There are a gazillion reasons for being more eco-friendly, but perhaps an underrated one is how it can make you feel. Women are more likely to suffer from low self-esteem than men, a fact that is well-supported by research, but is evident without it. We women are natural empaths, adept in imagining a situation we are unfamiliar with, like how it might feel to watch a forest fire burn your home to ashes, or elephants consume the crops that make up your livelihood. Of course, that's not to say that men aren't empathic or eco-conscious, or that all women are, but its no coincidence that women are more likely to question their self-worth, as well as their ecological impact.
Let's call a spade a spade, there are legitimate reasons why having a plant-based diet or eco-friendly lifestyle is not worth it. "Its the huge companies that make the difference." Yes, while driving an electric car and switching to oat milk won't curb rising sea levels, the principle behind these changes can't be argued with.
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi (...not really.)
He may not have said it, but he certainly lived it. As we fight a global pandemic and a climate crisis simultaneously, it is only natural that we use figures like Gandhi as an exemplar, a man who united the whole of his country against a common enemy. And yet, despite the grave consequences of our two common enemies, there remains major discrepancy in each individuals' own concerns. Now more than ever, the world is in need of those like Gandhi, Luther King, Yousafzai, Thunberg -- markers of what one person with a bit of inspiration can achieve.
Perhaps that's why the eco-friendly lifestyle is so invigorating, despite the negligible effect one eco warrior alone makes to the planet. There is a self-fulfilment that goes with it, a meaningful source of inspiration that starts with you. It's the knowledge that the second-hand jeans you bought on Vinted didn't end up in a landfill or that the free veg you picked up on Olio didn't rot. And there's no "right" way of going green, either.
"We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly." - Anne Marie Bonneau
There's Veganuary, which promotes forbearing of animal products but there's also Regenuary, which promotes consumption of local and seasonal produce (including meat.) The latter being a far more approachable option for most of us, and one that would have huge benefits if we all took it on. Of course, Regenuary draws little media attention, serving only to broaden the divide between omnivores and plant-based eaters. My family have joined me in a flexi-veganuary, where we reduce our total meat consumption, eat two vegan meals a week and have swapped out our dairy products for vegan alternatives. We've also made a conscious effort to shop zero waste and become more eco-friendly, reinstating our food bin with the hopes of composting once the weather improves and investing in reusable food wraps. Not only have our efforts had a positive effect on the environment -- small but significant -- but we've become more open-minded to the idea of a life without animal products. I never thought I'd see the day where my Dad would happily eat up a vegan meal AND ask for a second helping!
Learning is the first step. In the past year I've expanded my knowledge of animals, health and nutrition, the agricultural industry, manufacturing processes, even the complex natural factors that underpin the pandemic we currently face. At face value, Covid-19 seems like the mother of all curveballs, an out-of-the-blue, almost other-worldly thing (but if you think it has anything to do with Bill Gates or 5G you really are a complete **insert swearword of choice **) However, a global pandemic has been written on the wall for decades, a natural consequence of animals and humans in close proximity and the myriad of convenient routes for viral propagation, aided by modern technologies. So perhaps the pandemic and the climate crisis can be fought simultaneously?
Certainly in our family, we have been focusing a lot more on healthy eating, something that ties in rather nicely with veganuary and eco-friendly living. We've tasted new flavours, discovered new forms of protein, vitamins and healthier carbs and fats. I've cooked meals from countries where vegan food are a pinnacle of their cuisines, such as Turkey, Ethiopia and India. My tastebuds have touched base in more countries than my own two feet! It's an achievement, one that draws me away from the criticism and envious comparisons I so often subject myself to.
Self-love is a destination we are all capable of reaching, leaving and returning to, and you don't need to cure cancer or save the world to get there.
None of us can save the world, but we can die trying!