My Top Substantial Life Changes to Live Sustainably
My Top Substantial Life Changes to Live Sustainably
Although I am an advocate of making one positive change at a time to embrace a more harmonious way of being with Earth, it is a simple fact that a handful of small changes will not amount to living a sustainable life. Neither will many handfuls of small changes. Radical change is needed if we are going to step out of delusional thinking and enter into a truly sustainable existence.
Many have asked me, “What is the single greatest change I can make to live more sustainably?”
Simply put, there is no one single change that I can recommend. Everything in our lives is deeply interconnected. We live diverse lives in a diverse set of climates and cultures.
In this article, I have shared my top life changes that can be adopted to drastically reduce our impact on Earth and live in more harmony. Note: They are not in order of most impactful to least.
For those asking this question, I am assuming that there is a strong desire to make substantial change. Because of this, I have not sugarcoated these words and I have not tread lightly.
For those looking for many smaller changes, I recommend reading: 100+ Positive Changes to Live More Sustainably, Healthy and Happy
With many of my recommendations, I have included links to further explore the possibilities for radical change.
Compost EVERYTHING that is Compostable
With diligence and dedication, commit to putting nothing in the garbage can or recycling bin that is compostable and instead compost EVERYTHING that is compostable.
Read my guide on How to Compost, which details what is compostable.
Compost Your Poop
If the entire human population began composting our poop, we could transform our world substantially in a matter of days. Composting “humanure” is safe, effective and requires no high tech. It is accessible to billions of people.
Read I Compost My Own Poop for a guide on how to do this.
Go Zero Waste
Look at everything you are using that is creating trash and find a zero waste alternative. It is possible to get rid of our trash cans completely!
Read How to Live A Near-Zero Waste Life
Downsize Substantially
Break free from your physical possessions and downsize to only what serves you well in this life. Embrace sharing and minimize your ownership. Live in a home that meets your needs rather than exceeds your needs. If you have more than one home, reduce to one, or make it accessible to be lived in full time.
Read: The Beginner’s Guide to Downsize Your Life (From a Minimalist)
Go Car Free
If you have a car, get rid of it. Ride a bike. Walk. Use public transportation. Car-share. Design your life around not having a car. If you are a household with multiple cars, downsize the number of cars.
Read: Selling My Car… Bought My Freedom
Eat Local Food
Break free from the global, industrial food system and embrace local food to the most thorough extent possible.
Read Food Freedom: My Year of Growing and Foraging 100% of My Food
Grow and Forage Food
Through growing and foraging, you can establish a relationship with the plants and deepen your connection with Earth. Grow and forage a substantial portion of your food, and the foundation of your life will be changed.
Read Food Freedom: My Year of Growing and Foraging 100% of My Food
Read: Foraging Guide for Beginner Foragers
Read: Gardening Guide for New Gardeners
Go AC Free
Go air conditioning free. Air conditioning is not only extremely energy intensive, but also disconnects us from Earth. Many of us will find that through redesigning our lives and our relationship with the elements of Earth, we just don’t need it.
Many homes are built in alignment with the natural cycles and resources of Earth in a way that nullifies the need for AC. Remember, air conditioning is only a recent invention.
Divest from all monetary investments that are tied to environmental destruction.
In 2011, I looked into what my mutual funds/Roth IRA was invested in and it included fossil fuels and cigarettes. This is standard. Remove all of your investments and life savings that are invested in the destruction of our planet. Invest in the healing of our planet. Invest in the present moment for Earth and humanity.
Remove Money from the Big Banks
The Big Banks use your money to invest in destructive projects. Close your bank account and open an account with a local credit union.
Read: Why I Switched to a Local Credit Union
Stop Paying Federal Taxes
Remove your support for the Military Industrial Complex, war, police brutality, the Prison Industrial complex, Big Ag, Big Pharma and the bail out of the Big Banks.
Read: My Lifetime Commitment to Not Pay Taxes
Equitably Distribute Your Resources
Equitably distribute your resources to the most underserved communities that are doing the work to heal our relationship with Earth. This can include your finances, connections, assets, time and energy.
Fly Under the Strictest of Standards
Flying is the single most destructive action that most of us take on a given day. The yearly reduction of a carbon footprint from eating a more sustainable diet can be wiped out from a single long distance flight. Make strict standards for when you’ll fly, or don’t fly at all.
Read: Taking Responsibility for My Flights
Harvest Rainwater and Implement Grey water
Curb your unnecessary water usage to the point where what you can harvest from the rain can meet the majority of your water needs. Install simple grey water systems to remove yourself from the municipal plumbing system and return your water to the land, growing your own food!
Read: Rainwater Harvesting Guide for Beginners
Watch: Simple and Sustainable Living in My Tiny House
Find Wholeness and Completeness Within
My belief is that we will never come into harmonious relationships with Earth and the life that we share this home with if we can’t foster harmony within.
Ram Dass said “We work on ourselves, so that we can be of service to others.” I believe this is deeply important.
For anyone who has the freedom to dedicate ten days to growth, I recommend the practice of Vipassana, which is accessible on a donation basis.
Read: My Ten Days of Silence – Vipassana Meditation
Read: My Experience with Nonviolent Communication (NVC) / Compassionate Communication. The practice of NVC has transformed the minds and the lives of many and it is widely accessible to all.
Live in Community
Fragmented communities are what the dominator society wants. When we are separate from one another, we will be separate from Earth and separate from ourselves. The illusion of separateness is at the heart of our destructive relationships with Earth and all life that we share this home with.
Leave individualism in the past and embrace living in community, especially an intentional community or eco-village.
Read: Living in Community
A Note on Solar, Electric Cars and Veganism
You will notice that I have not included investing in solar panels or an electric car. Rather, the embrace of many of these suggestions results in needing much less electricity. To install huge solar systems is not a solution for me. The first step would be to drastically reduce electricity usage and then install a much smaller solar system. Electric cars simply are not sustainable. The way forward is not cars like these, but communal transportation and moving our bodies.
I have not included eating a vegan diet. A sustainable diet can include meat or not, depending on our life designs, relationships with Earth and climates. I write in depth on My Thoughts on Veganism … and Why I’m Not Vegan here