202_Change Yourself and Change the World

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 202

Change Yourself and Change the World

By now it should be no surprise that our world is facing significant challenges. Climate change, widespread pollution, forever chemicals, biodiversity loss and ecosystem decline is just the tip of our melting icebergs.

Numerous people from scientists to scholars and even individuals have been sounding the alarm for decades if not longer. Yet as a whole, we continue to operate as if the world is a place of limitless resources.

We have long since passed over some planetary boundaries that are important for maintaining the balance that supports life. Nothing less than an total transformation is needed to prevent what could end up being a global disaster.

If you want to know more then stick around for episode 202 Change Yourself and Change the World.

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E202 which is called Change Yourself and Change the World.

In this episode I want to discuss what it takes to make a personal transformation. And while those tips can be applied to virtually anything, I a of course going to focus that transformation on sustainability. But, before we get started let’s discuss a couple of other things.

Sustainability question of the week.

What does it mean to eat sustainably and what happens if I do not eat that way?

Good News Story of the Week

This weeks good new story comes from India and has to do with rhinos.

There is one particular district in India that has nearly 88% of all the rhinoceroses in the entire country. It is the state of Assam. Since a change in government in 2016, poaching in the state of Assam and gone down by 86%. Although the rhino population has been growing since the 1960s, since 2016 the population has increased tremendously and there are now 3,000 rhinos. Additionally, the new ministry has expanded the park by another 50,000 acres.

With all the things going on in the world, this is just a great example of what can be accomplished when a government makes a commitment for environmental conservation. And this should be an example for the rest of the world. So, this weeks round of applause goes to India and the governor of the state of Assam for making a tremendous step toward preserving our natural world. 

Now let’s move on to this weeks episode.

I want to start out with a simple question.

Has there ever been a time in your life when someone asked you how it is you do what you do? Or has any one ever made the comment that you were lucky to have the lifestyle that you do. Mean while you sit back and think that these people have no idea the work it took to get you where you are. They weren’t there when you were working two jobs. They weren’t there when you would spend all week in class and spend all weekend working to make just enough money to get by.

Yes there are a few exceptional people in the world that are born into family money, they inherit a fortune or they win the lottery. But most of us work hard for the things we have in life. For most of us our accomplishments are the result of a prolonged process of steady work, dedication and strong commitment to a goal. There was never any sort of  amazing unexpected stroke of luck. It was simply a combination of motivation, conscious awareness and gradual change.

There are a number of people in my life that I’ve known for over 20 years. But, other than family members there are only two people that have been in my life for greater than 35 years. And one of those people has the same exact birth date as I do. Go figure.

Kim and I first met when we worked for Boulder County, Colorado. Neither of us really liked our jobs and started talking one night about what we really wanted to do. Her goal was to go the law school. My goal was to go to veterinary school.

Now here we are many years later well into successful careers having accomplished exactly what we set out to do.  But this of course did not happen all at once. It was slow gradual progress. It took being uncomfortable at times, a certain matter of risk and slow, step by step improvements and eventually changed out entire lifestyles. But in many respects this is no different than what most people do.

But besides these bigger long-term goals there is a specific process I tend to go through in order to accomplish something. And this process is very simple. I look at something I want to accomplish. Then I carefully examine exactly what the cost would be for me to accomplish that. Is it time? Is it going back to school? Is it money? Would it require me to move somewhere temporarily? Is it going to require a change in lifestyle? How long is it going to take?

Once I weigh the cost then I ask myself if I am willing to pay that cost. If the answer is no then I walk away. If the answer is yes then I go for it. But at the same time, I also ask myself what is my life going to be like in 5 years if I make these changes? And what is my life going to be like in 5 years if I don’t make these changes? Then I either get to it or I don’t.

Now there is a very similar process that anyone can go through if you have the desire to transform your life. It is a matter of growth, development, and personal improvement. This may also involve changing your thoughts, behaviors and even some of your beliefs.

But you need to keep in mind that while making changes in your life, or making any sort of personal transformation, there are certain key elements involved that will virtually guarantee success. For example:

Conscious awareness: This involves becoming critically aware of how you presently view yourself and how you are going to integrate your new habits and beliefs in order to transform your present self image.

Now in order to accomplish this you are also going to have to identify and overcome any obstacles. You are going to have to set some goals so that you stay motivated. But the bottom line is that if you want to transform who and what you are, you have to first have a willingness to change. That alone can lead to a profound transformation if that is truly what you want.

Motivation and Discipline: Making any sort of transformation is going to require strong motivation to change and the discipline to implement new strategies and habits. And in many cases this is just not an easy thing to do.

Embrace change and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Personal transformation requires stepping outside of your comfort zone. It requires embracing new experiences, having a positive outlook, having a growth mindset.

Gradual change: Transformation is of course a gradual process of small steps taken over a long period of time. Far to many people sit and wait, or even expect, some sort of magical moment that transforms their lives. But such things are typically relegated to some Hollywood movie. For most of us it requires a long process of gradual change.

Just looking at this process should make you realize that personal transformation takes a lot of work, a lot of thought, and a lot of changes. However, the average person is afraid of change. The average person is perfectly fine living how they do, doing what they’ve always done and never truly challenging themselves in any way. But this is not how you grow.

Most likely you have heard me say before that about every five years I start questioning what I am doing and how I am living. This is because something starts making me feel dissatisfied and I start wanting a change of environment or perhaps a new challenge. That is when I go through this process of reevaluation and start questioning everything I am doing.

However the average person simply wants to stay in their comfort zone even when they know that change is necessary. But I think this is exactly why the world is the way it is and exactly why it will continue to be that way for some time unless we make some important changes.

But from the perspective of sustainability and the future of this planet I think it is valid to ask whether or not we can repair the damage we have done and make certain this planet continues to be habitable for future generations.

I believe it is possible but it is going to require great effort on the part of everyone. I believe we are past the point of easy. It will require a transformation of our entire society and culture.

Is it truly necessary that we do something?

As you likely know, discussions about climate change are becoming increasingly serious. We are now seeing example after example of extreme weather events. Water shortages are widespread. Hunger and poverty are increasing in the face of a tremendous amount of food waste. In other words, the condition of our planet is becoming increasingly dire. We can no longer live our lives as if this planet is a place of limitless resources.

Obviously humanity needs to make nothing short of a complete transformation of how we live, what we do, how we run our economies, what we use for an energy source, how we produce our food and even how we move around.

But, let’s take a look at this from the same perspective that I have successfully used for most of my life, that is the steps that I go through in order to make any sort of personal transformation.

Typically, I first get to a point in my life where I am dissatisfied with something. This is my stage of conscious awareness. I examine the present view of my life and begin to question things. Should I integrate some new habits. How can I do things differently? How can I make improvements? Can I increase my quality of life?

From a sustainability perspective, this is the point where we all need to be consciously aware of our lifestyles, our habits, how and what we consume and how that impacts the world as well as our community . But we also need to take a broader view of the world and ask ourselves if we are part of the problem or if we willing to be part of the solution.

After all, it is the individual choices of all of our decisions that got us where we are now. Thus, it is the individual choices of everyone on this planet that will reverse the degradation that we are all responsible for creating. But, we first need to recognize there is a problem.

Additionally, there are some other important questions to ask.

What will happen if we do nothing?

We could sit back and do nothing. But I don’t really think that is the best option. We already know that we have past the tipping point of climate change. Even if we stopped all carbon emissions tomorrow, climate change would continue and will worsen for generations to come.

But, to sit back and do nothing is to say that future generations mean nothing to us. If you presently have young children, to sit back and do nothing is to say that you care nothing about the future of your children and your grand children. Sitting back and doing nothing is what got us where we are today.

Can one person make a difference?

The short answer is yes. If you have listened to some of my previous episodes, you will likely remember several examples I have given about how much one person can make a difference. But I will touch on that again shortly.

What’s the cost?

Once you get to this point, the next step is to decide the cost of making some changes.

Is it time? Is it money? Is it going to require a change in lifestyle? Are you going to have to learn something new? How long is it going to take?

While the answer to some of these questions may be easy, facing tremendous change is a common barrier for a lot of people. Going through this process can be a put off, it can potentially disrupt your entire lifestyle.

But in many respects it is truly easier that most people realize and sometimes it is simply a matter of developing some new habits. In some cases, you may even have to do without certain things. If you are all in, like I am, then it will require a change in lifestyle. But that will of course take some time.

Are you willing to pay the price?

There are literally hundreds of things we could all be doing in order to live a more sustainable and regenerative lifestyle. Some small habits and minor changes in our lives are very easy. Others are going to be far more difficult. The best part of this sort of transition is that it can be done one small step at a time.

It is as simple as deciding on your “base price” so to speak and taking the first step. Think of it as your sustainability budget. What’s it going to cost and how much are you willing to pay? In other words, what types of changes are you willing to make in your life. How far are you willing to go? Once you weigh the cost then decide if you want to go simple of dive deep.

If you want to look a little more long-term then ask yourself what your life is going to be like in 5 years if you make these changes? And what is your life going to be like in 5 years if you don’t make these changes? What’s the world going to be like in five years if you don’t start making some changes?

By the time you get to this point you have to keep in mind that the sustainable lifestyle was originally thought of as a way to live more conservatively and actually save money. People making money from the sustainability movement is simply a product of our capitalistic society. Entrepreneurs saw the opportunity, starting using words such as green, eco-friendly, and sustainable to describe their products and then of course starting charging more money for them. What I am trying to say is that making this transition does not have to be expensive.

Motivation and Discipline

Once you decide on your base price and if you are willing to pay it, now comes the motivation and discipline. You have to remember that everything we do has some sort of an impact. You have to put forth the time and effort to examine the environmental impact of every single thing in your life. Things such as how you are living, where you are living, the type of house you have, the clothes you wear, what you eat, what you drive, how much your drive, how much energy you consume every month, how much paper do you use, how much waste do you produce?

All of these things come into question. This of course does not have to be done all at once. But it must be done.

Embrace the Change

The next step is often the most difficult part for most people. That is embracing change and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable.

From a sustainability perspective, by the time you pick apart your entire life you should have a good understanding of the types of changes you need to make.

Gradual Change

Now it’s time to put it all in motion. Transformation is of course a gradual process of small steps taken over a long period of time. Think in terms of five years. It’s like anything else. If you try to change too many things at once you will get frustrated and discouraged and not stick with your plan. That is why it’s important to take small steps. 

What does this look like in real life?

Obviously it’s nice to talk about all of these things and all of these changes but what does this actually look like in real life. ?

You likely remember the story I told about Kim and I at the beginning of this episode. The changes we made and the things we accomplished took a lot of planning, making some gradual steps and years later our lives were transformed in every possible way. Shifting your life to something more sustainable and regenerative is the same sort of process. 

So what I want to do at this point is to just give you a valid example of what is possible and a step by step process that anyone could do. This process can be of course altered to fit your personal preferences and lifestyle.

Step One

Start with easy stuff.

These are things that will cost you little or no money. Many of these things are a matter of changing some of your habits.

-Buy reusable grocery bags and produce bags. Make a point to never use a plastic bag again. This is simple and inexpensive because it is a matter of changing one simple habit.

-Purchase reusable mugs, drink containers, water bottles, and coffee cups. Half a trillion disposable cups are manufactured around the world every year. Thats over 70 disposable cups for every person on the planet. So, stop using them.

-Never buy bottled water again. Bottled water is often promoted as being safer and cleaner to drink. The simple truth is that the public is being mislead and lied too. Yet the market for bottled water continues to grow and this is by far one of the most wasteful habit we have. If you are concerned about the quality of your water then invest and in a good water filter. That is what we do. Bottled water on average costs about $1.10 per gallon. We produced purified drinking water for less than 3 cents per gallon.

-Look at ways to save electricity. Turn off all your electronic devices when not in use. This alone adds an additional 10% to your utility bill.

-Calk in leaky doors and windows. Change all you r light bulbs to LEDs.

-Reduce your water usage and stop wasting water. Nearly 95% of the fresh water that comes into our houses goes right down the drain. The average household uses 300 gallons of water per day. Take shorter showers. Invest in a tankless instant hot water heater. Flush the toilet only when needed. 

Step Two

These are things that are going to require a little more concerted effort.

-Reduce your food waste. At the household level, we throw away nearly 35% of the food we bring home. This results in an enormous environmental impact. If you truly want to reduce your food wast to zero, you are going to have to pay attention to every single thing you do.

-Reduce your household waste. Recycle as many things as possible. Again, this is going to require concerted attention.

-Learn to cook from basic ingredients and eat more at home. This is far healthier and less expensive anyway. But, this is going to require some personal planning.

-Look at what you eat. Some types of food have a much greater environmental impact than others, especially beef. Eat more vegetables.

-Go meatless two days per week. This alone will substantially reduce your environmental impact. Experiment with vegetarian food. There are a lot of great cooking sites with numerous recipes.

-Consider having a small garden. If you live in an apartment or flat, have a container garden.

-Be conscious about what you purchase and why. Consider borrowing something or buying second hand instead of buying something new.

Step Three

-Think about the clothes you wear. Do they come from sustainable sources. If not, how can you change that?

-Support sustainable brands. Choose companies that prioritize environmental responsibility, fair labor practices, and sustainable materials. Research and avoid brands that harm endangered species or contribute to deforestation.

-Consider how much your drive and ways to reduce that. Can you change your work schedule? Can you work one or two days from home?

-Look at the type of vehicle do your drive. Can you trade it in for something that gets better gas mileage. Is going electric possible?

-Can you use public transportation one day per week?

-Detox your home. Stop using toxic chemicals to clean your home. Stop placing toxic chemicals on your lawn

-Turn your yard into a wildlife habit or a zero-scape yard that requires little or no water. This may require somewhat of an investment but you can make your yard much more environmentally friendly.

-Educate yourself. Make a commitment to learn more about climate change and why this is happening. Make a commitment to constantly learn about how to be more sustainable and regenerative.

Step Four

-Does you employer promote sustainability in the work place? If not are you willing to change your job? Or can you work for a place that is much closer to home in order to reduce your commuting? 

-Look at where you live, how you live and the type of residence you have.  Would you be willing to move to another place?Are you willing to downsize your residence to be more efficient even if this means selling your home and purchasing something different.

-Are you willing to get rid of half your personal possessions in order to live a more simple life? After all, most of us can live well on less than 50% of what we presently have. 

-Is it possible to pay off all of your debt? Would you be willing to do whatever it takes to become debt free?

-Can you power your entire life off of renewable energy? Can you install solar on your home? 

-Make it a habit to walk or ride a bike for shorter errands. 

Summary

Now to start summing things up here, as you can see any sort of personal transformation is a step-by-step process. It is not something that is going to happen overnight. No matter what it is that you do, everything has a cost. It just depends on whether you are willing to pay that cost.

Obviously our entire culture and society needs nothing short of a total transformation into something that promotes saving this planet for future generations.

But the question is whether or not we are willing to pay the price.

Now let’s start wrapping things up by answering the sustainability question of the week.

What does it mean to eat sustainably and what happens if I do not eat that way?

A sustainable diets is one the has a low environmental impact yet it still provides proper nutrition and it also promotes food security. What you eat does make a difference.

Of all the things we do as humans our agricultural activities produce some of the greatest impact on the planet. The environmental impact of food production varies greatly depending on the type of food.

Our diets no doubt have a significant impact on our health and the environment. In today’s world, 70% of our caloric intact is from highly processed foods full of preservatives and pesticide residues. A sustainable diet focuses more on basic foods with limited or no processing. And this just happens to be a healthier way to eat that also has much less of an environmental impact.

Now in closing you have to keep in mind that transitioning to a sustainable and regenerative life is a journey every small step counts. By incorporating these tips into your daily routine, you’ll be well on your way to making a positive impact on the environment. And sooner or later someone is going to ask you how it is you do what you do. That being said, transforming your lifestyle, and that of our entire culture, is going to come at a great price. But in my opinion, the price of doing nothing is even greater.

Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainable because this is how we build a better future.