How invested are you in mitigating the climate crisis that is rapidly reducing our water supply, increasing temperatures, and polluting the air we breathe? While the race to save our planet from the deleterious effects of global warming is a shared responsibility, women in particular have the potential to make a huge positive impact. If you are one who has not given much thought to her part in this effort, I hope this column will inspire you to make some changes. Women make the majority of purchasing decisions and these have a significant effect on the size of our household’s carbon footprint.
Our children are far more aware of the climate crisis because schools are teaching them the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and urging them to reduce, reuse and recycle. However, I’ve noticed that some of the mothers, do not concern themselves much with this. Well, if there is anything that could motivate even the most unconcerned person to start caring, it is the steadily increasing temperatures that are making it tough to live in our already hot South Indian climate. They hopefully can also be compelled by the desire to keep our planet habitable for their children and grandchildren. Here are mental shifts that women can use to do their part in reducing their family’s impact on the environment.
Embrace Hand-Me-Downs
Fast fashion is usually discussed in reference to women on a budget who shop online for outfits that are trendy but poorly made, almost in the use-and-throw category. Many women love clothes shopping for their children for many reasons: it’s like dressing up our own life sized dolls, there is none of the insecurity that comes with dressing ourselves, and the clothes are far less expensive than ours. They grow out of things so quickly leads many women to purchase huge amounts of clothing online.
Indian culture seems to have some hang-ups about hand-me-downs; while frugality is an American tradition that even the wealthy are proud to practise, Indians would rather go into debt than appear as though they cannot afford something. As mothers, we know firsthand how children grow too quickly to get much use out of most of their clothes; doesn’t it make such good sense to pass on a garment in excellent condition? Many of you who have two children use hand-me-downs within the family, but I am urging mothers of one child to reach out to a friend who has a slightly older child and tell her that you are happy to accept any clothes her kid has grown out of. The few times people have offered me clothes like this, they are very delicate about it, as though the offer might offend me. So you can make the suggestion first, and they will be so happy to have a responsible way to clean out their closet, making it a win-win!
Your Car is Not a Courier
Remember when I said earlier that some of my tips would be quite niche? Well, this tip is one that applies to a privileged set, those who have a car and driver. My lady friends use their cars to send various things to each other, like food or an article of clothing, and while the intent of neighbourly sharing is sweet, it makes me shudder how much fossil fuel is used in this ferrying of non-essential items.
If you’re baking cookies and want to give some to a friend, plan ahead so that the driver can drop them off on the way back from the school run rather than make a separate trip just for that.
Experience > Aesthetics
A generation ago, birthday parties were about basic decorations, a few games, kid-friendly food, a cake, and a simple return gift. But as social media raised the bar and businesses realised the cash cow that is parents indulging their children, the environmental impact of these parties grew tenfold. That is because for the sake of a good photo, moms hire decorators to construct elaborate balloon arches, themed props, and tons of printed signs personalised to the child and the theme. Most adults realise when walking into such visually stunning parties that all of the frills are for the parent more than the child. Tables are laden with elaborately decorated cookies and cupcakes, but go mostly untouched because the same aesthetics-obsessed mothers also ration their children’s sugar intake with hypervigilance.
Please plan your party around the overall experience rather than what looks grand on social media! Balloons are cute but terrible for the environment and as for all those other props and printables, is it really worth it to fill landfills with these things just for a birthday? Please forgo cheap plastic toys for return gifts in favour of something sustainable, edible, or stationery.
There is no end to the ways you can reduce your carbon footprint as a woman running your household. Use bubble top water or an RO plant instead of buying bottled; slowly replace plastic tupperware with glass or steel; install a dishwasher, it actually uses less water. Repair and reuse items and get ideas to reduce waste from previous generations. Let World Environment Day serve as an impetus to make reducing your carbon footprint a personal value, and awaken the eco warrior within!