Thinking Out Loud

The big question of the year folks: how sustainable are you?

This pressing environmental and economical topic is in our newspapers, magazines and all over my Netflix recommended documentary list. So unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’d know that living a more sustainable lifestyle and demanding a more sustainable food system is crucial to assuring our future on this planet. Besides, I really don’t think I’d like living on Mars (which is legitimately being discussed on CNN this very moment).

So fingers crossed you’re hoping to make a positive impact on our planet and become a part of the solution. Here are some of my new favorite resources that seem to come up again and again. They even have credible sources to back them up!

1. Shop local. When people talk about carbon footprints, shopping local is probably going to come up. Local shops can help sustain lively, walk-friendly and compact centers. This in turn allows for less automobile use, less air pollution and reduces unnecessary expansion and can aid in land conservation.

“Entrepreneurship fuels America’s economic innovation and prosperity, and serves as a key means for families to move out of low-wage jobs and into the middle class.” –Stacey Mitchell, Institute of Self Reliance

2. Support a CSA or Community Supported Agriculture. These projects seem to be making serious headway. Although it’s seemingly more present in larger cities at the moment (or at least within their vicinity), more and more people are realizing the benefits and the positive impact that these projects have on their health, our local economies and local farmers. Small scale farming is becoming a hot topic but that’s a whole other blog post.

3. Educate yourself. One of the many things I took away from grad school was to not form a solid opinion or argue it unless I had fully researched both sides of the argument and referenced credible sources. One of my favorite professors used to say over and over: “Be open minded, but not so open minded your brain falls out.” Knowledge is power!

Some of my fav resources (which is always expanding):

1. Netflix documentaries: Cowspiricy, Food INC, Forks Over Knives, The Reporter, Life in a Day, On the Way to School.

2. Periodicals: THRIVE Magazine, Whole Living.

3. Websites: Institute of Self Reliance: https://ilsr.org/why-support-locally-owned-businesses/ , Devex & BOND websites.

If you’re still on the fence wondering if this whole “sustainability movement” is here to stay, hop on over and join us! It’s greener over here.