The Amazon Is Burning. How Can We Help?

We have been awakened to the horrifying news of the Amazon fires, the place that produces 20% of our global oxygen, and that it’s been going on for weeks with no international news coverage. This should absolutely terrify us...INTO TAKING ACTION.

Prayers won’t save this planet. Action (that every single one of us must take now) will.

Yes, this is a long post, folks. But I ask that you read it because it's so important for us to wake up to the crisis we're in and empower ourselves to change how we're living our lives in order to rally together for this planet and our survival.

Many of the social media posts I’ve seen have been reposts of the tragic images of this sacred rainforest being wiped out with hashtags like #prayforamazonia or #prayfortheamazon. And I’ve delayed in doing the same because I’ve needed some time to think, though the sharing is wonderful because (a) we all need to be alerted to the crisis our planet is in (not just in the Amazon) and (b) perhaps there’s something to be said for the power of prayer.

But prayers are not enough and we cannot think that by reposting an image and sharing a hashtag that we are doing enough.

Every single one of us, as citizens of a dying planet, are responsible for doing our part to save it. We might feel overwhelmed and think that there’s nothing we can do on this side of the world to change what’s happening in the Amazon and the complexity of the political situation in Brazil, but we 100% can take actions in our own lives starting today.

It’s not going to be easy, it’s not going to feel convenient, it’s going to require us sacrificing what we’re accustomed to - but what’s worse? Doing something that inconveniences us or this planet no longer being able to sustain life? Where does that leave us?

Do we want our future children facing immense suffering before going into extinction?

I believe all of us have the capacity to care and rise together to do what’s right and more importantly, what’s now critically necessary.

Here are some ideas just off the top of my head for concrete actions we can take now to help our planet:

✨ Forests like the Amazon are being clearcut to create room for growing cattle and for crops to feed animals for human consumption. The meat industry is a large contributor to deforestation and therefore the demise of this planet so a great way that we can take action is to lessen or even better, eliminate our meat consumption. Pause and think twice before you go for that burger at the fast food chain or pick up that package of meat at the grocery store. The internet puts hundreds of thousands of vegetarian recipes at our fingertips - so go check them out!

✨ Animals, along with our food waste and trash in landfills, are major producers of methane - an even worse greenhouse gas than CO2. It causes our global temperature to rise, rising temps mean more disasters like fires. So we need to reduce the demand for things like beef and reduce our waste. And stop throwing away food! Cut down on how much you buy/order/cook, dish out smaller proportions first, learn to compost your food scraps. Learn to recycle PROPERLY! That plastic wrap you just tore off, don’t mindlessly put it in the garbage. Take it to the proper recycling place.

✨ Become more mindful about our paper usage, especially with single use items like toilet paper, paper towels, wet wipes, make-up wipes, sheet masks, cotton pads, etc. How many pieces of toilet paper do we REALLY need to use at a time? Challenge yourself just like I have to cut down on the amount used each time you go to the washroom. Opt for reusable cleaning clothes instead of the convenience of tearing off a paper towel each time you need to wipe something up. Think about investing in handkerchiefs instead of using single-use tissue each time you need to wipe or blow your nose. Tampons and pads are also major contributors to waste. Think about other reusable alternatives like period underwear.

✨ Stop supporting the corrupt companies that prioritize their profits over the sustainability and continued existence of this planet (and therefore everything living on it). Don’t buy products with palm oil, don’t buy products from brands that have excessive paper and plastic packaging. Don’t support companies that just don’t give a shit about your wellbeing or continued existence.

✨ Use your voice - be vocal about these companies that you regularly buy household / grocery / clothing / office / etc products from and tell them you want to see them taking a greener and more sustainable approach to their manufacturing and distribution. Maybe don’t order everything off of Amazon either because think about what all that shipping and packaging results in for that single item you just ordered. I know I need to pause and make some changes here.

✨ Support the companies that are planet-conscious. A company like Morning Moon that builds their business around taking care of this planet while doing what they love. Encourage the brands you love to follow these examples: powering their offices with solar power, eliminating all plastic packaging in outgoing orders, working with suppliers who are willing to create solutions that mitigate waste-generation, and partnering with an organization like Eden Reforestation Projects or the One Tree Planted initiative so that for every product sold, a tree is planted.

✨ Use your money and your time (if this is possible for you) to volunteer planting trees or providing money to the organizations that plant trees to combat the horrendous problem of mass deforestation.

No trees = our planet loses it lungs = we die out.

So let’s do something about it STARTING TODAY!

👇🏽 I would love to hear other ideas of the changes we can commit to making in our daily lives so please drop them in the comments below. 👇🏽

We can all draw on each other for ideas and inspiration and to hold each other accountable. Let’s do this, humans.❤️