2020 - Change Is Upon Us
I know I know, not another blog about the 2020 COVID19 Pandemic. Although I am pretty sick of hearing about it myself, I’m fairly certain no one reads my website anyway (thank you social media induced attention reduction) and I need to keep track of life somehow.
The Pandemic has affected literally everyone on this planet, excluding those who already had nothing – in which case we all became quite alike in many senses. As I sat at home jobless and dangerously near toilet paperless, there was another life adjustment I had to make that I hadn’t considered would be so difficult. With germs spreading at rapid speeds and aiding the spread of COVID19 around the planet in less than a year, I joined the rest of the world in developing a phobia. At first when the “stay at home” quarantine mandate was in place, I hibernated with my boyfriend and my new puppy and life seemed content. After a week or so, the cabin fever took over. With 99% of all businesses being closed, public transportation shut down to a halt, and my friends and neighbors being terrified to interact with other humans – I turned to my closest friend, mother nature. I grabbed my mask, put on a cute outfit and went outside to seize the opportunity of cleaning up the deserted streets of my neighborhood and make one of my usual SnapBack videos to inspire others to get out there and do their part while people were mandated to stay indoors.
I am fairly embarrassed to say that before COVID19, I did not ALWAYS use a protective glove when picking up trash, since my movement promotes picking up 1 piece of litter per day along your daily life. Needless to say, from March 2020 on – gloves were a must! I did have some gloves handy, but they quickly got dirty and I felt an overwhelming fear for my health. All of the items I was picking up were essentially put there by another human who recently touched it. The information about how long the disease lived on different material was unclear, to say the least. I ended up having to switch to rubber gloves (verses the cloth reusable ones I had) which led to the guilt of adding to the single use waste issue that was rising by the second due to the new PPE regulations for all businesses.
I pushed on and continued to make cleaning up a full bag of trash part of my boredom cure throughout quarantine, but I still felt myself changing. The amount of rubber gloves and single use masks I saw that could have only been tossed out car windows, since leisurely walking in public was prohibited, was shocking and heartbreaking. Yes, the world was in chaos. People have their own “bigger” problems to worry about than the environment. I have to ask myself why people feel a choice has to be made; convenience or pollution. There was a time not long ago where there weas no such thing as single use every day items. When you bought a cup, it was something you used repeatedly wherever it was needed and you brought it back home with you to continue using because it cost you money. Humans were perfectly capable of being responsible for their own belongings when it was what was needed. The development of cheap, single use items has ruined people’s ability to take responsibly for their items and that is the simple truth to my observations.
There are a lot of small steps, experiences and education that have helped me grow to where I am today, mentally. It started with frustration of lazy people who toss their trash outside, then led to frustration with the government for either not having a proper solution or simply not doing anything about pollution. There was a short time when I blamed the companies who produce these items, but if there is a demand and a profit to me made – someone will always fulfill the need. I then started looking at the top of the food chain and determined that the problem lies with individuals and their lack of awareness on the topic of pollution, global warming and preserving our planet. I even took an online class from Harvard during quarantine titled “The Health Effects of Climate Change” since I am always trying to educate myself on the topic. Education is the solution to every. Single. Problem in the world. The best, most effective effort we can make is to spread our knowledge and be a part of getting more people involved in the solution.
It breaks my heart that I do not have the same comfort I did before to just pick up almost every piece of trash I see. If there is anyone out there who has noticed a lack of daily SnapBacks on social media, I apologize for less posts, and less inspiration, during this time. I assure you that I will find more ways to do my part and share my passion.
For those of you who care but do not know where to start, here are a few tiny steps. Start with one, incorporate more where you can, if you can’t do it all every day – don’t feel guilty. Any small difference each person makes adds up, and with others joining and most importantly – SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE…. we will take over the world.
· Reduce: The best way to lessen your impact is to use less. Buy reusable water jugs, portable plates and silverware, tupperware for storage and food on the go, etc.
· Some items you Can swap out:
o Plastic Wrap for leftovers: reusable Tupperware
o Plastic silverware packs: Portable silverware kits for snacks on the go
o Plastic Bags: Bring tote bags to the store for your items. Keep them in your car or by your door so you don’t forget
o Skip the plastic bag in the produce aisle for these items with natural cases: avocado, bananas, whole pineapples or watermelon, and anything you plan to peel.
o Reusable masks! Keep them in a safe place when you take them off, wash them and/or steam to kill germs.
· Reuse: Give everything you can a second purpose. No matter what it is. Yes, somethings are just trash. But when something comes in a reusable bag, or comes with an extra cord you may already have, here are some options to think about:
o Could you reuse the item for anything in your house
o Could your work place or a colleague benefit from the item
o Is this something I can put into a donation box and bring once a box is full
· Making food at home verses take out: Obviously has its perks because you save money and usually eat healthier, but think of the packaging you are saving! Bring your lunch, grocery shop and if you order take out and have left overs, save for another meal!
· Last but certainly not least, take responsibility for yourself and everything in your life. If you need water on your walk, bring a reusable bottle OR if you have plastic, hold it until you come to a proper receptacle (even if that means until you get home)
Every single choice counts. If once per week you use a tote bag instead of 2-3 plastic bags at a store – you save 156 plastic bags a year! Think about these small choices over a year, or 5 years, or your life span! Makes most “small” choices feel a lot more impactful.
Share. Educate. Make better choices. Talk about these issues. Inspire others. And if you don’t know what to do or where to start, follow and join the WeSnapBack movement.
