“Are you sure you want to stay here any longer? “, my confused and shivering self asks my husband . Clutching his jacket , he replies “Yeah, maybe it’s a good idea to leave now. I feel quite cold as well.”
This happened around 9:15 pm on New Year’s eve as we stood by the Hobart waterfront to watch the family firework display due to commence at 9:30 pm. Thinking of New Year’s eve fireworks, one would imagine a cold wintry evening crowded with people packed like sardines. However this was not the case in Hobart, Australia. It wasn’t too crowded. It was more like a merry carnival where everyone was awaiting for the fireworks to begin while enjoying the completion of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race or the Taste of Tasmania Food festival. But it was a cold windy Hobart evening. Although we are in the midst of the Summer season right now (with the previous day recording temperatures well over 40 deg centigrade even in Tasmania), on this windy New year’s eve the temperatures dropped to around 17 degree centigrade (I know this is not really cold for most folks living outside the tropics, but having lived primarily in warmer countries it is a bit cold for me 🙂 ) And miles away in the states of Victoria, NSW and South Australia raging bush fires were ruining holidays and causing much grief that I would not want anyone to experience on a given day let alone New Year’s eve. I was equally perplexed at the temperature variation as anyone reading this might be.
When I think of summer in Australia, I think of warm balmy nights. Of long sunsets. Of picnics in the park. Of outdoor eating and the beach. Of chilled ciders and icy lemonades. Of fruity gelatos. Of baking with sweet berries and stone fruit. Of firing up the BBQ. Of grilled corn on the cob. Of all the glorious summer veg and fresh herbs. Of indulging in the short cherry season. Of eating messy foods with our hands – the juice dripping of a peach and the mouth going red biting into a water melon. And then I think of the epitome of summer fruit – ahh the MANGO – that I want to enjoy in different forms. However as 2020 (and the summer season down under) commences, like everyone else I have been pre occupied with the bush fires and all the devastation that has been brought upon us. I feel confused and helpless while trying to make sense of the climate extremes being experienced globally.
I know I cannot solve the manmade climate change crisis all on my own as an individual. However I do feel I have control over the choices I make in my own life. I can choose to take few actions related to my food and living habits this year that I can only hope will in some way help the planet and make living more sustainable.
Below are 5 ideas related to my everyday consumption that I want to work on for the rest of 2020 and thought it would be good to share via this blog post. Hope you give this as much thought as I have and please let me know if you have any more ideas or inspirations to share with me on the below.
Cooking Food From Scratch
- First on my mind is to continue cooking as much food from scratch as is possible. Being fully aware there is only so much you can do in a day and it is impossible for me to cook every single meal at home, if I have managed to cook 80% of my weekly meals at home , I feel it is a win financially and health-wise while eliminating a lot of packaged materials from our life. Besides cooking your own food helps create a deeper connection with our food that seems to have been lost with the whole convenience of processed foods and the fast food industry. (On a side note , I hope this makes me accountable to share more about my cooking and food adventures via this blog. Fingers crossed!)
EATING SEASONALLY AND LOCALLY
- Second I will continue shopping and eating seasonal local foods from small grocers and farmers markets. This not only reduces the food miles but is also a great way to support the local and small scale businesses that require the support of the consumers more than ever right now (besides being fresh and healthy food).
ELIMINATING PLASTIC
- Third (and a BIG one) is on eliminating plastic from our lives. At this stage, I am fully aware that I have not (and cannot) removed plastic completely 100%. The easy wins on getting rid of single-use plastic like always carrying shopping totes, coffee tumblers, water bottles, cutlery and reusable stainless steel food containers is something for me to always remember to carry while traveling and being on the move away from home. I find it easier to pack sandwiches in boxes rather than using plastic bags or cling wraps, so that is something which will require less effort to get rid off in the kitchen. I have switched to bamboo tooth brushes, soaps and shampoo bars made locally and that are sold with plastic-free wrapping. I am also shopping from bulk food stores as much as possible where I can carry my own jars or produce bags to fill them up with the exact quantity I require, thus reducing food waste in our home. Moving on to the next stage this year, I am going to work on eliminating plastic containers for kitchen cleaning materials / laundry liquids and plastic cleaning brushes. The garbage bags are a hit and a miss as sometimes I use the compost-able bags while sometimes I just use the normal plastic bags. I know there are countless other items (especially toiletries) in our home that are packaged in some form of plastic tubes or containers, so I may not be able to eliminate everything at once. But I do believe in taking micro steps in the right direction instead of overwhelming myself with a herculean task that will only lead to failure.
RETHINKING FAST FASHION
- The fourth item on my agenda is being more mindful while purchasing new clothes, shoes and bags . To start with I have done a massive clean up of my closet donating unused and old clothes . Now I intend to only add anything new to my wardrobe if it is an absolute necessity and continue reusing what I already own. I am beginning to understand the impact fast fashion is having on emitting carbon emissions , excessively using up the water supply and polluting our oceans with micro plastics. Basically another industry leading the race in the damage to the environment. Labels like “Sustainable fashion”, “Ethical Clothing” are cropping up across all brands. I intend to do my own research before blindly purchasing anything from a single brand, reduce my overall consumption and reuse my current wardrobe as much as I can.
SAVING WATER + ELECTRICITY
- Finally I am laying down the intention of being aware of our water and electricity usage at home and reducing wastage as much as I can. We all know about simple tips like switching off taps while brushing or shaving and taking shorter baths, however somewhere along the line we forget and take it all for granted. Building self awareness around my actions is going to be key if I am to follow any of what I have written here , so fingers crossed that I can work on these in 2020.
I hope these ideas are in some way useful to everyone reading instead of thinking the current situation is futile and switching off from the harsh reality of climate extremes. I am also aware that this may not be for everyone. My situation and my story may not be what’s unfolding in your life and all this may seem a bit too much for you. However I do hope the above has inspired you to REUSE , REDUCE and RECYCLE in whatever way you deem fit. Hope everyone has a safe and healthy 2020 ahead!
If interested, here are some links for further reading on the topics covered above
- Mark Bittman’s advice on “How to get better at cooking ?” here
- This seasonal food guide lets you find out what’s in season in region (specific to Australia)
- Joe Cross talks about the benefits of eating seasonally
- The environmental impacts of Fast Fashion here
- The NY Times talks about how fast fashion is destroying the planet
- 10 simple ways to use less plastic in the kitchen
- Getting rid of single use plastic in the kitchen here