Model for environment

Climate change, sustainability, and vegan lifestyle are hot topics these days. Emphasis on hot, because man oh man, are we going to get warm. Almost every day goes by without me discussing the uncertain future of the earth with someone. I often hear that I work in one of the most polluting industries, and that's something I unfortunately cannot deny. The fashion industry scores incredibly low on the sustainability ladder. Of course, there are good initiatives and sustainable brands slowly conquering a piece of the market, but still, hordes of polluting clothing are made, shipped, and thrown away daily.

In addition, I also fly a lot for my work, contributing to the pollution caused by aviation. It is impossible to live 100% sustainably and environmentally friendly. For a real shift, we need political policy, but that doesn't mean you can't do anything yourself. Therefore, I would like to share with you this week how I try to contribute to the fight against global warming.

First of all: open the conversation. Talk about it with friends, with your parents, with teachers at school, and with the baker in the village. The more people talk about it and become aware of what is happening, the better. Discussion leads to new insights, and good habits are gladly adopted from each other. Do you recycle plastic at home? Then ask the school management what is being done at school. The more climate change is a topic among the people, the greater the pressure on politics to implement good policies so that we stay below 1.5 degrees of warming.

Additionally, there are small adjustments you can make in your daily life. For example, you can choose to switch to a green energy supplier. Greenpeace, together with the Consumers' Association, has drawn up a ranking of all energy suppliers in the Netherlands. Here you can see how green the electricity they actually provide is.

Go vegan. This is a lot harder than switching your electricity. It involves a lifestyle change, which requires a lot of discipline. Fortunately, it has become much easier for us these days. There are hordes of books, documentaries, and products available that can help you eat vegan or vegetarian. Meat substitutes are now really tasty and nutritious. The documentary The Game Changers is currently a big hit on Netflix and definitely worth watching. It mainly discusses why a plant-based diet is good for your body. But with a plant-based diet, you score points on multiple fronts. Just take a look at the table below, where I have compared the relative impact on the environment of meat and meat substitutes based on soy.

Finally, recycle not only your waste but also your clothing. I have decided that I only want to buy vintage clothing (with the exception of underwear, shoes, and sportswear). Clothes that you no longer find beautiful can also be sold, given away, or put in a clothing bin. If you live in (the vicinity of) Amsterdam, I recommend you visit the IJ-Hallen once. There you can definitely find second-hand gems. This way, you are not only doing good for the environment, but it is also much better for your wallet.

There is so much more I want to tell you about this, but I am also very curious about what you do to live as sustainably as possible. Send an email with tips and tricks to dagboekvanlily@gmail.com and I will include them in a future post about the environment.

XX Kisses from Lily