The Power of You
Charney Magri
I believe you carry your personal values with you everywhere you go. If you tweak your personal life, these will automatically resonate into your professional life. It’s that simple. But we all need support. I have some amazing sustainably-focused communities around me. One of many being an incredible WhatsApp group.
Recently I asked what the community is doing in their personal lives to combat climate change. The response encouraged me so much, I wanted to share them with you...
None of these tweaks are complicated, they’re everyday adjustments that are intentional. No one is waiting for permission, perfection or for governments to enforce change, they’re simply paying attention to what they can control and how they can make an impact.
And yes, I can hear you saying ‘saving 15 litres a day while a data centre uses up to 5 million gallons daily, the numbers don't add up’. But one day someone reading this will take these values, this intention, into their professional work and create true change. That's the POWER OF YOU.
-
Quick wins
Marketing consultant Lisa switched her household to a primarily vegan diet and favours cycling instead of the car when possible. She continues to say ‘this isn't very original’ but I believe each person can do something small to make a collective difference.
-
Only a Bucket!
Award-winning film-maker Tom Chown says every summer he places a bucket in the bathrooms to catch the cold water from the shower head, whilst the combo-boiler heats the water to a reasonable temperature. He continues ‘in a 3 person household we’re capturing around 15 litres/day, which is used to water the garden in the evenings’. Having done this since May he has helped conserve his stocks of rainwater captured in our 3x 80l waterbutts - which have only just run dry in the last few days of August!
-
Kelly Wilcox from BakerWilcox Design
1] 16 years ago she had solar panels installed and says they’re still going strong. The return on these are amazing, even when old.
2] For water, she adjusted the toilets so they would flush just the right amount to do the job.
3] Her shower and bath are together which allows her to place a plug in the bath, then use a bucket to tip down the loos to flush, and also on the garden.
4] Kelly has also installed a Berkey Water filter so when the Water has not been at its best we don’t have to use the plastic bottles. We actually filter all the water we drink as a rule.
5] Her family invested into drip trays for all the plants so they don’t lose any water when watering and has made sure her pot plants are under the hanging baskets to water both at the same time.
6] For her heating, she keeps the house as dark as possible during the hottest part of the day and shades outside so the areas outside the doors stay cool. Plus her garden is very shady so no need for an air-con to keep cool.
7] Kelly moved their pensions and bank accounts to ethical funds.
8] She has ensured she sources renewable energy for her business and homes.
9] Kelly uses Ethical Consumer for advice on purchases, stating that brands she tends to use are a B-Corp, 1% for the Planet, or have other genuine ethical label certifications.
10] In their home they eat minimal meat and dairy as a family and buy organic with no palm oil where possible. Even their dogs have Beveno vegan, organic dog food.
11] Their allotment ethos is to buy nothing new, so her daughter's secondhand bed that had woodworm has been made into a bench!
12] For transport, they live in the central part of town so they walk to most places and only use the car for essentials. The family have only taken 3 flights in 11 years and go on to comment ‘trains in Europe are fantastic’!
13] Kelly’s husband is also handy and managed to keep their old dishwasher going when it broke down 3 years ago. otherwise supports the local Repair Cafe to keep things going that bit longer while encouraging you to patch up clothes rather than discarding.
Kelly continues by saying she ‘could go on’ but I think this covers a few bits (WOW!). Her friend Jen wrote a book that helps with the home and now has a podcast: A Sustainable Life.
-
Staying local
AI consultant Dr Alex Leathard says he does about 90-95% of his AI use on his local computer - not in the cloud whist buying energy from retailers with known % renewable input.
-
More Inspiration!
Marketing Strategy Founder for the Barber Shop Dino Myers-Lamptey shares another great book written by his friend Georgina Wilson-Powell 365 Ways to Save the Planet. Love it.
Certified entertainment™
built for the attention economy.
Get Started
