What to do when you're doing all you can
Home » Blog » Miyuki McGuffie » What to do when you're doing all you canFeel like you’re in an environmental rut? Volunteering your time for a favourite cause (or few) might be the answer.
Miyuki at SAFE's pig vigil, held in August at the Kuku Beach Road piggery featured on Sunday
I think I may have reached a dead-end in my environmental pursuits. Well, maybe not so much a dead-end but a brick wall, a kind of where-do-I-go-from-here predicament where I feel like I’m doing as much as I possibly can, but know that there is so much out there still to do.
I recycle, I hardly eat meat or use my car, I don’t waste water on frequent washing (clothes, body, teeth, etc), I avoid non-recyclable/reusable packaging and I try to shun companies that are blatant in their disregard for the environment.
I could give veganism another shot, I could vow never to buy plastic again, I could quit my job and work for Greenpeace (or maybe not … I’m no salesperson and the only jobs they’ve got going are for fundraisers). But these things aren’t practical for me right now, and I can imagine that they wouldn’t be practical for many other eco-friends in the same situation.
So what next? For me, the next step has been to get involved.
I’m lucky to live in Wellington, where it’s been a good few months as far as activities are concerned. In August I went to a SAFE protest against sow crates outside the piggery featured on current events programme Sunday; in September the Vegetarian Society hosted a presentation titled 'Our Diet—Leading to a Sustainable Future or Killing Our Planet?' (which I blogged about here and will expand on in a later post for Good) and the Vegetarian Food and Lifestyle Festival (where I helped out on the SAFE stalls); and right now the Reel Earth environmental film festival is in its final days at the Paramount theatre.
While not all of us live in cities that are big enough to warrant this level of activity, anyone who does should take advantage. Most of my eco-involvement is carried out online, so it’s nice to meet some real-life people who are interested in the same things as I am.
Groups like Greenpeace, SAFE and Transition Towns have divisions in many cities around the country, and are often looking for members or people who are willing to give up their time to help out. If you are politically inclined, why not join the Green Party? Another idea could be to sign up for community education classes (while you still can!) in vegetarian/vegan cooking or gardening.
It feels really good to be involved in the environmental and animal welfare causes on an actual, physical level. I also like that I can give back to the organisations which I am so grateful to have, because even though as individuals it’s possible to reduce our impact in these areas, organisations, groups and clubs can give a cause a voice, provide information and education, and encourage its members (and hopefully the public) through shared beliefs and enthusiasm. Volunteering your time or skills to a cause is especially good for people who would like to contribute to an organisation but can’t spare any money.
Readers, how involved are you in eco-pursuits outside the house? Are you part of a group I haven’t mentioned? Has anyone started their own group? What do you do? I’d love to know what other people do to help out. Please share!
Thu October 08, 2009 @ 01:06 PM
