The Zero Waste Collective is run by Tara McKenna. It is “an online community and blog about all things zero waste and sustainable living.” They also have an Instagram account where they discuss living a zero-waste life. I chose a few of their recent posts to respond to and offer my opinions.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB5filvMEYd/ (second post)
“Green Space is beneficial for Community health happiness and overall success. However, there is significantly less Public Green Space in low income and BIPOC communities.”
There are benefits tied to living near nature. However, neighborhoods aren't created equal. Low income and BIPOC (black and indigenous people of color) communities don’t have the green that other neighborhoods have. Everybody deserves a high quality of living, and a zip code shouldn’t get in the way of that.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB5filvMEYd/ (third post)
“Environmental justice also calls for a greater emphasis on local and community-led solutions to remedy the problem. Those most affected deserve the biggest voice in remediation.”
Unfortunately, those who have caused the climate crisis aren’t the people who’ll be most affected. If the people who understand the danger first-hand could have a say on environmental protocols, we’d be living in a very different world, and for the better.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CB5filvMEYd/ (fourth post)
“Environmental Justice redefined how we view the environment. The environment isn’t just the ‘great outdoors’ or the ‘pristine wilderness’
The environment is where we live, work, play and learn as a community.”
This is a good point. We are always in the environment no matter where we are. We protect our homes and we must protect the homes of all wildlife as well.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgOk1ED8rg/
“To create something different we have to be willing to do the uncomfortable work of shifting what isn't working.
Yasmine Cheyenne”
I thought a lot about this quote. In order to combat climate change, we must evaluate our issues and work to change them. We have a lot of systems in the world that aren’t ideal, so they need extra attention. When we begin to tackle the world’s greatest flaws, we will see massive improvement.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA5O57qgYDg/
“Environmentalists For Black Lives Matter (repeating)”
Recent events have called for people and corporations to reevaluate themselves. We’ve seen a great amount of change made, but there needs to be more improvement. It is important to realize that we cannot have environmental justice without racial justice. I even have an entire post relating racial and environmental justice, which you can read by clicking here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0MHc7gx6X/
“6 questions to ask yourself before you purchase anything:
1. Why do I want to shop less?
2. Do I actually need it?
3. Could it wait a while?
4. Is it on my list?
5. Could I borrow it instead?
6. Would I buy it full price?”
Here’s something I learned from Graham Stephan, a personal finance YouTuber: when you see something you like, sleep on it. This blog is primarily directed at teenagers, so this may not be so easy on mall shopping sprees with friends. However, it’s important not to make too many impulse purchases. The world and your bank account will thank you.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-Z0EFAgnfG/
“Let's reuse what we already have. Now is the time to put our zero-waste skills to work at home, just like our grandparents and great-grandparents did.”
Saying that our great grandparents did it probably doesn’t make it seem like an attractive way to live. I’d (personally) like to live a better life than my ancestors. Still, Tara makes a good point that reducing waste, or even going zero-waste, is possible. Remember the three r’s: reduce, reuse, recycle.
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