Make Every Day Earth Day!

​I have written lots on gratitude. Gratitude includes both an appreciation of, and a willingness to pay back kindness. It is important to bring awareness to gratitude for Mother nature - our sustainer and supporter of life. How do we repay the kindness of our Mother Nature?  It seems to me that making efforts to protect our environment is the way to go!

I have been watching 'The War of Waste' which has been giving me lots of insights into the environmental impact of waste and some valuable suggestions about how to reduce waste. While the enormity of the problem of waste can be overwhelming, I am calmed by the fact that 'peace begins with me'.  In Buddhism there is a truism which  says you cannot cover the earth with leather for protection, but you can cover your feet with leather to protect them and the earth both!

So, how do we care for the earth, tread lightly on it and reduce our environmental footprint? And how do we return the kindness of our precious Mother Earth? One in the same really!

Here are a few suggestions. I am sure you can think of many more, but here are a few I am trying to put into practice...

• Take shopping bags to prevent using plastic ones. And remember to put them back in my handbag so they are there when I need them! I have some great ones I bought at the Good Market in Columbo - they are made from recycled sari material. I will look into the WDC women making them for sale here.
• Avoid buying bottled water. In Australia we fortunately have safe water and we do not need to buy it in plastic bottles. So I am trying to remember to take my water bottle with me and fill it up from the tap. 
• Reduce waste by reducing the amount of packaged foods you buy. I have been aware of this lately, and it is amazing how buying wisely can reduce the amount of food packaging waste, especially plastic. I have been mindful to buy things in glass where I can and have been reusing bottles and jars for making tomato sauce and jam. The family have been very accommodating by drinking stubbies in clear glass bottles, so I can reuse them!
• Use hankies instead of tissues. This is controversial with my yoga students as some are understandably hanky adverse and others say they take energy to wash anyway. Each to their own. Personally. I like hankies and have bought them back into our house.
• Use a reusable keep cup for your coffee. Take away coffee cups are not recyclable and an environmental problem, so I have been trying not to use them and to keep my 'keep cup' with me.
• Pick up rubbish and put it in the bin when out and about.
• Shop at op shops and recycle or upcycle. Consider if a new item of clothing, footwear or home-wear is really necessary, and if it is, whether one from the op shop would do the trick. 
• Compost your organic waste or feed it to the chooks.
• Recycle responsibly by separating your recyclable material
• Reduce consumption of take away and processed food. Again better for our health and the environment. I am old enough to remember mum and dad going off to get take away from the local Chinese restaurant with the saucepan in hand. Maybe  we could bring this back!
• Use waxed wraps to wrap and store food. I have only recently discovered these and they are great. Apparently there is a workshop, Northside of course, to learn to make these. I'm in, in the new year. They may be on  the Kris Kringle present list for next year. We have a homemade family KK each year and I have had such fun preparing my gift. I will tell you about it in the new year. Maybe you would like to introduce the idea to your family Christmas. Here is how it goes in thisGiving -More about Presence and Less about Presents blog from last year. 
• Repair where you can. I am mindful to watch my 'replaceable rather than repairable' attitude as I am tempted to chuck out old shoes, clothes, electrical goods or other items, rather than see if I can repair them or have them repaired. I love to mend things, on the sewing machine, with glue or any other way I can before I throw it away or recycle it. Recently I had our TV and vacuum cleaner repaired by an electronics wizard in Mulgrave. 
• Reduce the use of the car, where you can. Walk, ride or take public transport as an alternative to the car. It is better fro your health and that of the environment too. 
• Have a diet that is better for your health and that of the environment too. Reducing meat and dairy consumption might be something you want to try. 
• Buy local food that is in season to reduce the number of food miles and adverse environmental impact. Buy Australian where you can for the same reason.
• Shop locally and buy at Farmer's Markets where possible. The produce is local, fresh and supports the growers and local shopkeepers.
• Avoid 'fast fashion' temptation by buying only what you need and considering where, how and at what cost to the environment its' production costs.  

I feel very fortunate and grateful to be in a position to be able to afford to make many of these choices. Many people do not have such a choice. They may need to buy water in plastic bottles because of lack of clean drinking water. Others may not have the finances to allow the more expensive choice with less processing, packaging or environmental impact.

As I write this blog from this beautiful spot, I am surrounded by the wonders of Mother Nature and reminded of how she sustains, supports and lovingly takes care of us all, so perfectly. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to restore and appreciate the wonder of my life. It has been fun to think about ways to be mindful to appreciate, return kindness and care for such wonderful, gracious gifts Mother Nature provides. 
 
No matter where you are, especially at this potentially busy time of year, try to remember to take some time out to let Mother Nature replenish you, be thankful for Her sustenance and support and put into practice some ways to repay that kindness by caring for Her too. 
 
Have a great fortnight. Thank you all. 
Kind Regards and Best Wishes, 
Maree xx ​