Environmental Awareness Module - Planet / Sustainability

1. Welcome page

Welcome to your first session of the Sustainability module!

It will take you 1 hour and a half to complete it, so be sure to be comfortable in your current space, to have a nice cup of tea with you (and maybe a snack if you need it!).

For this session you will need:

• A device with Internet access and sound output

• Your MAMA RISE notebook and a pen

• Markers, color pencils or watercolors for the final creative activity

 

Index of contents

• Detecting our environmental beliefs

• What we love

• Where to start

• Self-reflection

 

After this session you will be able to:

• Reflecting on the beliefs that limit us in our actions for the planet

• To realize our interconnectedness with all things

• Identify your motivation to make changes

• Share what you have learnt with other people

 

Ready? Let’s go!

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2. Introduction to the session

 

In this session we will delve into the idea of interdependence and how to start making changes in our daily lives. 

 

We hope that here you will find resources and inspiration for this module that you are beginning.

3. What do you already know about interconnection and interdependence?

 

Maybe you are not aware right now, but there are probably many things that you already know about how we are all interconnected. Let’s find out!

 

You have 5 minutes to write everything you can think about our mutual dependance and interconnection with all beings that inhabit the earth (be they animals, plants, natural resources, etc.)

 

The ideas do not have to be complex and it is ok if you are not 100% sure of their accuracy. No one is going to judge this list, so feel free to write down as many things as you can.

 

4. Learning content

 

Interdependence in living beings is a fundamental concept in ecology, which refers to the relationships and connections that exist between the different species and elements of an ecosystem. This interdependence is essential for the functioning and survival of ecosystems, since each organism depends on others to obtain resources and fulfill its basic needs.

 

In an ecosystem, all living things are interconnected and depend on each other for survival. Each organism has a specific role in the ecosystem and contributes in some way to the balance and stability of the ecosystem. 

 

An example of an interdependent process would be pollination, a process essential for the reproduction of many plant species. In this process, pollinators, such as bees, butterflies and birds, transfer pollen from one flower to another, allowing fertilization and seed formation. Without the interaction between plants and pollinators, many plant species would not be able to reproduce and could disappear.

✍️ This could also be applied to our daily lives.  Who do I depend on to keep me well? Who depends on me? What do I need to take care of and let others take care of me?

Interdependence among the different species in an ecosystem is fundamental to maintaining ecological balance. Each species plays a specific role in the ecosystem and depends on other species for food, shelter, reproduction, among other resources. 

💭We have been led to believe that caring is a burden because we maintain an idea that freedom is based on not depending on anyone and that no one depends on us. Time spent caring does not score on the curriculum, it is not recognized or valued externally. We are distressed by vulnerability, but we come into the world absolutely vulnerable and dependent. We all need someone else; our strength lies in being available for myself and for others to take care of me and support me by Sara Martín

 

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Now let's visualize some phrases and take a moment to notice how they make you feel. Take your time to read them one by one, without haste and feel what reaction they awaken in you.

 

• “I don't think what I do or don't do is worth much”

 

• “It overwhelms me or worries me to think about this crisis”

 

• “I think it is governments and big business that are responsible for solving this ecosocial crisis”

 

• “Living in a sustainable way involves too many deprivations and sacrifices”

 

• “Living sustainably is more expensive than living in a conventional way”

 

• “I care more about the problems related to people than those of animals, ecosystems...”

 

✍️ Write down what each of them makes you think, feel… 

 

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Let's take a closer look at each one!

 

“I don't think what I do or don't do is worth much.”

 

Shall we try to turn it around? Living less about things and more about what you love is creating your daily reality according to what you would like to be the general norm. Why? Because it is...

• An exercise of autonomy over your own life and how you want to live it. There are many things we cannot choose, but there are many things we can.

• An expression of solidarity and empathy with all beings that live together on Earth interdependently.

• A way to honor all the resources we extract to produce the objects we use.

• A means to demand other values from corporations.

• A way to remind you that you are a creature and what your real needs are.

• An excuse to get together with other people and have other conversations (like now!).

 

By our very nature as social animals, our choices influence those around us, and so we can create different conversations, plans, ways of eating or gifting than we did before. 

 

“It overwhelms me or worries me to think about this crisis”

 

If it happens to you too, it is totally understandable. It is especially worrying that we have a dormant capacity to imagine another possible world. We can easily imagine apocalypses, collapses, catastrophic scenarios; but it is much more difficult for us to imagine a prosperous, fair reality, with available natural resources, and this is a problem because in order to create another reality, we must first imagine it. We really live in a cultural emergency, and quoting the author Miguel Brieva “What would happen if everything on Netflix were ecotopian stories? That tomorrow there would be a world revolution”.

 

We want to encourage you to imagine how you would like your city, your working day, your weekends... And to think about what steps you could take in that direction. The last thing we want is to promote a discourse of “if you want, you can” denying that we are part of structures that make it very difficult for us. I'm talking about looking for the cracks in the system through which the light passes, such as initiatives at district level like citizen participation tables, urban gardens, associations of all kinds... We also want to get out of the loop of the screens and look more at the sky, get to know new green areas of our city, try to walk more...

 

There are many possible worlds that already exist on a small scale and there you can find a lot of hope, which is how you fight fear. Ask ourselves what things make me afraid and put more love and more attention there, in those people, those places... Also focusing on the here and now, what we can and not what we cannot. 

 

“I think it is governments and big business that are responsible for solving this ecosocial crisis”

 

Individuals should not be required to fix this ecosocial crisis, but as consumers we do have a role to play. Changing our daily habits is not enough, but it is important and has value. 

 

• If we continually buy clothes in fast fashion empires we are saying that we do not care about the labor and human rights of those on the other side. 

• If we continually patronize fast food chains we are saying that we do not care about contributing to deforestation or the massive exploitation of animals.

• If we continually commute by car when we have alternatives, we are affirming that we can live as if we don't care about the quality of the air we breathe.

 

Our daily decisions matter and at the same time we must express this need to change the model to public authorities and large companies. We should ask ourselves to whom we want to give our money, in whom we want to cast our electoral vote, etc.

 

“Living in a sustainable way involves too many deprivations and sacrifices”

 

It is true that daring to change our rhythm implies a learning curve depending on the habits, but if we look at it from a broader perspective, it is actually a gain: 

• we gain in health because we no longer eat certain things;

• we save money because we buy fewer things;

• we appreciate our possessions in a different way;

• we stop taking it for granted that it is normal to have at our disposal a myriad of varieties of every product....

 

If we didn't truly believe that this way of life brings enormous joy and satisfaction with one's life, we wouldn't spread it here. If we saw that it was only for a certain type of people with a capacity to endure a life full of unhappiness, etc. we would not include it here.

 

And above all, if we do not change anything, we are indeed depriving ourselves of a livable future.

“Living sustainably is more expensive than living in a conventional way”

 

This is very common because if we only look at the price of certain 'eco' products it may seem to be true. But the invitation is not to keep up the pace of consumption only with products of this type, but to slow down. This way:

 

• helps us to convert our consumption habits from impulsive to reflexive;

• it accustoms us to live with less and, therefore, to desire fewer objects;

• it stops us from continually buying disposable products by replacing them with a reusable alternative;

• it helps us to assess what the ultra-cheap prices are hiding and what changes we can afford with our personal circumstances.

 

“I care more about the problems related to people than those of animals, ecosystems...”

 

It is not self-evident to learn that there is no such thing as social justice on the one hand and climate justice on the other, but that they are interconnected, just as humanity lives in interdependence with everything that inhabits this planet. 

 

This path of detachment brings with it a deep gratitude, an attention to the “small” and an openness to solidarity with the rest of humanity. When we dare to recognize this interdependence and our own vulnerability, the possibility of fraternity enters our lives. 

 

We should claim fraternity today more than ever because our way of consuming, of moving or feeding ourselves has everything to do with people. Especially with those who have contributed the least to this situation of ecosocial crisis in which we find ourselves, and who suffer the most from its effects in the Global South.

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✍️Let's proceed with a simple exercise. Let's ask ourselves three questions and answer them honestly, writing down the answers.

• What is your favorite thing to do? Even if you haven't done it for a long time, something you really enjoy doing. 

• Where do you really love to be, does it give you peace, does it bring you good memories, does it make you happy to be on the road...?

• Who do you love very much, who do you love to be with, do you feel comfortable together...?

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For all this that we love…

It is only possible on Earth. There are many reasons to care for the environment to preserve life as we know it today. Taking care of what makes everything we love possible is a pretty powerful one. 

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Where to start

Maybe this all sounds good to you, but you're feeling a bit disoriented about how to start taking action in your day-to-day life. 

Here are three keys that we hope will help you:

1. Slow down. A good first step is to limit our exposure to all the advertisements that tempt us with promises of pleasure that are not fulfilled (or are, but for a very short time). 

When we free ourselves from most of these stimuli we can appreciate all that we do have, we can have more conversations that do not revolve around material possessions, we can feel that what we possess has nothing to do with what we are worth. We can, in short, feel much better.

2. Reduce. As we will see later on, it is the second R of the zero waste movement (behind Refuse and before Reuse, Recycle and Rot)

Two keys are important here: enthusiasm and going very slowly. It's understandable that it can be overwhelming to tackle a whole room. We invite you to divide it into small sections and place everything on the bed so you can assess what you have:

When you see everything on the bed, divide it into three groups: what you want to keep, what can have a second life (to donate, sell or give away) and what will be recycled (when in doubt about where to throw it away, take it to a fixed clean point). 

The key is to go little by little and enjoy each cleared space, not because it is more beautifully tidy, but because it corresponds better to the needs you have. 

3. Find your motivation. It is important to verbalize our motivation, why we want to make these changes. Not from guilt, from what is purely rational or based on data, but from what comes from within.

✍️ We invite you to express your motivation according to what you love, according to what comes from inside, why do you want to make these changes? You can formulate them in a single sentence, or in several sentences, in a list of words or even in an image of a place we love... 

We encourage you to think about it, to express it in some way and to have it visible. Take your time to find your own way of expressing it. 

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Some notions to have in mind:

 

Compostable: the ability of a material to completely decompose into compost, a natural process that produces a nutrient-rich organic substrate. Compostable materials decompose under specific temperature and humidity conditions in industrial composting facilities or home composters, becoming usable compost to improve soil quality.

 

Deep ecology: a powerful movement and philosophical framework that challenges the notion of separation between humans and nature. At its core, it rests on a fundamental principle: nothing exists separately. Not a person. Not a species. Not an environmental problem. This philosophy invites us to question our current way of life, challenging the conventional view that places humans at the top of the natural hierarchy. It advocates a broader and more respectful understanding of our place in the world. It recognizes the intrinsic value of every living thing, from the smallest bacterium to the majestic century-old tree.

 

Ecological Regeneration: the deliberate and systemic process of restoring degraded ecosystems to a state of ecological health and resilience, emphasizing the intricate interplay between biodiversity, resource management, and socio-economic well-being. It transcends mere environmental remediation; it necessitates a holistic approach that integrates ecological principles with social justice and economic sustainability. This necessitates a fundamental shift in our relationship with nature, moving from exploitation to stewardship.

5. Final reflection

 

Go back to what you have stated about your motivation to make changes in your daily life. Take a moment to develop it, maybe it helps to do inner silence, to paint, to rejoice in what you love... Take advantage of this moment to enjoy making this motivation concrete, which will help you in the moments when you feel less strong to put the changes into practice.

 

6. Self-evaluation, assessment and feedback

 

Ask yourself some questions:

• After this session, do you feel more motivated to make changes in your daily life?

• Has it changed any of the beliefs you had about your ability to have a positive impact?

• Are there any topics you would like to delve more deeply into and how could you do so?

 

7. Additional information and resources: 

 

Mother nature’s lessons on motherhood, blog post 

 

8. To close: 

 

The peace of wild things, a poem by Wendell Berry

 

When despair for the world grows in me

and I wake in the night at the least sound

in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,

I go and lie down where the wood drake

rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things

who do not tax their lives with forethought

of grief. I come into the presence of still water.

And I feel above me the day-blind stars

waiting with their light. For a time

I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.