Okay, so I’ve been really obsessed with these videos on YouTube the last few days, where people do ‘zero waste shopping’.  And I have to say, I absolutely love that idea!  So much so that I would LOVE to someday do that as well (when I have the money and means to actually do it)!

But watching those videos, and watching person after person (try to) go shopping without buying plastic (and instead opting for glass or tin that can be recycled) really opened my eyes to how much plastic is actually in our grocery stores, and how much plastic we throw away every day.  Seriously!  I mean, bags of chips, bags of rice, and especially all of the grocery bags we use at the check out!  Plastic is everywhere!

Have you ever thought about where this plastic goes?  Oceans, landfills, parks, thrown on the side of the road, etc..

I know I know, the thought of plastic hurting cute little sea creatures isn’t something ANYONE wants to think about!  I get it!  Ignorance is bliss!  No one wants to think about the bad stuff, so we shelter our minds from all of the bad, and only allow ourselves to see the good.  In return, we don’t see any of the bad stuff we’re doing in this world!  But hey, that’s okay, because the media is good at distracting us with OTHER bad stuff!  (Am I right?)  Sitcoms are there to tell us that life is happy and funny, and that you shouldn’t worry about any of the bad things in life (except when the bad things happen to the TV characters).  The news gives us TOO MANY bad things at once and ether gives us the mindset that we are all doomed and there is nothing we can do about it, or it makes us want to stockpile guns and rice in our basement..  (There is no in-between.)

Well, it’s time to wake up..  (If you haven’t already)

Our oceans are polluted because of us, animals are going extinct because of us, our plants have less nutrients because of us, and people are dying because of us!

I live in America, and honestly, I wish we were more like Germany or Ireland with how seriously we take climate change..  In Germany, they recycle EVERYTHING!  They have solar panels on almost every house and fields upon fields of solar panels and wind turbines!  Everyone walked to town to get their grocery’s daily, using reusable bags, and then walk all the way back home.  I miss that!  Granite, yes, America is trying to take on more of this way of life (little by little) and the world is starting to realize what’s happening and fix itself.

But is it enough?  Are we doing enough to stop climate change?

Am I doing enough to help stop climate change?

I once read this little story about this boy who picked up starfish on the beach, and it’s something that has really stuck with me.  It shows how one person may not be able to change the world, but they can make a difference!

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.”

So why not make a difference, no matter how small?

A lot of people just sit there and wait for someone else to change/fix the world.  (While others are out there actually fixing it!)  So which side am I on..?!

It’s not like I haven’t cared about the environment up until this point..  I’ve done my fair share to help save the environment!  I take quick showers (and turn the water on only to rinse), I clean up parks and beaches so that other people can enjoy them, I ‘try’ not to mindlessly use electricity, and I have multiple gardens where I grow food and flowers for my family, and others.  But am I doing enough?

 

I’m going to be taking this next month to see what I can do in my everyday life to save this beautiful planet we live on.  What can I cut back on?  What can I do/eat/make that’ll make a difference?  What does this planet need from me?

For the next week (seven days and counting), I will be trying a challenge where I don’t turn on any lights and instead opt for using candles, flashlights (or my phone), and natural lighting to light my way.  I will then be writing about it and posting it here to my blog for others to read about, so that I can maybe inspire others to do the same (if not something similar)!

((Unfortunately, I live with three other people. So although I will not be turning on lights, other people in this house will.  But every little bit helps — see story above.))

 

Okay, rant over..  Time to go about your daily tasks and leave this gal to crochet in her rocking chair while watching more videos about shopping trash free! ❤

Smile, have fun, and remember not to let things get you ‘too’ down! 🙂

 

To see more ways on how YOU can save the environment one day at a time, also read:

A Week With No Lights (Challenge)

Plastic VS Homemade Scrubbies

Why I Switched to Bamboo Toothbrushes, And Why I’m Never Going Back!

 

See more everyday homesteading stuff like quotes, lifestyle, pictures, stories, etc, at my official Facebook page here.