I often find myself immersed in books and documentaries that explain the social principles of the world we live in. Although I usually delve deep into the subject and I’m aware of the effects that our practices have on the planet, the truth is that my actions don’t always echo my thoughts.
After celebrating Earth Day on Tuesday, a friend published a thoughtful environmental post on Facebook, which compelled me to join the conversation. As the WWF says, ‘If everyone in the world lived like we do in the UK, we’d need far more than one planet to support us. Almost three Earths, in fact’. Our over-consumptive lifestyles are destroying natural resources and threatening the future of our natural environment.
Why we don’t stop climate change if we have the chance now? Why are we continually and massively misinformed about the food industry? These and the many other disturbing questions really need to be spoken out loud and addressed before is too late. Society’s ignorance, the passivity of governments and manipulation of the facts by media giants and corporations all conspire to keep us dragging our feet on these vital issues.
The reality is that we can make a positive difference by engaging with eco-initiatives or conservational actions: reducing food waste, travelling by public transport, cycling or walking to reduce gas emissions, buying products with less packaging, recycled products, rechargeable batteries, using biodegradables bags, waiting until your phone or gadget defunct instead of buying one every year; the list is almost endless. So, we can help to reduce our impact on the planet, we just need to be more conscious about transforming our thoughts into actions.
As Aristotle said, “you cannot untie a knot without knowing how it’s done.” If you’re interested in the place you live in, it would be well worth your time watching Fuel, which won last year’s Best Documentary Award at Sundance and covers a topic painfully familiar by now — America’s addiction to oil.
If you are also interested in doing research and making conscious decisions, you can watch interesting documentaries like Earth, Food Inc, Home, Thrive and Earthlings, all of which might help enlighten your body and soul.
If we continue to consume as recklessly as we have in the past, there will be dire consequences for the Earth. I was interested to hear that the Darren Aronofsky, the director of Noah, Hollywood’s latest apocalyptic offering, refused to use animals in the shooting and offered vegan food at the premiere. I also hear that the film brings a liberationist message, but I’ll confirm that with you after I see it this weekend.
