I'm Lucky

I’m lucky.

It is easy for me to make plans – practical plans, on reducing my footprint on this earth. I am educated and aware, and I have the advantage of having a son and daughter in law who are super eco conscious. Krystal has her own website, online shop, social media, podcasts etc. As I have watched and listened to her and my son I have absorbed the principles of living in a sustainable way. I don’t do everything they do but step by step I am travelling that road.

I’m lucky.

I am already well down the road to living sustainability though as I look back I can see it is an accelerating process as my awareness increases day by day.

I’m lucky.

I live in a country where I have access to a huge range of information on the how to of reducing my impact on this earth. Recycling bins, plastic free packaging, my own coffee cup and so on.

I’m lucky.

I live in a lucky country that while its own responses to Global Warming may not be ideal they are in fact highlighting the need to ‘Do Something.’ Each of us no matter how small or insignificant we think we or our contribution might we can do something…and if many of us do our small bit, collectively we have an impact – in fact we will have a significant impact.

I’m Lucky.

I live on a country property with my partner and we grow a portion of our own food. All our plant food waste goes directly back into the garden. We also collect the local coffee shop coffee grounds to dig into our garden along with organic horse poo collected on the property we live on. We are already fairly plant based in our eating habits – I used to be vegetarian way back in the day so an easy transition, however I can see this improving, especially as I hear about the environmental impact of commercial fishing which is our go to ‘meat’ food. Have you ever been to a fish market? Multiply the amount of fish sold there by thousands of fish markets world wide - every day. Hardly sustainable. It is impossible to imagine the oceans of this planet with no fish - and what that will mean for the viability of life - including human life on Planet Earth.

It is interesting to note in a health system that is very concerned with cholesterol that vegans have lower cholesterol levels compared to meat eaters. It is hard to think about giving up cheese and butter…oh and ice-cream, but it is no longer an impossible direction to consider, especially as my partner is showing me the way forward on this front!

I’m lucky.

I taught myself to sew a few years ago – at 58 years old! I discovered a talent for up-cycling. I cannot follow a pattern to save myself BUT I can see the potential of something becoming something else. I love this process. I also have a stall at a local market (7minues by car) where I can sell my upcycled creations. We buy local produce there that we do not grow ourselves so – and I know I keep saying it - however I am lucky!

I am aware and interested in being part of a Circular Economy, using as little disposable packaging as possible while reusing as much packaging and other material as possible. I am fascinated by thinking creatively on further uses for materials and products.

I’m Lucky.

Our house has solar energy and though it is open plan we live in Queensland which has a longer summer so no long winters to try and keep warm, no fire and no air conditioning so it is about rugging up in those few colder months and opening cross ventilation windows in the warmer months. Fly screens instead of insecticides…mostly. I lead the way in our household on using as few insecticides as we can… my partner is not quite with me on this. Though to his credit, he grows an amazing array of various basil bushes which attract a wide variety of bees to our place in the sun.

I’m little bit challenged however when it comes to transport. We live in the country with no bus or easy walking options so a car it is…and this is a little shaming –we have two vehicles simply because we have some different schedules. Managing our excursions is the best way forward here. So when we do venture out other than to work we make those excursions count…and whenever possible we do as much as we can together in one car.

I am lucky that these options are available to me – and that I am aware and able to take steps to reduce my carbon footprint. I am also acutely aware that other people in other countries may not be as lucky as I am. They may not have access to gardens to grow some of their food; they may not have the finances the buy less packaged food. It is crazy to think that non packaged and organic food is often more expensive than the opposite!

Time will allow us as a planet to move forward lightly – if we have that time - and for those who are unable to do their part – those of us who can may need to step up to walk their carbonless walk for them.