Environmental Awareness Module - Planet / Sustainability

 

1. Welcome page.

Welcome to your sixth 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

• A notebook and a pen

 

Index of contents

• How to manage simplicity in special occasions

• Socializing by trying to consume less 

• How to give and be given presents

 

After this session you will be able to:

• Anticipate the generation of waste in your daily life outside the home

• Recognize the internal beliefs that make you give away in a certain way

• Empowering you to have conversations with loved ones about doing things differently

• Share what you have learnt with other people

 

Ready? Let’s go!

 

2. Introduction to the session

 

In this session we will focus on how to apply what we have learned to when we are away from home (in our daily routine, on special occasions, etc.).

 

We are also going to talk about holidays involving our children and how we can focus on what is important and not on the material.

3. What do you already know about making your daily life more sustainable out of the house?

 

With what you have learned already, do you know where to start living more sustainably when out of the house? Write down the aspects that make sense for you to start in a routine like yours.

4. Learning content

 

At this point, it may seem feasible to reduce your waste at home, but what about outside the home? How do you manage simplicity on special occasions? And when receiving or giving gifts? Is it possible when little ones enter the equation? The short answer is yes... if we are prepared.

 

Outside the home, it's best to anticipate what your day is going to be like. If you're going to be on the go all day, bring your water bottle (stainless steel is best) or your reusable coffee mug. If you are going on a trip, pack a small zero waste pack in your suitcase: lunch box for possible restaurant leftovers, reusable cutlery, cloth napkin, your solid cosmetics, bags for fruit and vegetables and a shopping bag. If you are invited to an outdoor event, bring your own reusable cutlery and a cloth napkin and also suggest it to other people who are going to attend.

 

When there are celebrations, it is worth remembering that we have learned that giving is a language of love, but love is not a transaction. We express love for the people we love in a thousand ways, and giving something that the other person does not need out of social commitment does not have to be one of them.

 

When it is your turn to give a gift, you can prioritize experiences over things. Think about what that person likes to do, what you enjoy doing together, or what kind of plan they love and are not going to give themselves. It could be a concert, a meal, an excursion, an artistic workshop, a play, a massage, a sporting event, babysitting their children while they do something alone… You can even make it a tradition and repeat the plan every year. In the midst of the hectic pace we often lead, giving the gift of spending time together is revolutionary.

 

If this is not possible, you can always choose special delicious things like chocolate, preserves, coffee, teas, wine... And, if they ask you for something specific, look for the most sustainable option, which is usually second-hand or choosing a local brand.

 

And what do you do when it's your turn to receive? Well, you have to clearly state what you would like and what you wouldn't like. It's that simple and that complicated at the same time. Sometimes you may feel embarrassed to say what you want because you may feel like we're pressuring the other person or imposing something, but what's the point of accepting something you don't want and aren't going to use?

 

If you're going to have a large celebration for your birthday, you can ask them to make a donation to an organization you like. To the people who give you a gift every year, you can tell them beforehand that you don't need anything or that you want a specific thing and tell them where they can buy it. The key is to get ahead of yourself and speak naturally to the people you love and who love you.

 

✍️ How do you feel about this? Do you think it's something you could talk about in your environment? What's stopping you from doing so?

—-------------------

 

Perhaps thinking about your environment this seems more or less feasible, but what about when children come into play? Here things tend to get complicated because there is a tendency to over-give gifts to children at Christmas, on their birthdays and at almost any family gathering.

 

If you want to have a more relaxed Christmas, where your little ones do not receive more toys than they can handle, you should start this conversation many months before December arrives and keep it up on several occasions during the year.

 

On birthdays you can ask the family to make a simple gift of something you know they will be excited about. For parties with school friends, you can suggest buying the gift on behalf of everyone and that each family contributes a couple of euros. This way, mothers (unfortunately, it is still almost always the mothers who are in charge) are freed from going out to buy something, you make sure that your little one will receive something they want and a pile of gifts does not accumulate in your house.

 

It's funny that we tend to shower children with gifts when they are the ones who show us that, above all things, what they want most is to spend time with the people they love the most. If you think about it, practically all adult leisure time consists of consuming. Children just get together to play, to invent, to explore, to talk. Adults usually need a lot more around them to interact and share time together. I encourage you to invite them to your house to cook together next time, or to meet in a park to simply go for a walk.

5. Final reflection

 

💭Imagine what an ideal birthday celebration would be like for you. You can think about your birthday or your child's birthday. Try to free yourself from the preconceived ideas you have in your head, from what everyone around you is doing, from the expectations you have about yourself. If you could decide absolutely everything, how would you like that day to be? Give free rein to your imagination and write about that day from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed.

 

Now that you've read it, write down how you could make something as close to it as possible, taking into account your reality. Even if it's not the dream in your head, it can be something beautiful and closer to your wishes and needs.

6. Additional information and resources: 

 

Although it doesn't apply exactly to what we've discussed today, we strongly recommend that you read this book. It was published in 2013, so you can probably find it in your library. If you read it at the same time as another friend, it will be a very enriching experience to share about the chapters.

7. To close: 

 

Listen to the

by Brandi Carlile. Find the lyrics below:

 

Welcome to the end of being alone inside your mind

You're tethered to another and you're worried all the time

You always knew the melody but you never heard it rhyme

She's fair and she is quiet, Lord, she doesn't look like me

She made me love the morning, she's a holiday at sea

The New York streets are as busy as they always used to be

But I am the mother of Evangeline

 

The first things that she took from me were selfishness and sleep

She broke a thousand heirlooms I was never meant to keep

She filled my life with color, canceled plans, and trashed my car

But none of that was ever who we are

Outside of my windows are the mountains and the snow

I hold you while you're sleeping and I wish that I could go

All my rowdy friends are out accomplishing their dreams

But I am the mother of Evangeline

 

And they've still got their morning paper and their coffee and their time

And they still enjoy their evenings with the skeptics and the wine

Oh, but all the wonders I have seen, I will see a second time

From inside of the ages through your eyes

 

You are not an accident where no one thought it through

The world has stood against us, made us mean to fight for you

And when we chose your name we knew that you'd fight the power too

You're nothing short of magical and beautiful to me

Oh, I'll never hit the big time without you

So they can keep their treasure and their ties to the machine

'Cause I am the mother of Evangeline