Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 266

The 30 Day Stop the Consumption Challenge Part One

Most everyone alive today has either grown up in or been conditioned to a consumer culture. We constantly purchase more than we need which of course requires the on-going production of more products. This in turn requires the extraction and processing of more resources which results in an enormous detrimental impact on our environment.

But as usual, I like to ask “How did we get here?” Furthermore, how do we change this part of our culture? Human existence was not always like this, that is a life that is organized around consumption. What most people don’t know is that this shift toward consumption was gradual, structural, and highly engineered.

But there is a way to change this cycle and it starts with the 30 day stop the consumption challenge.

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 265

12 Month Sustainability Action Plan

It is sometimes difficult for me to believe that I have been living at the cabin for 30 years. I often reflect on how I went about building this isolated homestead, how much work it was and just how long it took. But I also commonly think about what I would change if I had it to do over again.

Most people would look at what I’ve done and think that such a lifestyle is completely out of their reach. However, it is easier than you think. A lot has changed since I first moved there. Technology has improved and so has our knowledge about how best to live sustainably.

If you do not believe that this is something you can do, then join me for #265 The 12 Month Sustainable Living Action Plan.

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E264 which is part two of Food Waste: The World’s Most Solvable Environmental Problem.

In the last episode we covered the first five out of ten reasons why the reduction of food waste has such a significant positive environment impact.

Unlike so many other global problems, reducing our food waste is one of the easiest things we can do as individuals. There are ten reasons why food waste is the world’s most solvable environment problem. In the last episode we covered five of those reasons. Now, just for a quick review:

-The solutions already exist. This means we do not need new technology or new science. The solutions are simple, proven, and accessible to everyone.

-Prevention is far cheaper than clean up. While most solutions for environmental problems focus on managing the damage after it has already happened, prevention of food waste cost less than disposal and the pay back is immediate.

-Individuals have the real power. While most global environment problems feel distant and abstract, food waste prevention can happen without waiting for governments, corporations and the implementation of new laws. We all participate in our food systems everyday so we have the ability to do something about it today.

-It reduces multiple environmental impacts at once. Because of the nature of our food systems, waste prevention effect climate change, addresses water scarcity, land degradation and reduces energy consumption all at once.

-Most wasted food is perfectly edible. Since our food systems are inefficient, risk-averse, and culturally distorted, they are built for waste. The majority of wasted food is actually perfectly edible and we can do something about it.

But, before we get to the next 5 reasons as to why food waste is the world’s most solvable environmental problem, let’s first talk about the good news story of the week.