Lighten Your Footprint
It’s startling to think of the innumerable ways humankind has sculpted the planet in just the last century. Newly trodden paths out yonder turned into plowed fields and then shopping centers, wonders of the unexplored wilderness crippled to bow under our feet. We’ve always felt, as a species, that nature’s gifts could be used to enrich our lives. But have we gone so far that we no longer enrich the source that enriches us? Many of us are starting to think so.
Our relationship to the earth is sacred, and it’s important to consider how we can loosen our control and let it live as it once did. Ancient traditions understood nature’s multifaceted power, yet we’ve confined and commoditized it to yield monetary benefit. In turn, the protective force it once offered has diminished—and to restore that balance, we sometimes need to step in consciously. Here’s a few creative ways to do just that:
Live Simply
Surprisingly, spending less and living simply does more than balance your checkbook. In prioritizing necessities, you help halt the cycle of continued extraction from the planet in favor of a more balanced approach. We will always need some things from nature—food, shelter, medicine, water—but by focusing more on these things instead of unnecessary goods, travel, and experiences, we make our relationship more sustainable and reciprocal.
Make Green Choices
Most people have heard of environmentally friendly practices like reducing electricity and water usage, installing solar panels, opting for reusable food and beverage containers instead of single-use plastics, driving an electric car, and recycling. While these are great places to start, there are so many more creative ideas awaiting beneath the surface.
For example, purchasing soaps and cleaners with safe, plant-based ingredients may not only be better for your skin, but can protect waterways and all the life they harbor, which are directly connected to your drain pipes. And sometimes, choosing earth-friendly practices is significantly easier than their wasteful counterparts. For example, instead of frequently taking out the trash to combat odors, you can collect food waste separately (the most likely cause of the smells), dispose of it through your city’s food waste programs, or repurpose it as fertilizer for your garden. This truly is a win-win situation!
Expand Your Reach
Beyond what you do at home, you can also become a voice for the planet in your community. In most areas with natural spaces (even if they are very small), local conservation groups are always looking for volunteers to restore land into thriving, magnificent ecosystems. This is truly fulfilling work. If working outdoors isn’t your vibe, there are many opportunities to get involved in advocacy groups, local government boards, and neighborhood initiatives that focus on lightening our collective footprint. Whether you’re restoring land or shaping policy, every act of care ripples outward. We hope this post inspires you to lighten your footprint in ways you might not have thought of, and to seek connection in the natural world for our mutual benefit. And remember, it’s never too late to begin.
