The lungs of the earth are suffocating. Nearly 73,000 acres of the Amazon rainforest, which provides 20 percent of the earth’s oxygen and is home to 1 million indigenous people and 30 percent of the world’s species, is on fire. There have been 24,000 fires in the Brazilian Amazon since the top of 2019. It’s reported Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has rejected a $20 million aid offer pledged at the G7 summit. The unprecedented destruction is rightfully reigniting public discourse around farming and mining as these trades increase deforestation, thus accelerating the harmful effects of climate change, because without the Amazon, we can’t keep earth’s warming in check. As these wildfires continue thousands of miles away, I can’t help but wonder how Americans can incorporate helping to save the rainforest into their daily lives. This leads me to back-to-school season – can we make this year the year of sustainable school shopping?
Right now, students nationwide are buying school supplies and new clothes and deciding what lunch foods to pack and what transportation to take to make it to their first class. While these decisions may seem mundane, this back-to-school season creates an opportunity for individuals and families to make sustainable choices to help minimize deforestation and fund organizations working to protect and save the planet. Below are three suggestions for how you can help.
Think with your wallet:
When making purchases of any kind, whether it may be for a notebook, Tupperware or a new jacket, consumers should think responsibly. Check out the Rainforest Alliance, an international nonprofit working to make responsible business the new normal. The Alliance is comprised of companies, farmers, foresters, communities and consumers who are committed to creating a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. Its website offers a list of nearly 800 sustainable products sold by companies across multiple sectors, such as Dragonfly Tea, Stop & Shop and fellow B Corp TOMS®, which feature the nonprofit’s little green frog symbol to designate they are Rainforest Alliance Certified™, i.e. they are made with care for people, the planet and the economy. Study Hall, an annual Summit at the United Nations with global conferences throughout the year fostering partnerships and education around sustainability literacy in fashion and beyond, also offers a list of sustainable fashion brands, like ADIDAS and Eileen Fisher, committed to ethical production. Sustainable school shopping is easy when you pick from these lists!
Eat for survival:
We nourish our bodies with food everyday so that we as individuals can survive. But, we should also consider how what we consume affects the planet. When grocery shopping for school lunches and snacks, consider the following tips for responsible eating as published by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
1. Prioritize plants– if your food had a life of its own, it’s good for both you and the planet.
2. Minimize meat– meat production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas pollution.
3. Select new seafood– try a variety of fish and minimize consumption of those overfished.
4. Look local – check out your local farmers’ markets as food grown locally likely contains less chemicals.
5. Eat mindfully– know where your food comes from and don’t waste.
Hitch a ride:
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all U.S. emissions, including carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases. When deciding on transportation to school, consider carpooling with neighbors, taking the town school bus or utilizing other forms of public transportation, like the subway. Carpooling of any kind helps to reduce our individual and collective carbon footprints. Planetsave, an environmentally-minded blog, outlines five benefits of hitching a ride: reducing emissions, utilizing carpool lanes, cutting commute times, saving money and reducing traffic congestion.
Every little decision can collectively make a big difference in saving the rainforest. Making sustainable choices this back-to-school season will not only make you look smarter, but will benefit us all. To continue growing and thriving, we must do our homework. Here’s to sustainable school shopping in 2019!
Looking for more sustainable shopping tips? Shop from our list of eco-friendly summer staples and fall fashion.
