L is for Lifestyle Blog for Random Acts of Kindness Day

K is for Kippers

Consumer demand for fish globally is huge and growing. For example, salmon, once considered a luxury item and a rare treat, is now an everyday food. To satisfy our ever-increasing appetite for fish, fishing fleets have turned to destructive industrial methods, with devastating consequences for the environment and fish stocks.

So what can we do?

★     Get the Marine Conservation Society (MSC)’s Pocket Good Fish Guide app on your phone and follow its advice.

★     Buy either organic farmed salmon or, for wild salmon, choose either MSC logo Pacific salmon or sustainably harvested Atlantic salmon.

I is for Investments

Most of us have some form of investments, whether that’s a current account, savings, a mortgage, a pension or something else. We need to consider how the companies we’re trusting with our money are treating people and the natural world. With ethical investments on the rise, we can make positive choices for our investments with some time and thought.

So what can we do?

★     Look into ethical options. Ethical Consumer is really helpful.

★     Make an ethical change, and let your bank (or other company) know why you’re doing that.

N is for Needs

Our modern consumerist culture encourages us to blur the line between what is a need and what is really greed. It has attached our identity and significance to what we own, from our homes to our clothes. With credit cards we don’t have to save up as we once did, which seems to have made us value things less and dispose of them more readily.

So what can we do?

When you go shopping, take this list of questions with you (for the full list, see my book):

★     Do I really need this product? Why?

★     Is this an impulsive purchase or have I planned it?

★     Have I done research to find the best product to meet my needs?

D is for Driving

Emissions from road traffic are the main source of air pollution in the UK, with health implications for us all. Car emissions are also one of the biggest contributors to UK CO₂ emissions, and they are continuing to rise.

So what can we do?

★     Stop using a car for all short distances, and think about how you could car-share for longer journeys or go by public transport.

★     Consider walking or cycling where you can - it can go from being a discipline to a pleasure!

N is for Needing more inspiration about how to tackle consumerism?

Watch The Story of Stuff and support the movement to buy less.

E is for Energy

We rely on energy from electricity, gas and other sources for almost everything in our modern lives. But we know that energy from fossil fuels (about 80% of global energy) is causing our climate to change in disastrous ways, affecting both the earth itself and its inhabitants. The good news is that the UK has achieved a dramatic shift away from coal in recent years. 21st April 2017 was a landmark: the first day since the 1880s that Britain didn’t use coal to generate electricity.

So what can we do?

★     Save energy at home with simple steps like using low-energy LED light bulbs, washing clothes at lower temperatures, and only boiling the water you need in your kettle.

★     Switch to a green energy supplier (such as Good Energy or Ecotricity).

S is for Simplicity

Simplicity is about our choices: the lives we want to live, the things we want to have, the work we must do to get them, and the trade-off that involves with other things (such as our relationships). Often these choices are ones we were hardly aware of making. Our busy modern lives throw into sharp relief that time is one of the most precious possessions we have. Living more simply enables us to enjoy its many rewards.

So what can we do?

★     Aim to bring time under control, so that it serves your values. Which things are most important to you?

★     Develop one practice that allows you to stop, and builds space for quiet in your life.

S is for Still looking for ideas for kindness?

See the Green Living pages on my website: www.ruthvalerio.net.