Reducing is the Transition

I’m not interested in “small steps to sustainability,” because those steps fall short. What I am interested in is a complete overhaul of human life and behaviour, and that is what I’ve dedicated my life to. I am committed to looking past the shallow solutions that are being offered to us, to live a life that I choose for myself.

I truly believe that the current conversation of “how to save the world” is pointless. Throwing our used plastic in another plastic bin to be melted down into new plastic products isn’t going to save the world; and the fact that so many people buy into that illusion is somewhat disheartening. We need more than baby-steps and band-aid solutions to reverse the destruction we’ve caused.

Recycling is just the start, and reducing is the transition.

We live in a time where plastic water bottles are not our only option –there are products available to substitute those single-use items. You can buy a metal bottle for your water, durable containers for your lunch and a steel straw for your iced coffee. We don’t need to rely on disposable razors, sandwich bags and tampons. But still, this doesn’t go far enough.

Reducing the amount of garbage we create is another great step; but just as recycling is also energy intensive, reducing is simply that –harm reduction. Reducing the negative impact we have on the Earth is amazing, of course, as well as increasing our positive impact. The problem arises, however, when we continue living our everyday lives, with only small adjustments to reduce our consumption, and believe that it’s really making a difference.

Let’s say that you never buy another plastic bottle in your entire life. You use glass jars and containers to store your food. You make your coffee from home and drink from the same mug every day. You carpool to work and you compost at home. You use a menstrual cup instead of tampons and you recycle everything you possibly can. You have to put a little extra energy into your daily routine, but you go to sleep at night with a smile on your face and a proud feeling in your heart.

Compared to the way many people live their lives, a life dedicated to the Three R’s is definitely reducing the harm that is possible to cause. However, compared to the life that I’m striving to create, this reduction of harm just doesn’t go far enough.

This can be really discouraging, I know –to feel the desire to protect the Earth, yet being bombarded by all the possible ways to destroy Her. I used to roll my eyes and say, “What’s the point?!” until I realized that there are more possibilities beyond the Three R’s. Reducing isn’t just about using less plastic and creating less garbage –we have the ability to dream so much bigger, and live so much smaller.

It seems like we’re constantly questioning the ecological impact of our garbage and our vehicles, but there is a massive part of our daily lives that needs to enter the spotlight –our homes. You can recycle and compost until you’re blue in the face, but it almost means nothing while living in a contemporary building.

I’m not sure how many people realize that their conventional, stick-frame homes are basically giant coffins attached to life support. In North America, at least, our houses are useless when the power is interrupted –even water is inaccessible without electricity. The heat is constantly bleeding through the walls, and the toilets use far too much water; they start falling apart after a few years, and beautiful land is bulldozed to shove five houses into one acre. And what makes it all the more terrifying is that we’re completely dependent on the utilities that keep our homes from being coffins.

I have no interest in being in a coffin, while I’m alive or dead, so I made a huge adjustment to my everyday life, as a transition to a life that no longer requires adjustments.

Two years ago, I was living in a beautiful blue house on the lake when I decided to move into a 5th wheel trailer, with no running water. In the Summer, I live a semi-off-grid life –I fetch my own water, bathe in a stream, compost my waste, cook over a fire and receive electricity through a gas-powered generator. In the Winter, I live in someone’s front yard, attached to their house for power. It is a communal way-of-life, as they allow me to store my food in their fridge, cook in their kitchen and utilize their bathroom.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware that this is not a sustainable, long-term way to live. But I’ve reduced my consumption of power, fuel, water and waste; and learned that it’s easy to live with much less than we’ve been told.

This isn’t the sort of life that is going to save the world, but it’s a massive step closer to a life that will.

• Part 1 –Recycling is Just the Start
• Part 3 –Reusing is the Goal