Page 10 - Living Aloha Magazine 21 May April June 2017

HEALInG CAtAlYSt CORneR

Inspiring you to make connections that heal by Denise LaBarre

For Sustainability,

attitude is everything

Sustainability is not a new or radical way of life. We love our cars, fast earth and every
concept. Throughout human food, and cheap, plastic “goods.” But being on it over my
history indigenous humans have we are learning that our concept own immediate
realized that we need to respect of “disposable” is misguided: unless convenience. Make taking personal
and replace what we take and Nature can break down a thing into responsibility for what I consume
align ourselves with Nature’s harmless components, “throwing more cool than always having the
built-in ability to maintain balance. it away” means that we’ve simply latest thing. Shift my definitions
Human use shifted dramatically moved our toxic waste to a different of “progress” and “abundance” to
as the industrial revolution gave part of our neighborhood, i.e. include natural bounty and planetary
us new technologies and new planet earth. Clean water, clean balance, and support this new
machines that allowed us to air, and balanced ecosystems are attitude with action. Start with small
extract and process minerals and critical factors in the overall cost- steps and build on them, e.g. bring
oil in new ways and produce benefit equation of any product or my own reusable containers so I don’t
amazing new products, in massive process. But how do we redesign use styrofoam or one-use plastic.
quantities. The Industrial attitude the wasteful practices and products
was that if a resource is available we have come to depend on? Each I need to rethink my entire
anywhere in the world, whoever of us can (and must) make our own relationship with—everything.
could take it had the right to adjustments that will add up to turn Everything I do has some positive or
take it. “Industrialists” began the tide of overconsumption and negative impact on something or
clear-cutting virgin forests, over- me-only thinking. someone else. I can buy food grown
fishing our oceans, and mining nearby and local products made
at unprecedented rates, while Rather than get overwhelmed by well, out of natural materials—rather
consumers eagerly gobbled up it all, I can adjust my attitude and than plastic—whenever possible. I
whatever they produced. It became look long-term to make some can read labels and choose wisely.
normal to value profit, progress, changes each day. I can save and The shampoo (paint remover, or
and products of industry, without reuse plastic utensils; better yet, oven cleaner) bottle won’t say,
regard to their environmental and get a reusable spork and forego “made in a water-polluting factory
human consequences. single-use plastic altogether; not buy that underpays its employees, using
one-serving water in plastic bottles, chemicals whose long-term use
Now we know that the attitude ever. It costs $4,000 to recycle 1 will ruin your health and that of our
and the practices it spawned ton of plastic bags (more for plastic planet”—but I know the score. I can
have side effects, we have to shift bottles or take-out containers) and vote with my dollar for products
again to a wiser, sustainable way the resulting product sells on the that do not harm the ecosystem.
of interacting with—everything. commodities market for $32. That’s I can get big-picture information
An important question for each of not sustainable. from documentaries such as Fuel,
us to ask is: “How much does that Who Killed the Electric Car?, The
entitled attitude still justify how I How do I recalibrate my use and Corporation, and We the People
buy and consume today?” We love expectations? First, reprioritize and discuss their ideas with my
our conveniences and our opulent by valuing my connection to this friends and family.

10 COLUMNS Living Aloha | SUMMER 2017