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| Learning cross-cut as part of a trail maintenance class last year |
Happy New Year! 'Tis the season to focus on resolutions, but I think that for most people, a much more focused and effective use of time is to concentrate on learning a new particular skill. For instance, instead of resolving to "Eat healthier," resolve to the learn the skill of preparing vegetables so that you actually want to eat them. Instead of "Exercise more," make it "Learn Taekwondo."
A certain group of skills stand out to me as being useful for our work in caring for the planet. Some are abstract, some concrete; all are worth trying. As always, pick just one skill, no more. Think of a specific way you can practice or learn this skill— do you need to check out a library book, watch a YouTube tutorial, talk to someone who's good at this skill, get some materials and start practicing? Find someone to help keep you accountable, and make this your new skill for 2020.
ABSTRACT SKILLS:
Patience. Instant gratification is the enemy of sustainability; many environmentally-destructive things we do (driving cars, buying cheap goods, eating out of season) are caused by an unwillingness (or, in many cases, an inability) to take the longer, slower path. Baking bread, cultivating a garden, or spurring systemic change are slow processes, but slowing down in our fast-paced world is an act of rebellion that can heal the world. This year, commit to doing something the slow way: walk instead of drive, grow tomatoes, mend your clothes, take the time to listen.
Creative problem-solving. How do you handle challenges in your life? How do you entertain yourself? How do you keep yourself motivated when you're feeling down? The world will throw cheap and environmentally-destructive solutions at you, but creativity will show you a better path. In that vein…
Reframing questions. We are trained to get our minds locked into particular questions. For instance, we see an ad with a supermodel in a particular kind of shirt and think, "I want that shirt. Can I afford it?" Reframing the question makes us dig deeper: Why do I feel the need to get that shirt? What am I hoping to feel by buying that shirt? How can I get that feeling in a way that honors the earth and my values?
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An ability to see that everything is connected, including you. Many of our environmental problems come from categorizing things into reductionist boxes, rather than thinking of them as a single connected entity. For instance, many people say that we shouldn't focus on saving the environment because it's more important to focus on helping people— but people and their environments are not separate. Pollution, drought, unnatural wildfires, floods, and famine are bad for all nature, including us, and they have environmental causes. Every time you consider an issue, a piece of land, an animal, or an idea, remember that everything is deeply and intrinsically connected. (For a wonderful perspective on this, I highly recommend Robin Wall Kimmerer's book Braiding Sweetgrass.)
Learning. If you are willing to change your mind and grow, you will go far in life; being willing to learn— and knowing how to teach yourself— is an incredibly important skill. Are you a visual, audio, text-based, or hands-on learner (would you rather watch a video, listen to a podcast, read a book, or get messy to learn something)? What kinds of things do you enjoy learning about, and how? How can you bring this excitement to everything you learn?
Community-building. Do you have vision, peacemaking skills, or a good sense of communication? Are you willing to make yourself vulnerable, to rely on other people and encourage them to rely on you? Building a resilient community is a key step in weathering the environmental changes that we are up against. What is one step you can take this year toward building a stronger community? (If you don't know where to begin, check out New Dream's guide.)
Questioning. Question the advertisers telling you that their SUV is good for the environment. Question the companies bottling water from depleted aquifers. Question the ideas of individualistic self-sufficiency and unlimited growth. The environmental crisis is growing every year, and we need a world full of people questioning what we've been taught.
CONCRETE SKILLS:
Sharing. From tool libraries to community fruit trees, people across the world are learning that everyone— including the environment— benefits through sharing. If you commit to nothing else this year, commit to sharing your resources (and stay tuned next month for suggestions) so there is room for all of us on this finite planet.
Repairing. If you can repair your car, bike, computer, clothing, and other material goods, you can extend their life, which is good for the environment. What are you most interested in learning to repair, or what would be most useful?
Making. Sewing, wildcrafting, carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, welding, pottery, fiber arts, fence-building… the list goes on. When you can see a process from beginning to end, you have a much better sense of its environmental cost.
Walking and biking. You can avoid a lot of driving if you're able to walk or bike. If you're new to it, start by walking or biking an errand less than a mile away, and build up from there.
Cooking. Choosing your own ingredients and making them into delicious homemade meals is not only empowering, it's great for the environment. If you're unsure where to start, check out The Stone Soup (most of her recipes only have five ingredients). Cookie and Kate is full of easy vegetarian recipes, and Zero Waste Chef focuses on avoiding food waste.
Growing food. Unplugging from the industrial food system, even a little bit, has a huge impact. Get to know some gardeners in your area, check out some gardening books, or ask me for advice! I'd already written one blog post about the easiest way to begin a veggie garden, and there will be more to follow.
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| Foraged nettle! |
Other food skills. Choose your adventure: foraging, preserving and canning, fermenting, keeping chickens or goats, hunting, fishing, butchery, beekeeping, herbalism, dumpster-diving… the list goes on! A simple internet search for "How to ___" will get you started, and a trip to the library can give you everything you need to pursue a skill that puts you in tune with the earth for your needs.
Financial intelligence. When you understand how to handle your money, you are in charge of it rather than it being in charge of you, and this frees up energy, head space, and cold hard cash to dedicate to healing the earth. Don't believe the lie that "I'm not good with money"— financial intelligence is a skill that can be learned, just like anything else. I highly recommend checking out Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin, as it is the most effective money book I've ever read (it doesn't hurt that she addresses how money and environmental issues are related!).
Teaching. Sharing knowledge is one of the great joys of life! Have a mending party and show people some stitches; help someone sort their recycling properly; summarize the books you've been reading for people who don't want to take the plunge. I taught some neighbors how to make sauerkraut, and it was so much fun that I'll be hosting several more workshops this year!
Self-entertainment. A huge amount of our time, energy, and money goes toward things meant to entertain us— and few of them have a lasting sense of satisfaction, while many of them actively encourage us to be dissatisfied, making us want to buy and pursue more, never mind the environmental cost. Take back responsibility for entertaining yourself, and choose activities that don't destroy the planet (or actively help it out). What do you enjoy that brings life rather than numbness or mindless consumption? How can you get in the habit of turning to the life-giving activity this year?
And, most importantly… what would you add to the list?
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