Author: amonke8

As I have begun to think more sustainably, a problem that I was recently prompted with was the issue of gift giving during holidays and its implications on sustainability. Gift-giving, especially during the holiday season of December, is such an integral part of American culture. In fact, the EPA estimates that waste goes up 25% during the holiday season (EPA). Growing up celebrating Christmas, I got plenty of gifts every year. I never really questioned this practice; I’ve always embraced it. That was, until, I was confronted with the harsh realities of how harmful consumerism really is for Earth and marginalized peoples across the world. Now, buying and receiving gifts inevitably comes with feelings of guilt. 

I don’t think anyone would deny the joy of giving and receiving gifts. It would be unreasonable, and frankly sad, if we just stopped giving gifts altogether. A shift must be made, rather, in how gifts are given. Upon thinking about this further I came to the conclusion that the two main options we have are as follows: making gifts and/or thrifting gifts.

Thrifting is a great option. Thrifting gifts gives us the peace of mind knowing nothing new is being made, it’s just reusing old stuff. Thrifting is especially relevant in the realm of fashion but it can apply to other items too. One can find empty picture frames, artwork, furniture, electronics, kitchenware, and more at thrift shops such as Goodwill. Goodwill’s manager of sustainability, Brittany Dickinson, claims that Goodwill receives billions of pounds of donations every year, so there are plenty of options to choose from (Chiu 2023)!

Making gifts is also a wonderful option. This year, instead of buying cards from the Hallmark store for Christmas, I decided to write notes with penCIL and paper. I found the process to be more enjoyable and more wholesome, really. In my personal experience, I like to receive notes as well. It’s always more meaningful to get something handmade as opposed to a generic card with a signed name. To me, it’s a demonstration of care. I think I will continue this tradition. When it comes to packaging the gifts I didn’t want to use wrapping paper. Solutions to the wrapping problem can come in many forms depending on the gift(s) you have. Some, like the North London Waste Authority, choose to wrap their gifts in re-usable fabrics using a traditional Japanese method known as furoshiki or opt out of the wrapping process as a whole and send their gift recipients on a scavenger hunt! I got one person a mug and some other small gifts so I was able to fit it all into the mug and the mug acted as a container to hold the gifts. I wrote a little card, folded it up and placed it inside the mug for a cute presentation! I think avoiding waste ultimately comes down to being creative and working with what you already have.

I think many people aren’t even aware of the harm that their shopping and consumerism has on the earth. Maybe upon learning this they’ll be inspired to change, as I was. The main point is that there are alternatives. Maybe not every gift can be thrifted or made but I’m sure out of all the gifts one gives in a year at least a few of them could. Ultimately, our culture as a whole must change, and this is just the beginning of that journey!

 

References:

Chiu, A. (2023, January 4). How to donate clothes without wasting them — and hurting the environment. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/01/04/how-to-donate-clothes-waste-environment/

 

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Holidays. Archived from https://archive.epa.gov/students/web/html/holiday.html

 

North London Waste Authority. (n.d.). Eco-friendly Alternatives to Wrapping Paper. Retrieved from https://www.nlwa.gov.uk/article/eco-friendly-alternatives-wrapping-paper

The fight to end climate change has been on the minds of Americans and people worldwide for decades. Many people are conscious of and support the integration of policies to combat climate change. Pew Research Center found that over half of U.S. adults view climate change as a major threat to the country’s well being. However, things have only gotten worse and change is not happening quick enough despite support. How could this be? I’d like to argue it’s because we have taken the wrong perspective. The fight to end climate change is often framed as follows: We must save the earth for ourselves, for our own survival and prosperity. We are still at the forefront of this battle. It’s not about the earth winning, it’s about us winning. This mindset is harmful because it will never bring about the desired results. In order for real, impactful change to occur, we need to have a personal connection to the earth. Viewing the earth solely as a resource won’t cut it. I believe it’s necessary and possible for our mindset to change. So, what perspective should we hold? Indigenous leaders and thinkers across the United States provide us with some possible answers.

The typical indigenous mind views our relationship to the earth in a much different way than the typical western mind. Emphasis is placed on reciprocity and respect. Indigenous peoples tend to look at nature and our place in it much more holistically. Terms such as “Mother Earth” imply our inherent kinship to the earth.

An important value present in almost all Native American cultures is that of reciprocity. We receive gifts so we must give gifts back. Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Potawatomi professor and author, speaks on this in her book Braiding Sweetgrass. Kimmerer recalls being a child and picking wild strawberries deep in the woods. These strawberries were a gift from the earth. She didn’t have to do anything to receive these strawberries; she only had to find them. Because these strawberries were so freely given to her, it created a relationship between her and the strawberry bush. Every season, she would nurture the bushes and pick weeds to allow space for the bushes to flourish. Year after year their relationship would go like this. This is reciprocity. The plants keep us going so we keep the plants going. This give and receive mindset is necessary in the realm of conservation because it establishes a relationship. In our modern day society we are all too often disconnected from where our products come from, especially our food. Sticking to our strawberry example, when you buy strawberries from the grocery store, no relationship is established. You pay the clerk, say thank you, and move on with your day. The strawberry bush rarely ever crosses our minds. The strawberries are no longer a gift. They are a commodity, and thus no responsibility is owed towards the bush. We have no direct connection to the earth and therefore it’s hard for us to really be invested or care. A formed bond is what makes an exchange significant and meaningful.

Now, it would be unreasonable to ask of us to stop buying our food from the grocery store and instead forage or grow everything. That is not a possibility. I would argue for simple steps, such as learning where our produce comes from when we buy it at the grocery store. Where was this lettuce grown? Who grew it? Under what conditions and in what season was it grown? With a mindset like this we can begin to appreciate and be thankful for how this lettuce ultimately ended up in our hands. We can even go to local farmer’s markets for our produce and interact with the farmers face to face. Although small, this begins to establish in our minds and hearts more of a connection to the earth. This connection fosters our initiative to protect, preserve, and give back to the earth.

 

Another solution to this disconnect is presented to us in a 2020 TEDx talk by Kelsey Leonard, a legal scholar and a member of the Shinnecock nation, who encourages us to ask the question “Who is water?” as opposed to “What is water?” This distinction, she says, opens up the door to personifying water. And she isn’t just talking semantics. Leonard doesn’t want us to simply imagine water as kin (although she does emphasize the significance of this); Rather, she wants it to become a reality. She calls for the legal personhood of water. Legal personhood would allow water to be visible in a court of law and be protected under the law the same as a person would. “It reverses the accepted hierarchy of humanity’s domination over nature,” she claims. If we, as Leonard suggests, hold nature’s wellbeing to the same level of wellbeing we expect for humans, there would be much more concern and protection. All it takes is some reframing in our own minds and in that of the legal system. When we view nature as family rather than a separate entity that we can use at our own discretion, the level of care increases dramatically.

I encourage everyone who reads this to consider how they view the earth. Do you see it merely as an expendable resource or as a life-giving gift worthy of veneration? Furthermore, how might this perspective influence how you view climate change and your own actions towards reversing it? Get outside and experience the beauty of nature. Witness the gifts the earth gives us every single day. Begin to deeply understand our connection to the earth and how vital it is to protect. In the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, “Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” The earth has loved us since our existence, it’s time we show some love back. This is the kind of attitude needed in order to save this beautiful planet we call home. 

References:

Kimmer, Robin W. “The Gift of Strawberries.” Braiding Sweetgrass, Milkweed Editions, Minneappolis, MN, 2020, pp. 22–28. 

Tyson, Alec. “What the Data Says about Americans’ Views of Climate Change.” Pew Research Center, Pew Research Center, 9 Aug. 2023, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/09/what-the-data-says-about-americans-views-of-climate-change/#:~:text=About%20three%2Dquarters%20of%20Americans,the%20effects%20of%20climate%20change. 

Zomorodi, Manoush, et al. “Kelsey Leonard: What If Lakes and Rivers Had Legal Rights?” NPR, NPR, 7 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/2020/08/07/899837395/kelsey-leonard-what-if-lakes-and-rivers-had-legal-rights.