On being a Tree-hugging Human

This new year and semester are intense, which is why I am not able to write as much as I would like to. In one of my classes at University we learn and talk a lot about environment and politics. Since I was a kid, I had a soft spot for animals, plants and my surroundings, so I always loved thinking of new ways to appreciate them. It is also not news to many, that the world is suffering from global warming. So, needless to say, I am thinking a lot about "What can I do?". So this post will not be about Judaism, but some statistics, thoughts and ideas on what we can all do to make the planet a little bit better. Back in the day, until quite recently actually, food was scarce all over the world. In France, before the revolution, people had to sped half to a third of their income (depending on the sources) for a loaf of bread. There was no "convenience" when it came to food, one did not throw away food either. You ate what you had, even if it was rotting. Same goes for clothing: You wore what you had, and stitched it up, as long as you could. Shoes were a luxury, having them was a kind of richness many of us will never understand (keep in mind, this is still how many people still have to live as a consequence of being colonized). After the Second World War it took some time, but the Global North "healed" and here we are. Food is thrown away on a daily. In the EU 58 million tonnes of food were wasted in the year 2021 (compare https://www.eufic.org/en/food-safety/article/food-waste-in-europe-statistics-and-facts-about-the-problem). When it comes to textile waste in the EU, it isn't much better either: 6.95 tonnes were wasted in 2020 (compare https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/management-of-used-and-waste-textiles-in-europes-circular-economy), and I am sure, it is safe to assume it got worse with the new ultra fast fashion brands like SHEIN and TEMU. There are also other waste issues like: Make-Up, electronics and so on. Now, what can we do? Is it my job to do something against it, when I am just one person? It is not just on one person to change everything, so before you panic, and fear I tell you how terrible you are and what you did wrong, let me assure you: The fact you read this, shows you care, and you do not have to live like a trash monster to help the environment. So, here's a few things you can do, that are not a (big) inconvenience or cost you a kidney and a leg: Reduce:

• Instead of buying constantly take a breather and think: Do you really need this? Or is this something that should distract you from something else? For example: We do need food, water, soap, toothpaste and brush, a few pieces of clothing. I've seen so many de-clutter videos lately, where people see how much money the spent on things they never used and they are always so sad. An I gotta be honest, I was in their shoes not too long ago. I stopped buying new things like half a year ago, and if I need something, I try to get it secondhand. I am still struggling to get rid of things, because I want to be sure it's not landing in a landfill, but finds more use, if possible, and that is taking for ever. I have way too many books, which is why I stopped buying them (even second hand), same goes for clothes. It took me some time to not buy stuff constantly, it is actually really hard, and sometimes I still fall off the horse and get something I do not need. In those cases it is important to not just give in and start buying like a maniac again, but start over. Also important: This also goes for food. Nothing is as frustrating as watching you food go bad, which leads me too...

• Store food correctly: if you got too much bread, put it in your freezer. If you need bread, just get it out of the freezer and wait or pop it in the microwave on the lowest or defrost setting for a few seconds/minutes (depending on the bread size) and you have fresh bread. If you have too many veggies, try to pickle them. Pickling is easy and fun, and you can get super creative with it. There are many good recipes online for different veggies. I started pickling veggies and I am so grateful for the good, healthy food. You can also do compote, to store fruit. You can also check out what to do with food scraps, if you have organic oranges for example, where you can eat the peel, you can turn it into a nice natural vitamin c powder or candy it. It does take a few more minutes out of your day, but it's healing for the soul, to use your hands and get creative. Also eating or using your self made products is just the best feeling in the world. Reuse:

• If you already have things, don't forget to use them. While this sounds like a no-brainer, we sometimes forget, what we already have at home. If you got food containers, and you eat out, maybe take them with you, so you don't have to get single use containers. If you go for a hike or event, bring your own food and bottle (if possible), so you don't have to buy expensive stuff on the go (I usually do that when I sell art at a convention or market or am at campus/university, and you safe a load of money that way). If you have reusable cups for coffee to go, don't forget to actually use them as much as you can.

• If your clothes or things have little imperfections, try to repair them if possible. Most clothes are easy to fix, I have a box with old fabric scraps and completely broken clothes/clothes I could not donate or give away anymore and use them to fill holes in pants and such. There are many good and easy tutorials on how to repair stuff online, with clothing some are not just easy, but you could never tell it was broken. This safes money and you don't have to get rid of your favorite pants. Recycle:

• Try to look into recycling programs where you live, and try to participate as much as you can. Maybe there are artists or other people who collect certain types of waste, or maybe there is a farmer who is looking for food waste to feed his worms for some good fertilizer. Usually, just not throwing it all together, but trying to keep your waste separated is the easiest thing to do here. You an also recycle paper at home and make your own paper, or use old bottles to water your plants. You can also try to compost at home, if you are into that, and feed your plants your homemade fertilizer. Again, there are great videos online, if you want some more infos on that.

There are other things as well, like trying to go by food as much as possible, not showering for too long, taking public transport if possible and so on. At the end of the day: It should always be something you can do easily without having to put yourself in danger (like please take a Car, Uber or Taxi if public transport is not possible or safe) and no one is perfect. We do owe it to the future generation to do as much as we can, and to pressure big companies into putting in the work as well (easiest done by not buying off of companies who suck, like Unilever, if possible). We also owe it to the ones who don't pollute the environment like animals or indigenous people. If you start your journey to a more sustainable life, be gentle to yourself and others. We all have to do better, yes, but nothing good comes out of hate or anger.