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[living-sustainably-n-minimally]

Reblog far and wide.

[living-sustainably-n-minimally]

I spend much of my time reassuring baby Hellenic Pagans about this:

Our gods are not wrathful. They will not be angered by small mistakes. You poured a libation wrong? Or didn’t do a ritual you intended because life got in the way? They aren’t angry with you. They will not punish you. 

They aren’t with you in order to take from you. They give to us unconditionally, and in return we give thanks because we are thankful. Not because we are afraid.

In my own experience, the gods will not be angered unless you act in a purposeful malicious or disrespectful way. You would really need to do something terrible for them to be angry with you.

We are human. We make mistakes. All you can do is have good intentions, and to continue learning. They love you for trying, even when you don’t do so perfectly. Try your best. Treat yourself and others with love, and you’re all set. 

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SUMMERTIME NATURE PSA: NOT A STINGER!

If you see a flying insect with a big, obvious needle on its abdomen, that is not at all a venomous sting! This for example is a type of wood wasp, and uses that huge ovipositor to slowly, carefully drill into rotten wood where it plants eggs on wood-boring grubs. It has no instinct to use this as a defense mechanism, couldn’t if it wanted to, and will never mistake you for a tree stump no matter how long you sit perfectly still.

A genuine stinger is kept retracted until use, and is able to penetrate skin because it’s thin and short, as thin as a tiny little hair. A thicker sting would have too much difficulty penetrating skin, and a longer sting would bend too much before it broke through! There are NO “giant stingers!”

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Pigs in blue begin indiscriminate attacks against protesters, medics, and the press. The protest in Chicago’s Grant Park today was to return land to the indigenous Zhigaagoong people and remove a racist statue (I can’t remember who’s in the park)

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Stop Littering Your Masks

Wearing a mask is super important during this pandemic, we should all be wearing one. And I understand that sometimes the mask you own might slip out of your pocket or purse and wind up on the floor. That is more excusable.

However, when you are just throwing your masks on the floor as if they are trash, it becomes not just a pollution issue, but it becomes potentially a biohazard.

COVID-19 is not just contagious and dangerous for older people and the immunocompromised, but it can also be caught multiple times. Yes, you can re-catch COVID-19. So placing masks on the ground puts more people in danger because you are literally spreading germs.

This isn’t even putting into perspective that these masks are often made from cheap plastic which can wind up in our oceans as microplastics. I have seen both fabric masks, as well as these single-use disosable ones just tossed on the ground.

Properly dispose of your masks in the trash, or else keep them with you until you can. Tossing them on the ground does nothing but make everything worse.

Show some love and compassion to others and follow some basic hygene and safety protocol.

***

If you want to support an eco friendly and sustainable small business, check out my store below:

https://upcycleability.com/collections/all

5% of all proceeds go to combat environmental injustice

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"police are killing white people too" POLICE SHOULDN'T BE FUCKING KILLING ANYBODY???!!!?!

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Sustainability is something that is really important to me and I have learned how to make my college experience as low waste as possible. I recognize that there is definitely economic privilege needed to buy things like iPads for school and that some of these tips may not be accessible to everyone, but I hope some of these are helpful. Being sustainable isn’t about being perfectly zero waste, instead it is about reducing your environmental impact as much as possible.

Ipad: I take all my school notes using Good Notes on my iPad. I know that some places don’t allow you to use technology in class but this is what I use and I find it really helpful. I’m so much more organized because I am able to keep all my notes together and with me always.

Rocketbook: If you aren’t able to use an iPad, I would definitely recommend checking out the Rocketbook notebook. It is a reusable notebook that allows you to take scans of your notes then wipe off the page.

Quizlet: I know a lot of people really love paper flashcards but quizlet is so helpful! It even has games that help you learn.

Reusable water bottle: Everyone knows this but plastic water bottles are so bad for the environment! You can reduce so much waste by carrying your own bottle.

Silicone baggies: Most of my classes are back to back but all the to-go food in the dining halls are wrapped in tons of plastic. I bought these silicone ziplock bags that are so durable and convenient. I always keep a few in my bag.

Solar powered charger: A solar powered charger for your phone and laptop is super helpful. I never have to worry about running out of battery and I don’t have to use energy when I’m charging. This one seriously changed my life.

Keep a thermos for coffee: I try to not buy coffee when I’m on campus but on days when I need a pick me up, carrying my own thermos with me ensures that I don’t need to waste any plastic.

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How to make the learning process more eco friendly: ✎ I write lectures that do not require drawings / diagrams on the iPad, so as not to use paper ✎ I also keep all the textbooks online or take them from the library (by the way, almost all online libraries are free for students, you can ask for a username and password when you receive a library ticket in the state library or in the special office of your university) ✎ I print the necessary materials in the font ‘ecofont’ (available for free) or through the printer setup ‘draft’ / ‘low quality’ ✎ I buy printing paper with a marking confirming the legality and environmental friendliness of wood production (FSC, PEFC, SFI, etc.) ✎ I do the paper for the notebooks myself, cut the office paper with the marking and make holes with a hole punch ✎ I write, I highlight the text with pencils, I also have a refillable black marker for special occasions (I want to try the fountain pens, they seemed pretty eco-friendly to me) ✎ whenever possible I choose local manufacturers of stationery and notebooks - my favorite brand is falafel (diaries, notebooks, pencils etc)

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TIP 3

Buy clothes from second hand stores because of fast fashion

- thrift stores 

- ebay 

- trade clothes with a friend 

- hand me down clothes 

Fast fashion is cheap trendy clothes that stay in season for a while. This cycle produces a lot of waste because things are trendy for a small amount of time, once it is not popular people throw it out and it goes to landfill. Also the amount of water waste that is produce for making the fabrics and dying them with colors. The workers that are making the clothes behind the scenes are in developing countries who work in horrible working conditions while being paid little to none. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, right after oil. 

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Y'all here's the tea about fireworks

- the chemicals in them harm humans and pets

*copper(blue)- linked to causing cancer because of the dioxin

*barium(green)- used as a type of poison and is radioactive

Other dangerous heavy metals/chemicals in fireworks

*Cadmium, lithium, antimony, rubidium, strontium, lead, and potassium nitrate

All of what I just listed cause respiratory issues which we don't need more of

- they contribute to environmental pollution

Not only is this because of the waste they leave behind its also because of the smoke they leave too which can result in AIRBORNE ARISNIC

If you are in the valley like I am and have traveled at all you know the second you leave you can finally breathe especially during the week of the 4th of July

Again not only does it effect your air it effects your water for miles. It has been proven that the chemicals and metals in the firework itself contaminates water in the air and on the ground

- your neighbors could have sensory issues/auditory issues

As someone who has very intense auditory processing issues fireworks are a absolute trigger for everything.

-your neighbors might have respiratory issues

Another thing that is very close to home for me. Even the smoke off of others yards sets some peoples asthma or other respiratory issues off.

- fire!!!!

Idk if im the only one but I really don't want to set my yard or house on fire

No but really they are super fire prone and idk about u I don't think anyone really wants to set shit on fire and get finned/arrested.

Fr guys please be mindful of your neighbors and the eco system so before you strike the match think. And if you really need your fireworks Disney has been doing research/has engineered more eco and human friendly fireworks. I know Disney isn't super accessible to most but just please be mindful and maybe make it a big thing to see fireworks instead of an annual thing.

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Some things to think about for your zero waste kitchen! Choose reusable cloth, glass containers, and reusable cutlery.

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Sabs’ Homemade, Fool-Proof Lip Balm

DIY projects get a bad rap for starting great and ending in disappointment. But this lip balm recipe has been absolute perfection for the harsh New York winter! It’s totally vegan, uses just a couple of ingredients and will last forever. Hope you like!

2 tsp shea butter 1 tsp coconut oil ¼ tsp non-GMO corn starch  Optional: 5 drops of essential oil (I used lemon!)

Melt the shea butter and coconut oil together, then place in the fridge to set. When done add in the corn starch and essential oils, and mix together. Place in a small glass jar (like mine!) or old lip balm container for use.

Xoxo, Sabs

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Make your adjustments!

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Zero Waste Kitchen 🥕

I always make a point to buy carrots plastic bag free at the grocery store. It is a more expensive option, but I budget so I can make decisions like this. Then I store them in a jar with water so they don’t get all bendy and go bad sooner.

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Ways to store food without using plastic! Try these out to save resources—or adapt them to use materials you have at home. If you do use plastic containers or bags to store food, remember to REuse.

Have you tried any of these? Which one do you think is the most useful?

made by @ecowithem_ on instagram

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““Can I really make a difference?”, said 7.6 billion people.”

— Unknown