Being an Earth Keeper while traversing the Holiday season

Anything that has to be sold by the end of the year or put on clearance after the holidays is a commodity that, more often than not, we can live without.

As we face the extinction of dozens of species per day due to the over exploitation of natural resources and climate change, we need to open our hearts and eyes to the whole of reality and act accordingly.

Now it is no longer about what “I want” on a whim or about being superficial in how we relate to our surroundings. Life is asking us to be truly mindful about the impact of every one of our choices.

In the north of the Pacific ocean lies a garbage and plastic patch almost three times the size of Texas, and the clothing “dumpster” in Chile’s Atacama desert is so large that it’s visible from space. Meantime, the Amazon rainforest has lost an area bigger than Germany and France combined in the last four decades; and Lake Victoria, the largest in Africa, has lost 80% of its flora and fauna due to chemical and raw sewage contamination. On-going wars mean toxic pollution from explosions and horrible destruction of ecosystems.

These are just a few example of the dreadful situations created by us humans that wipe-out millions of plants and animals each year while making people acutely and chronically sick.

How can we remain gleefully ignorant and oblivious to these facts?

Let’s not!

This weekend, in many countries in the Western world we are between ‘Black Friday’ and  ‘Cyber Monday’ super-sales, in the grip of a monstrous marketing machine inciting us to buy and buy stuff  for the coming holidays.

At the same time, most governments are delaying the green debt and reparations as long as possible, caring more for the short term economic gain than the long distance wellbeing of the planet. In this holiday season each one of us is invited to become a steward of the planet by practicing love and care for all beings.

How do we do this?

Though it can be a very distressing feeling, it is important that we don’t fall into helplessness and hopelessness and instead that we join the millions of conscious peoples who care and who really walk the talk. There are many organizations working on solutions and, if you don’t find one that fits for you, you can start your own movement for a healthier world!

Here are a few suggestions on how to make a difference in these times of frenzied consumerism.

-Before we buy something we can ask ourselves: ‘do I want this out of a whim or will it really make a difference in my life?’

-When choosing to buy something, pick the most sustainable option like selecting natural fibers versus synthetic in the case of clothing or wooden toys versus plastic toys for kids.

– We must also count the hidden cost of goods, including social justice or the pollution created by transportation. Whenever possible select locally made goods.

– When selecting a present for others  gift experiences instead of things. For example, giving a gift certificate to wellness spa or a favorite restaurant

– You can also plant trees or make a donation to a good cause in the name of the person you want to celebrate.

– Choose to bike or walk instead of driving whenever possible.

These ideas are a few of the thousand possible ways in which we can be more conscious during these consumeristic weeks. Let’s open our hearts, our eyes, and our minds to see how we each can contribute to a better world.

Please offer your ideas on how else we can make a difference as individuals or as a small collective?

Marcela Lobos