How to be sustainable when it seems no one else is

The unfortunate truth about being a citizen on planet Earth is that bad things happen. Sometimes personally, sometimes sporadically, and sometimes seemingly all the time. To begin this post I’d like to send all my thoughts to those caught up in war and disaster at this time – we are thinking of you❤️

And just when you think it can’t get worse, that’s when your government picks the opportune moment to backtrack on sustainability progress. How gallant. So then this might lead you to thinking, ‘well, what’s the point? Its clearly not a priority, I don’t see anyone else trying’ or a feeling of ‘I can’t do this alone’.

Sustainability can sometimes be a lonely business. It is a topic centred in the future, something unknown and often scary. It requires urgent change now but that change might not be seen immediately. And as humans, this is something our minds struggle with. But if you, someone interested in the future, someone who cares about being able to lead a long, happy, sustainable life, gives up now, then that means we can all give up. If we all think like that, who will live sustainably? Does that mean we have given in to the ideas of our politicians? Have they won?

Individual level actions cannot solve the climate, biodiversity and sustainability challenges ahead of us alone. But they sure make a huge difference. There are nearly 8.1 billion people living on this planet. If they all give up, then we’ve given up. But if everyone steps up, we can do this together. Facing these challenges needs every person, and now is not the time to be disheartened and give up, if anything its time to fight harder.

So if you feel like what you do doesn’t make a difference, remember:

• How far we’ve come – we do things now without thinking that those before us wouldn’t have considered. How many reusable water bottles do you see? How many urban parks? How much more does climate change make the news? The backlash against latest environmental U-turns from the public and businesses… As Hans Rosling notes in ‘Factfulness’ (an excellent read, highly recommend!), things can be bad and better at the same time. And it is making things better we most focus on.
• You are not alone – you can’t be because I have written this post having had these thoughts. So unless this goes unread there is more than just you and me feeling helpless. There are so many organisations out there fighting to keep environmental and sustainability issues on the agenda and plenty of community heroes working everyday but often unnoticed. You are not alone, we just need to be louder than those who are not committed to action.
• The public gets what the public wants – don’t hide your views or values, vote with your morals, keep the conversation alive and don’t let sustainability issues get left behind. We can’t allow it. So choose not to be like those in power, show them up, be better!
• Live life for you – I know just how overwhelming it can feel when it seems no progress is being made and you remembering your shopping bag probably doesn’t make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. But remember why we want to live sustainably – to create a healthy, happy life we want to lead, without all the negatives that come with the over-consuming life we are used to. A slower pace of life, more nature, clean air and water, fresh food, equality and better health. This will look different for every person, but it can help to mood board your vision of how you want your life to look so you have a goal to aim for when you are feeling disheartened (see an example below, but you can approach it in whichever way you like). If you were the only person on Earth, would your actions and behaviours now make you happy? Do the best you can do and you will create a nice life for yourself, regardless of other peoples actions. Sometimes just knowing that what you’re doing for yourself and those around you is enough.

So when trying to take in the whole world is just too much, come back to your world and what you can do. It doesn’t need to be everything, it just needs to be something. We are not like them, we do care, and we will create a beautiful life for ourselves that does more good than harm. We will choose to live our lives this way, not just because we have to, but because we want to give back, live more simply and be a part of this living world, not its destruction. So keep going with the big actions and lobby for those in power and business to make big changes now, but know whatever goes on in this big old world, you have control over what you do, you matter and you make a difference. Happy October 🧡