Using COVID-19 to Reflect on Sustainability
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Wow, I guess this thing is real. We’ve been on a Stay At Home order for most of March here in Atlanta. Nonetheless the days have gotten longer while the sunny weather beckons us all outside. For a long time it seemed we might avoid this mess altogether. Last time we were faced with a possible pandemic it remained relatively foreign to the continental USA. Yet now, an invisible entity threatens us. Each day, as new information comes out, I’m assailed with new possible threats from my environment. Today’s headlines read “You can catch coronavirus by just BREATHING!” *eye roll* Oh brother, here we go.
Not going to lie. I have so many questions, and so many things I’m worried about. So many people have lost their jobs already and with the economy coming to a halt there will be more layoffs. Today, it was reported that 10 million Americans signed up for unemployment. Still, this is the time to pivot. This is the moment to reshape an economy, a society, that suits us all. What are our values? I’m using this time to replace old habits with ones that are more sustainable for my environment. Not just my property but the property of my neighbor, and essentially my city or town. And since I have so much time on my hands I took some time to think about the positive changes I wanted to make and expand on the ones I’ve already adopted.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and the Wisdom to know the difference.
Things I want to focus on:
- Cultivating natural beauty and confidence.
- Replacing wasteful items in my home, and clearing the clutter.
- Getting organized and find new ways to reduce my reliance on outside entities.
- Get in touch spiritually and develop a better routine that helps reduce anxiety.
This time at home has forced us all to look within and see how we contribute to the problems we see in the world. Even though we can see the problems, it is important to have a growth mindset to know we can change them. I mentioned earlier the effects this illness with have on the economy but I do believe it presents opportunity as well. It is time to pivot. Again.
Incorporate ceramic, glass, metal and wood elements for an eco-friendly kitchen.
First off, it’s time to get back to community farming if we’re ever gonna make America great again. With technology you don’t need acres to produce your own food. From mini greenhouses to aquaponic systems, solutions can be built with a few hours spent on YouTube and creativity in procuring materials. or simply Lowes. I currently have an avocado plant sprouting in my apartment right now. I can’t wait to plant it on my property. It’s more important than ever to fortify your body with nutrients and minerals that you only get from fruits & vegetables. If you can’t grow its very important that we support the local produce stand or the farmers market.
Also, I’ve stopped buying so much plastic and began using reusable shopping bags as much as possible. I actually like it because it keeps me from buying unnecessary food grocery shopping when I know I have limited bags. That way , I focus on healthy, whole foods and I’m less likely to throw a box of PopTarts in my buggy. I’ve gone ahead and bought glass containers to meal prep and limit exposure to the cancer-causing chemicals in plastic that leech into the food. I get inspired by the beautiful ecofriendly kitchens on Pinterest and plan on buying gallon sized containers to organize my dried bulk goods. My partner and I used to buy in bulk all the time, now we must return to that. I’m also researching local butchers. This pandemic is putting a strain on small businesses. We all should do as much as we can to support one another.
I’m still trying to figure out what to do with the clutter in my home. I’m one of those people that gets really triggered by clutter and it’s like I’m stricken with anxiety. I have to let the anxiety pass before I’ll even think to clean so it’s important for me to create a system around housework that works. Everything needs a place, and if we are ever to get through this quarantine I need the illusion of space. I found some cute items on Amazon that I have purchased to help with making my space more conducive to working from home.
Speaking of clutter……..
My partner and I have found ourselves bored, with an abundance of time. To be honest, I’ve enjoyed having him at home. Oddly, it improves my productivity and even lit the fire that has me finally publishing this blog. Between dulling our apprehensiveness with episodes of Ozarks on Netflix or streaming my favorite YouTubers, we’ve had to remind ourselves of the opportunity that has befallen us. Let’s finally finish all those projects we’ve put off….
So we headed to one of our storage building for supplies. I’be been thinking of starting a YouTube or at least get myself on a streaming platform of some sort and we have tons of random electronics. Our run to our storage building revealed some pretty sweet microphones and computer parts. I grabbed my easel (couldn’t get to my paint or brushes) so I’ll probably be one of those people clogging up the craft stores. Anything to keep myself busy. We’ll get through this you know.
Take the first step to sustainable products.
I’m excited to finally get this blog up and running. I would love to have you guys give me feedback in the comments, share posts, and connect with me on social media. Please click some links as well. It helps me keep this blog going.
Comments
Emily
Very excited to read more on your progress with organization and self reliability. Kick ass and take names!
Marita
Thank you Emily! I’m glad you enjoyed it!