In this day and age, it’s easy to become bombarded by an overwhelming amount of information coming at us from all angles. We’re glued to our phones, constantly scrolling through news feeds, our brains filtering through what’s interesting enough for us to click on. We don’t very often stop to think about how we consume that information, where it’s been sourced from, or even how it’s going to impact our lives.
Sustainability is something that I’ve only recently become concerned with. I became a vegetarian when I was 12 years-old, but that decision was made more out of personal preference and beliefs about animal ethics than the environmental impact of eating meat. I was taught the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) in school as a kid, but their application never really extended beyond ensuring we disposed of our waste correctly and filled up the compost bin in the back garden.
So now I’m finding myself experiencing quite a steep learning curve, and I’ve come to realise it’s best to do a bit of delving around when it comes to learning about topics as complicated and constested as climate change and sustainability. A lot of big numbers are often thrown around, which can really hit home for some people whilst distancing and alienating others. I’ve resisted including statistics in this article simply in case someone else points out that they’re incorrect, and because I can’t validate that information myself.
Doing a quick Google search will undoubtedly bombard you with information, and it will take time to rifle through it and find the stuff that’s accessable to those of us without an extensive knowledge of environmental science. So I’ve put together a list of resources I’m finding particularly helpful and accessable, and even though most of them don’t come from the experts, they present the issues in a clear and easy manner. Treat them more as a gateway into understanding sustainable living, a way of bringing it to your attention, rather than the ultimate authority on the topic.
Youtube Videos:
It was Ariel Bisset’s video, “A Beginner’s Guide: How To Be More Sustainable”, that inspired me to write this article. I’d already seen or read most of the things she mentions in the video, but it was a nice reminder to keep turning my thoughts into actions. Kayley Hyde has a few videos on the subject, but two of my favourites include “My Zero Waste Lifestyle Changes” and “Minimalism, Eco-Fashion and Priviledge”. The latter video quite importantly points out the fact that a lot of sustainable fashion brands are hella expensive, and that you shouldn’t feel guilty if you’re a poor student like me and can’t afford to spend £30 on a t-shirt.
Other great channels include My Green Closet, covering mainly lifestyle, fashion and beauty concerns, and Crash Course‘s twelve-part series on Ecology provides short educational videos explaining big science in easy terms.
Documentaries
Everyone seems to be talking about Cowspiracy these days, but (as someone who usually hates documentaries) I can confirm that it’s worth the hype. It explores the environmental impact of the agricultural industry, but also the weird ways organisations and governments don’t want you to know about it. Another film that has been well publicised is Leonardo DiCaprio’s “Before the Flood”, which also explores the politics of climate change and features some pretty shocking footage of ways in which the world around us is literally falling to pieces. In a similar vein, “Racing Extinction” shows us the crippling effects things like global warming and overpopulation are having on animal life, as more and more species become extinct.
Books
I’ve recently started reading Bea Johnson’s “Zero Waste Home”, a guide to reducing the waste output of your everyday behaviours. I’d never really thought of the impact all of my takeaway coffee cups can have, and all the plastic packaging covering everything I buy on my weekly shop. Whilst it’s largely quite Americanised, and assumes that there will be a wholesale bulk food supplier within travelling distance, it does provide a lot of useful tips on how you can make lots of little changes to your daily habits so that there’s less rubbish being transported to your local waste disposal unit every week.
A perusal in my local bookshop led me to stumble upon “Practical Self Sufficiency: The Complete Guide To Sustainable Living”. Quite frankly, it isn’t very student-friendly, and requires you to have a garden through which you can sustain your own individual eco-system, but if I was an actual adult and owned my own house I would definitely be picking something up like this. It encourages you to take that extra step and make real changes, ones which most of us would usually be scared to take in favour of living an easy life.
Blogs
Lauren Singer‘s blog has honestly blown my mind – she’s only filled a mason jar full of trash in the past four years, which is absolutely mental. Even though I have doubts as to whether I’ll ever reach that extreme level of green living, it really is admirable. She offers everyday changes on how to shop sustainably, make your own toileteries, and even go through your period without disposable sanitary items.
Wendy Graham runs the UK blog Moral Fibres, which is practical as well as aesthetically pleasing. She covers topics ranging from why you should give up Amazon to how you can recycle your bras. She has articles that straight up explain certain concepts, and others that simply advise you on what aspects of your life that should be changed. Her article on Ethical Alternatives to Amazon was quite an eye opener, and makes me feel guilty about the pile of cardboard packaging that builds up near my back door every week after I’ve taken advantage of my student Prime membership.
Social Media
The blogs and Youtube channels mentioned above all have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, but because I use Instagram the most my suggestions are mostly going to be aesthetically pleasing photography accounts. Scrolling across photos or quotes is a quick reminder throughout your day to stay motivated with the changes you’re trying to implement. The account @sustainabilityinstyle mixes photos of eco-friendly clothing brands with inspirational quotations, as well as reminders to avoid the world of fast fashion. I love following @thenaturalstorecornwall, our local chain of organic food and lifestyle products, because it reminds me to pop in and buy eco-friendly alternatives to the big brand products we get from Asda and Tesco. Last but not least, @natgeo is a beautiful reminder of the diversity on this planet, and why people work so hard to save it.
If you’re interested in getting involved in activities on campus, check out the FXU’s Green Living Page, and check out the EcoSoc Facebook page.