Images of the destruction of the the Amazon rainforest are hard to look at. They are shared en masse to inspire fear and horror in people. The problem with this is that we have fear fatigue – we’re tired of all the bad news! And it’s leaving us feeling helpless and hopeless. The solution? Take action! A little goes a long way when we change as a collective community. So have a look at these simple actions you can do today to reverse deforestation.
1. Switch to a plant-based diet
Much of the rainforest is being cleared for cattle, as well as, soy and grain grown to feed cattle – mostly going to the US, the UK, and the rest of Latin America. By consuming less meat, we collectively decrease demand for meat, and we can let trees continue to grow and clean the air we breathe.
2. Shop like your air depends on it
Conscious consumers change business policies. Companies like Kimberly-Clark, McDonald’s, and Nestle (for all the bad that they’ve done) have all taken steps to stop deforestation by adjusting their policies and business practices to meet the demands of consumers. So buy products that are made from recycled, 100% post consumer materials and watch more companies follow suit!
TIP: look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Rainforest Alliance logos on select products to know they’re ethically sourced.
3. Plant a tree
When something as disastrous as a burning rainforest gets you down, think about how you can reforest your own community. Urban deforestation is a problem, too but there are many organizations in your town or city willing to help you plant a tree. Just because other parts of the world are suffering doesn’t mean we can’t improve our own backyard.
4. Stand with indigenous peoples
Share the stories of the people who are impacted most. Indigenous people in India, Indonesia, Canada, Brazil, and the US are all fighting. Raise their voices, share their story on social media, and show the human impact being felt on the ground. People are responding the fear when they see the forest burn, but let them see another human, and their hearts will respond in action.
5. Consume less
Consuming ethically is one thing, but remember mass consumption leads to mass deforestation and it takes a tremendous among of water, energy, and fossil fuels to recycle. So consume less paper and plastic products helps us keep the rates of waste down while the earth recovers.
TIP: meal plan to know how much you need before you go shopping, use a reusable bag, and favor products without paper and plastic packaging where possible.
6. Contact your public officials
Demanding change from your political leadership works! And it can be more fun and more effective with a group of friends and family. Get some buddies together and write postcards or call your political leadership. Speak from the heart and let your representative know why it matters to you and how deforestation impact your life.
TIP: Handwritten postcards and clogged voicemail boxes are more effective than emails. Need help? Contact me.
7. Change your business practices
Work in an office that consumes a lot of paper? Advocate for Mother Earth and tell your bosses to buy recycled paper. If they don’t like that idea, ask them if they have kids. If they say yes, ask them if they want their kids to breathe clean air in their 60’s. And if they say no, tell em you’ll take it to HR. They’re called Human Resources, after all.
8. Raise awareness
Share this article and clue people in to your own journey toward reversing deforestation. Get a friend on board to rally your boss to print for ethically. Go vegetarian with your boo. And if you wanna, head over the the Peace Made Public Facebook group and share this handy Facebook post.
Know any items that should be added to this list? Let me know and I’ll update it. And if you take on any of these action steps, let me know in the comments or join the conversation on Facebook. Looking forward to hearing from you.
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