♻️ At this point, can we really save the planet?
Calculating our carbon footprint and how to reduce it daily.
Recently, there have been heated discussions online regarding the *correct* way to preserve Mother Earth. Some people are for zero deforestation per se, and some others think in a different way.
You might also know people in your life who don’t see the point of being environmental-friendly, as it feels like they’re not making any difference. And for that I say, everything starts from awareness.
Why is the earth dying, exactly?
The short answer: there isn’t a single factor that is causing the current climate crisis. There are many contributing factors—some in need of attention more than others. Earth.org, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to unfold the truth about climate change through data-driven journalism, has compiled the 11 biggest environmental problems in 2021:
Poor Governance. According to economists like Nicholas Stern, the climate crisis is a result of multiple market failures.
Food Waste. Food waste and loss accounts for 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Biodiversity Loss. The population sizes of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians have experienced a decline of an average of 68%.
Plastic Pollution. A report by science journal, Nature, determined that roughly 11 million tons of plastic make its way into the oceans every year.
Deforestation. The three countries experiencing the highest levels of deforestation are Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia.
Read the full list and learn more about each environmental problem in the Earth.org article here.
As an individual, what can I do?
A common conception about saving the environment is that it all HAS to start from big corporations. While that statement is true to some extent, it does not negate our responsibility to play our parts. Before we get into the realistic ways we can help to slow down climate change, the big question is: how much greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions aka carbon footprint you produce every year?
To calculate your annual GHG emissions, we need to take into account your Housing, Travel, and Consumption habits. By analyzing these habits, we can then customize exactly how you can reduce your carbon footprint by incorporating the tips with your daily routines. Some examples of what you could do include:
Avoiding products containing palm oils.
Taking public transport if you drive around a lot—or if you don’t have a car; taking more walks.
Adopting circular shopping habits.
Fighting food waste—buy only what you can finish.
Eating more plant-based meals (actually very doable with Indonesian traditional meals like Ketoprak, Gado-Gado, and more!)
Calculate your own carbon footprint and see what you can do to reduce it here.
The eco-friendly Indonesian lifestyle
Though Indonesia is experiencing one of the highest levels of deforestation, it is also reported that we are now seeing the lowest rates of deforestation since the beginning of the 21st century. In addition to that, Indonesians have long been known to maintain an eco-friendly lifestyle by mainly using nature-based products.
A few of these products might still be a part of our daily lives, but some of them need to be revived asap:
Soapberries / soapnuts. Commonly known as Lerak, it’s mostly used to replace chemical-filled detergents.
Natural wraps. The use of Daun Pisang as food wraps is so normalized and is so good for the environment, too!
Natural dye. Indonesia’s traditional textiles utilize extracts from various plants as an alternative to industry-made dyes.
Becak. A gas-free transportation mode, Becak is a part of many Indonesians’ daily lives, especially those commuting to and from the market regularly.
Find more of Indonesia’s eco-friendly gems and see if you’re familiar with all of them here.
Saving the planet is obviously not an overnight kind of job. But taking a small step every day will get us to a balanced state, where the Earth could continue to spin and humans will not go extinct—at least not in our lifetime.
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In the meantime, we’ll get back to sourcing more insights for you, and we’ll see you again next week!