5 ways to help save the planet, inspired by the Nordics

Today, we proudly present you “The All-Star Ugly Crop Squad”!

Wait, what? Is that a comedy or a farce? Well, it is an ugly reality. Like really ugly.

Curved cucumbers, weirdly shaped carrots, ugly peppers and many more are the stars of this ugly reality (show).

Ugly by nature, thousands of tons of neat looking #not fruit and vegetables are thrown away.

Simple because they are not appealing to the eye.

Consumers turn them down in the supermarket. In turn, the supermarkets return them back to their suppliers or even worse throw them to the waste.

This looks really… wasted! While millions starve and our planet’s resources to feed the rest have come to a dramatic stretch.

You see? There is far more to living sustainably than to recycle your bottles, cans and newspapers.

And this is just an example. Thank God there are guys that make things not look so grim.

Or like the folks who want to trigger real impact.

We asked one of them, Lars Olesen from the IMPACTR team, to share with us his 5 most precious tips to live more sustainably. Enjoy and act responsibly!

Your checklist!

Remember a few days ago when we talked about impact? About closing the gap between wanting to act and real action?

Well, today, we take this to the extreme.

Here are 5 ways inspired by the Nordics to help you save the planet. For real!

1. Food: Eat less meat (you don’t have to become a vegan but that’s also an option). Buy locally grown produce, sustainability is also about supporting your communities (plus fewer gases from transporting goods from far away). Don’t buy more than you need and avoid wasting food. Remember the ugly-by-nature veggies?

2. Transport: Stop flying (or at least minimize it when possible). Flying leads to a lot of emissions, and the latest science suggests that the contrails, which are the white stripes behind planes, are even worse for the climate than the emissions. And when it comes to cars – drive less. Consider going by bike or public transport if that’s an option. Apart from the use of fossil fuels, using the car also leads to the release of microplastic in nature as the tires wear down. Oh wow! Would you imagine?

OK now, some more of your attention, please!

3. Consumption: Do you really need all that stuff? Buy less – and when you buy, go for better products that last longer and can be repaired. Don’t throw away things that work, just because you don’t need them anymore. Let others find good use in them. And avoid single-use items – this is one of the most ridiculous inventions ever.

4. Nature: Start or support local initiatives to restore nature. Join or support organizations that plant trees, restore mangrove forests, etc. If you have a garden, consider whether you really need that big lawn and whether a garden really needs to look like a park or a cemetery. Wouldn’t it be better to have a lot of wild flowers, berry bushes, trees, and maybe even vegetables, that can nurture insects, porcupines, birds, bees, um… life?

5. Savings: Consider what your savings support. If you have a pension scheme, do you know what your money is invested in? If not, contact your pension provider to get the insights. There is a chance that some of YOUR MONEY is invested in fossil fuels. If that’s the case, request that YOUR MONEY is moved to e.g. ESG funds (wait, what?). If your pension provider does not provide that option, move YOUR MONEY to another pension provider.

See? There is more to sustainability than you may think. So, do what’s best for everyone and make an impact!

 

Image: 📌 Northern Sealand, Denmark by Niclas Jessen / VisitDenmark