Earth Day came and went. By now, you must have been bombarded by content on sustainability from influencers, brands, activists & newspapers, and perhaps even your friends. Since you already have enough action points on sustainable living from all the content makers & educators, here’s my two pennies' worth 💡: Environmental justice efforts won’t be meaningful unless there is patriarchy & racial injustice . Women, transgenders, and racialized, ethnicized & indigenous people around the world experience not only the effects of environmental damage but also the intersecting oppressions & violence within their contexts. In a patriarchal world, climate change simply magnifies the existing inequalities within our society. The time has come to protect both people and the planet. 🧚🏽♀🌍 Be the change……… if we don’t speak up against these injustices (or are blind to them) we become part of the problem. April has been hijacked by companies trumpeting their ex
✈️ 🏝 To all my eco-conscious friends, we’ll soon see the day when travel won’t have such a detrimental impact on nature (carbon emissions from flights, impact on local communities, the waste generated by travelers are just a few problems). Until then, don’t judge yourself if you want to explore the world. Instead, focus on ways to reduce your negative footprint to make your travel more sustainable. Here are a few easy sustainable travel tips to make you a responsible traveler: 1. 🌱 Eat plant-based & explore local cuisine : The easiest sustainable choice you can make while traveling is eating local, and choosing plant-based foods. Your body & planet will love you! 2.✅ C hoose conscious accommodation : Support hotels that are rooted in sustainable values & are giving back for the welfare of communities and the planet. There are options now in every category - from luxury sustainable hotels to budget eco-options. You even have a vegan version of AirB&B where
Everywhere in the news, we've been reading about the ongoing COP26 summit in Glasgow. It is considered a really important event to bring climate change under control. Let's understand what is it all about and how can we be a part of this as an individual. Let's start with the basics....... COP stands for Conference of the parties, and 26 means it is the 26 th meeting COP26 event is an annual conference attended by the world leaders that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCC ) in 1992. 196 countries are members to it. This year's conference is happening in Glasgow, which started on October 31 st and will go on until 12 th November. It is being attended by politicians and people in power. The main agenda of this conference is to figure out how to slow down global warming and decide on how to prevent temperatures from rising above 1.5celsius. We are already seeing floods, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, rising world hunger, wa
Dressing up is a big part of Diwali celebrations. But with so much fashion waste ending up in landfills, let’s steer away from buying a new Diwali outfit for the 2021 festivities. Instead, dig out something from your closet and rewear or restyle it. Or raid your mom’s closet and give an interesting spin to her sarees or lehengas. How can we make this Diwali sustainable? 🪔 Instead of gifting sweets with tonnes of wasteful packaging, gift experiences. Or choose healthier alternatives like dates. Buy those in bulk and pack them sustainably. For example, you can g ive them a personal touch by wrapping them up in recyclable paper yourself. 🪔 Make Diwali parties plastic-free. Make use of biodegradable cutlery & plates over plastic or thermocole options. 🪔 Reuse the decorations you put up last year. Most decoration products are made from plastic, and if they are single-use they end up in landfills. 🪔 Try a vegan Diwali this time, will be great for your health, skin, and the pla
Just a few years ago, the list of restaurants that served vegan food in Dubai would have been painfully short. Now, you are spoilt for choice and it’s hard to narrow down the options; thanks to the plant-based revolution in its full force. And with good reason. Taking off animal products from your diet is not only great for your health but also for the planet. I'm not saying it, its proven by science. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that cutting meat and dairy products from your diet could reduce an individual's carbon footprint from food by up to a whopping 73 percent. When it comes to breakfasts we all love one that's packed with flavor, taste and nutrition. In the last few years, the obsession with wellness in Dubai has gone through the roof, and the city had an explosion of workout studios, juice bars, and turmeric everything. And nowhere is this more apparent as on the food front. The falafel-and-karak chai culture of Dubai has evolved. In its place, gr
Denim is really our best friend. We've grown up in them, it is an essential part of our life and I am sure there won't be any wardrobe on earth without a pair of denim pants in them. And no matter how many jeans we own, we all have that perfect pair that we wear everywhere we go - from walks and shopping to a night-out. But there is a scary reality behind every pair of jeans we own and every denim jacket in our wardrobe - they come from excessive harm to the planet. Shocked? So was I when I learned about it. Let me show you how with some verified numbers. It takes about 3,781 liters of water to produce a single pair of jeans. Oh yes, 3-7-8-1 liters for just one pair - I am not making it up, its an official figure from Levis Strauss . Much of this wastewater is full of hazardous chemicals (some carcinogenic too!) and toxic dyes, and once they flow back into our rivers and oceans, these substances have a permanent destructive impact on ecosystems and local communities. Did
Shopping for packaged food is one of the most challenging tasks. From confusing labels and long lists of complex ingredients to loose government regulation, identifying foods that are truly good for our health and the environment can be a daunting task. Fortunately, some companies have made their business out of offering truly healthy products that prioritize the health of their customers, their producers, and the environment. I did my research and discovered three amazing sustainable Indian food brands that focus on healthy and mindful consumption and are good for you and the planet. Can picking up a bar of chocolate, or your favorite garam masala during your next grocery run really help support the environment? Scroll on to find out.
Are your investments destroying the planet & exploiting animals? You’ve ditched single-use plastic, you carry your own bag to the supermarket, shop from zero-waste supermarkets and thrift, rent, or borrow when it comes to fashion, right? But what about your investments? Does your portfolio follow the same sustainable and cruelty-free principles as your lifestyle? It's time to put your money where your mouth is. When it comes to making the world a better place, investing isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. But it should. If you’re investing your money in companies that are polluting the planet, and exploiting its beings you’re funding them to continue exploiting the planet, people & animals. As conscious citizens, we should avoid financially backing companies or industries that negatively impact people, society and the environment, this includes avoiding companies engaged in: animal testing (like pharma and beauty companies) animal cruelty, factory farming, or dair