The Green Shift: transitioning to a more environmentally conscious and sustainable lifestyle

by Simren Bhinde

The world is rapidly changing, and with it has come a change in human’s interaction with nature. The current global crisis has shown that the future is likely to only bring more drastic changes to the way we look at the world. In the midst of all of this, many (like me) are trying to understand what they can do to make their own interactions with the world conscious and sustainable — but at times, finding a starting point can be tough. There is an abundance of information about sustainable living online, but it can get overwhelming if you blindly dive into it.

Living sustainably is a challenge — our current lifestyles were not developed by prioritizing environmental well-being, and this makes it exponentially harder to adapt our way of life to become more harmonious with nature. It wasn’t easy for me when I started (and still isn’t!) but through research, and regularly asking myself two important questions, I have been able to climb the first few steps towards building a more sustainable and environmentally friendly life.

 I hope my methods will help you make this seemingly painstaking process a little easier. This week, I’ll be exploring the first question that has been invaluable in my slow, but steady shift to a greener lifestyle.

QUESTION 1: How can I educate myself?

photo by Igor Miske

There appears to be an unending flow of information about how humans have impacted nature over time. This vast volume of articles, videos, podcasts and books can easily overwhelm a person who is merely trying to make their actions more environmentally conscious. That was definitely the case with me, when I first started learning about ways to live a sustainable lifestyle. What helped me and continue to teach me, are resources which present well-researched information in a clear and simple format.

•  Newsletters help me stay informed, and also understand which of my actions make a large impact on the world around me. My go-to is The Guardian’s Green Light newsletter, that shares articles on which of our actions are destructive to the environment, as well as the good and the bad in the world of environmental science. Like many, I find it hard to stay away from the rabbit hole of negative information online, but the format of this newsletter creates a balance between the good, the bad, and the ugly. Another helpful newsletter is The New Yorker’s The Climate Crisis. 
•  Websites: The Tree Hugger is a good website, with very useful articles about the climate crisis as well. 
• Activist groups like Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future, that focus on the climate crisis, are great resources to stay informed on the current standings of environmental change. Their social media and websites are useful to get a grasp on the climate crisis and the global reaction to it.Next week, we’ll dive into the next key question, “how can I engage more sustainably?”