
· Put your clothes was on a short and cold wash
You can not only save on energy/power but also on time by doing a short cold wash. As an added note, always fill the washing machine up, so as you don’t have to do as many washes as well.
· Recycle your electrics properly
Recycling your old gadgets and electricals means less waste goes into landfills, including less dangerous chemical waste from such items as batteries. You can recycle your items here:
· Shop locally
In Brighton, there is a good list of locally produced and package free stores to choose from. Some of my favourites include:
Infinity Foods: https://www.infinityfoodsretail.coop/contact/
Falmer Farm Shop:
https://www.parkfarmshop.co.uk/
Waste Not:
Harriets of Hove:
https://www.harrietsofhove.com/
Source Bulk Foods:
https://www.thesourcebulkfoods.co.uk/
· Choose biodegradable sanitary items
Women use more than 11,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime - based on the average of 38 years of menstruation using 22 items of sanitary products per cycle, 13 cycles per year. Disposal of single-use menstrual products generates 200,000 tonnes of waste per year, most of which is unrecyclable.
(Facts taken from https://www.wen.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Fact-Sheet-Environmenstrual.pdf)
Try using a reusable Mooncup:
For further understanding of why it is important to take action towards being more sustainable, you can watch the below films:
David Attenborough “A Life On Our Planet” (On Netflix)
“Before The Flood” : https://www.beforetheflood.com/
“Cowspiracy” : https://www.cowspiracy.com
“Seaspiracy”: https://www.seaspiracy.org/
“Blackfish”: https://www.blackfishmovie.com/
If you would like to add any sustainable ideas to the above list, please feel free to email us and we will add your comments blog.
Let’s support the wellbeing of our planet, as it works unconditionally to support ours.
Byline: Crystal is a yoga teacher and writer. She is Yoga Alliance certified in Yin, Hatha, Vinyasa, Swing/aerial and myofascial release, meditation, pranayama and Kundalini. She is also a qualified NLP practitioner and journalist. She loves cats, eco-friendly focuses and tea in all forms. You can contact Crystal here or take her yin yoga class on Sundays at 6pm.
Pictures thanks to:
Amy Murrell
Daniel Spase
Tegan Mierle
Loverna – journey
Nextbike