what is sustainability, anyway?
With the term "sustainability" everywhere these days (and on every page of our website) it's important to take a step back and understand what the word truly means, which is, quite simply:
"meeting our current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Sustainability encompasses three areas: people, planet AND profit - i.e. it's not just about the environment, which can be a misconception. Sustainability very much also relates to both future economic mobility AND humans' future ability to live.
The conversation around sustainability is essential to future human life as we try to keep our global temperature to less than a 1.5 degree celsius increase by 2050. For context, the temperature went a full 1.7 degrees above average for a few days this July.
BIG kudos to the U.S. for passing the Inflation Reduction Act (aka the most impactful climate bill in the US, to date), which is incredible news for earth advocates - prior to this we were at current pace to hit a 2.7-3.1 degree increase by the end of this century. In short: our actions to date were tracking such that much of our planet would be uninhabitable by the time my three year old is 78.
my personal “why”
That’s why I’m in this business. During the thickness of 2020, I had a vision of my then 2 year old - at 18, asking me, angrily, why didn’t I do more? I knew immediately what he meant.
I recognize this information can be difficult to digest. I promise it will be worth it. The understanding of where we are at today - and how we move forward - is imperative to future generations.
Right now, earth’s natural resources are being consumed 1.8x faster than the earth can regenerate them.
At the rate we are consuming, we will need two earth's worth of resources by 2030. This, clearly, is not sustainable.
Which begs the question:
What is it that we actually need today which is worth depriving future generations of their ability to live?
yes, food is on the menu
People often don't associate food or their diet with the environmental crisis. Due to unsustainable agricultural practices, we have lost more than 75 billion tons of fertile soil (a large source of decarbonization)- and over 24.7 million acres of forest, per year. Due to these facts, we are steadily losing animals, organisms and life of all kinds. We have lost over 60% of the world's biodiversity since the industrial revolution. Yet, these factors aren't directly affecting anyone's ability to eat meat, in fact, meat providers are ramping up production to take over more land to be able to meet demand (namely for the farming of beef & lamb), which continues to steadily increase.
Livestock + crops will have replaced nature at a loss the size of China by 2050. Also by 2050, it is predicted that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
Adopting a plant based diet is one of the best ways you can very quickly and easily start making a positive climate impact.
the plastic problem
This plastic isn't all bottles and bags, like you might imagine (even though manufacturers are producing over 4.3 billion plastic bottles per day, currently) - it's actually microplastic, which largely gets into the ocean from washing our clothing. Fast fashion's clothing materials, often made partially of plastic - goes through our washing machines, into our waterways - is consumed by microorganisms - then shrimp - then fish and eventually, by us.
Microplastic pollution was detected in human blood for the first time in early 2022, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested. This issue isn't outside of us, it's actually made its way within us.
Plastic is a dire issue, which, somehow, doesn't capture the headlines as often as it should - but then again, most of these facts don’t. 79% of the plastic ever made is now in our environment, whether that be in landfills, the ocean or in our bodies.
recognizing emissions from transit
Other things to consider: eating seasonally and locally cut down on the travel emissions from food flying into your local grocery store from all over the world. All fruits and veggies have a natural season based on growing conditions. We've come to expect our favorite produce to be available to us year round - because now it is. But, this luxury comes at a high price of emissions via aviation emissions. You can read more about this notion in my post on "the 4,000 mile floral delivery" - and as a consumer, you can make informed choices based on seasonality which support you in acting sustainably, along the way.
Shifting gears to highlight the great things happening, we want to illuminate the broad strokes goals and potential for the most important areas of sustainability impact in the coming years.
This chart, taken from a breakdown via the latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report are the most essential methods for carbon mitigation necessary to maintaining our path to 1.5 (or as close to this as possible). The below list illustrates that the largest potential positive contributors to net emissions reductions are as follows. The $370 billion investment in which the US has lined up will be a huge and positive proponent of moving these items forward, at a pace which is extremely hopeful for emissions management.
biggest methods of emissions elimination:
Wind Energy
Solar Energy
Reduction of oil and gas
Reduction of coal mining
Carbon Sequestration in Agriculture (Soil & Mineral Sequestration)
Reduced conversion of forests and other ecosystems
Ecosystem restoration, afforestation, reforestation
New Construction with High Energy Performance/Green Building
Efficient Lighting, Appliances and Equipment
Fuel Efficient Vehicles
Biofuels (This includes Sustainable Aviation Fuel)
Energy Efficiency
Material Efficiency
Fuel Switching
Feedstock Decarbonization
Reduce Emissions of Fluorinated Gas
This is a great list to base for climate action support - but you might be asking, what can I do?
simple things you can do:
Switch your home to Clean, Green energy. It’s simpler than most people realize - and will be more cost effective in the long run as further limitation on fossil fuel production increases.
Make a plan to go electric, hydro or otherwise green energy with your vehicle choices moving forward (right now, it’s really hard to get your hands on one, as we are experiencing, too).
Buy no new clothes. Wear what you already have for as long as you can; borrow or buy resale if you need specifics.
Eliminate or limit meat (read: especially beef) from your diet, if not for yourself, for any young person you know or love. This is a main reason for the world's forests disappearing.
Use the 30/30 rule for all consumption. When purchasing anything non-food related, if it's over $30, wait 30 days to see if you really still need it. If it's under $30, wait 30 hrs. to see.
Research and understand Circularity and the Circular Economy
Know + support airlines using aviation biofuel and fly with them when you can.
Renovate or rehab instead of building new construction.
Familiarize yourself with regenerative agriculture and support local farmers with your purchasing power.
Order produce from a CSA from a local regenerative farm and eat seasonally rather than internationally.
Get familiar with carbon removal projects and support, support, support them however you can.
Offset your emissions by supporting carbon offset programming the world over. You can even offset your daily emissions via your bank account with Joro.
Research and support climate first candidates for all levels of government. And of course, VOTE.
Write, tweet or @ any manufacturer on social you like asking them to move away from plastic and rethink their materials.
*Stop buying single use plastic - reuse anything you already have for other purposes. We recognize this can be nearly impossible at classic grocery stores. Challenge yourself to find innovative solutions, there are some out there!
Phew. That was a lot to take in - and you made it through with flying colors!
Know that this information comes to you from a place of deep empathy, compassion and 2 earth's worth of hope.
To us, sustainability also means "solutions,” with empathy for all those who will come after us.
My future 78 year old son thanks you.
