Category Consumerism

Sustainability in clothing comes in lots of different forms. Here are a few ideas for how to build more sustainability into a wardrobe.

• Own less – share items you no longer use. Buy fewer additional items. (Also means a less cluttered closet!)
• Buy better quality – have a few quality items instead of many cheaper ones.
• Mix and match – buy basic items that can easily be matched with other items.
• Support sustainable brands and make thoughtful purchasing choices. (Check the MennoAdventures online store for lots of great options!)

Here are today’s questions (you are invited to answer any or all, in the comments!):

• What sustainable choices have you made in your wardrobe?
• What changes are you curious about but unsure how to proceed?
• What is your favourite switch that you have made so far?
• What’s one sustainable change that you wish everyone would do?

When it comes to sustainability, one of the big mistakes that people make is treating change as individual OR systemic. Either we change our lifestyle (quit flying, quit eating animal products, quit using single use plastic and so on) OR we elect governments that will enact policies in line with climate science and climate justice. However, it’s not an either/OR – it’s a both/and. We need to radically alter our lifestyle AND elect governments that will radically alter how we operate as a country.

Today, we’re talking about changes that we can make at home – the good news is that these changes are easy to make, can be done today and can be done regardless of what changes your local government is or is not making right now.

So, here are a few ideas to get started. You might have already done and others might not be applicable, so pick and choose the ones that are right for you.

• Instead of single-use zipper bags/wrap, try reusable bags, beeswax wrap or glass/stainless containers
• Instead of single-use water/juice bottles, buy a glass/stainless steel water bottle and refill it. Or, buy juice from concentrate, mix it in a pitcher, and fill from there.
• Switch your bathroom products to zero-waste. Did you know you can get reusable cotton wipes, swabs and more to replace the single use options? Shampoo comes in bars, instead of a plastic bottle!
• Try owning less stuff. Buy a few better quality items and reuse them often – including clothing, footwear, household items and more.
• Want to go one step further? Consider downsizing your living space, if you currently have more than what you need/use. In a larger house, try a smaller house. In a house, try an apartment. Have a long commute to get to most places? Try moving to somewhere closer to public transit.
• Eat fewer (or zero) animal products, and lots more rice, lentils and other plants. It’s better for the environment, healthier, cheaper and easy to stock up in bulk.

What changes have you made? What are you interested in changing but unsure about? Let me know in the comments. I’ll answer your questions, and we’ll celebrate the successes together!

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If you are looking for zero-waste or sustainable items, check the online store at mennoadventures.ca – we have clothing, containers, compostable phone cases and more!

There has been some work going on behind the scenes, and I invite you to check out the new and improved MennoAdventures IG page! There are still a few updates being integrated, and I appreciate your patience as those get fixed.

In the meantime, in the comments, please introduce yourself and share where you live – and one sustainability change you have made in the past that you are excited about. Have you reduced or quit flying? Switched to more plant-based eating? Become vegetarian or vegan? Encouraged your office/school/worship space/extended family/friends to be more actively LGBTQ+ safe? Something else? I look forward to hearing what everyone is up to!

After a quieter than expected spring and summer here, due to some scheduling conflicts and vacation time on my end (sorry about that!), things are back up and running – and there are some big ideas being worked on to build up and improve the website over the fall and winter.

You may have noticed that the online store has been growing slowly and steadily. If you haven’t checked it out recently, I encourage you to do so. One of my favourites, from this summer, is the Lomi home composter – we tested ours on some camping trips this summer, and it performed beautifully!

I also had the privilege of attending my first Toronto Pride Parade this summer, visiting with some family and friends, and finding time for some much needed vacation.

Now, we are into fall, and that means it’s back to work! For the website, fall and winter, this year, means an increased focus on all things sustainable, looking at both individual and systemic changes that we need to make, as well as individual changes that lead to systemic changes.

Looking for things that you can change right now, to help build a better tomorrow? Here’s today’s list:

• Eliminate (or very significantly reduce) consumption of animal products
  • Animal products are a very significant contributor to the climate crisis (plus a Whole Foods Plant-Based diet is far healthier!).
  • Want to go all the way and go into winter plant-based? Use up what you currently have in your fridge or freezer, and don’t by anything else. Instead of adding chicken or other meat to your pasta (for example), add a tin of chickpeas or kidneys – it’s more sustainable, healthier and cheaper. Why pay more to wreck the climate?
• Quit flying
  • If you can’t quit all the way now, cut the worst flights first:
    • short and medium haul flights, as well as any flights for a short trip eg flying to a resort for a week in winter, flying out for a conference/meeting etc. Instead, find somewhere local for a holiday, and join the meeting remotely.
    • If you must fly, limit it to only the absolutely essential trips, and limit yourself to one flight/year or less (as your max – less is much better). Can you challenge yourself (and others in your circles) to reduce yourselves to one flight every 5 years? Every 10 years? Something else?
• Advocate for better choices and policies at the institutional level
  • Ironically, some faith groups (and others) are still acting in a manner that seems completely backwards – actively refusing to do what’s needed to address the climate crisis, while ALSO putting huge amounts of time and energy into things like ensuring that they continue to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people, newcomers, women, minorities and others. It’s wrong, and the only thing that will change it is if we all speak up and demand something better.
  • We need to put all of our time and energy into doing what’s right – saving the planet and ending discrimination.

Pyramids are often uses as a model within development and other spaces, whether correctly or incorrectly eg pyramids of needs, food pyramids and others. Some work well, some not so well. However, I did come across one recently that I think has value for where we are at right now.

These days, there is far too much of every level of the pyramid – including anti-LGBTQ+ laws in countless places, pointless wars, genocide, a climate crisis that is being ignored and many other challenges

There is far too much hate (for people and the planet), and not enough love, peace, kindness and inclusion and sustainability.

So, why did I post this today?

Far too often, I still see people posting (or sharing in other ways), things that land on the pyramid of hate – either the bottom, or even much higher up. Might be something discriminatory, might be support for a politician or law that discriminates against others, might be support for a war that hurts others, might be lack of support for refugees, might be hateful comments about how a minority (eg LGBTQ+ or others) don’t belong in one’s faith group or family or so many other awful things.

So, what would this look like if we flipped it around, and made it a pyramid of inclusion? (Apologies in advance: my design skills are not good enough to actually redesign it here, so we’ll have to use our imaginations.)

Instead of thinking and acting on our negative biases, leading to discrimination and violence, let’s reverse the cycle. Let’s actively include, and find space for others. Let’s stop justifying our own bad behaviour (eg hateful attitudes, discrimation, sexism, racism, exclusion, pollution and others), pretending that “it’s not that bad, and not hurting anybody” (or any of countless other excuses and justifications). Just because somebody else’s behaviour is worse, doesn’t make our behaviour OK. Both can be wrong, in different ways. We all have ways to improve and learn how to do better.

The Giza pyramids have been around for a long time. Likewise, our legacy – of hate, discrimination and climate destruction OR love, inclusion and a safe planet – will last just as long. So, which do we choose?

If we want a pyramid of inclusion, we need to face our own areas where we need to learn more, find ways to be more inclusive, take radical action to to love creation (switch to a plant-based diet, quit flying, get rid of our gas-powered vehicles, downsize our homes and many others, depending on individual circumstances etc).

So, as we start a new week, what kind of pyramid are we going to build? 🙂

‘OK Doomer’ and the Climate Advocates Who Say It’s Not Too Late https://nyti.ms/37R4NR4

A growing chorus of young people is focusing on climate solutions. “‘It’s too late’ means ‘I don’t have to do anything, and the responsibility is off me.’”

‘OK Doomer’ and the Climate Advocates Who Say It’s Not Too Late https://nyti.ms/37R4NR4

With evidence of the climate crisis growing every day, along with the rise of authoritarian governments, war and other tragedies, it can be hard to stay motivated to keep working for what’s right, for a sustainable, livable, safe planet, for everyone.

In development and sustainability circles, a phrase that is often heard is

Individual action is a great place to start, but a terrible place to end.

And it’s true, in certain ways. We absolutely need strong government action on many things. At the same time, the downside to phrasing our work like this is the somewhat implied apathy, which can lead to

It doesn’t really matter how much or little I try to change my own life, my own actions, how much I try to influence my circles or institutions to change. Someday, some bigger agent than me is going to swoop in and fix everything, so I’m off the hook. I can try a little bit, and then stop when it gets hard or inconvenient.

Here’s the catch. Big systems changes are needed, and we have to keep working for them AND those changes if/when they happen will simply accelerate the changes that, in many cases, we can already make now, for ourselves, without waiting.

For example:

So, while we continue to advocate for massive government intervention, which changes can we – individually and in our circles (extended family, faith group, community groups etc) make today? Which changes are you ready to make today? Which changes are we each prepared to make, even if nobody else does it with us?

In the comments below, let’s share which changes we are ready to make today. Which might we be ready to encourage others to do with us? What steps are we taking, today, for a better tomorrow?

More details on sustainabilty, and lots of zero-waste items, on the website!

Food waste, and food in landfills, is a significant problem, in many ways, and an easy path towards more sustainable living is to reduce or eliminate food going to landfills. Composting is a great alternative and is commonly done in many places. This has traditionally been done in a variety of ways, including, among others:

• a backyard composter (various types)
• indoor bin composters (eg with worms)
• city or municipal compost pick up ie where compost is put into a bin, which is picked up weekly, the same as recycling bins or other items that might be put into this type of system.

However, for many people, none of these options are available, or easy to use. There is now a transformative new way to deal with food scraps and other compostable items, all from the convenience of your kitchen!

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Looking for other ways to make simple switches towards greater sustainability? Check out the website for more great options, including plant-based foods, zero-waste replacements for common items and so much more! Know others who might be interested? Please share with them as well – thank you!

It has been a little while since the last update, but there is still lots going on here! The online store is still growing rapidly, and there are even more new partners coming live soon!

If you haven’t checked it out recently, now’s the time! Here is just a little bit of what we’ve got – including older partners that you may have missed before, and new favourites to discover and love!

And, there are countless other sustainable items on the website as well, including:

• Zero-waste replacements for common items
• Bathroom items
• Kitchen items and plant-based food
• Clothing and textiles
• Craft supplies
• Solar Items
• And more

For the next while, we will be focusing on sustainable holidays. There are a lot of decisions/plans etc to make around the holidays, and not all decisions are easy, clear or straightforward. For today, we’re looking at holiday and year-end donations, although these guidelines apply to all year-round giving, as well.

If you are anything like me, your email inbox is getting overloaded with asks from various NGOs, political parties, faith groups etc, asking for a year-end donation (in addition to phone call asks for money etc.) Sometimes, it’s easy to sort out how to manage all of the requests, and sometimes it can get a bit muddy. So, today, we’re going to talk about some of the red flags and how to make sure that the projects you are donating to are deserving of your donation. In general, these will show up more often in really small organizations, but big organizations can have challenges, as well.

So, here’s a quick (but not exhaustive) list of things to check for before sending off a donation, using an email request (one of many) that I received recently as a case study (in this case asking for funds for an extremely large capital campaign, from a very small organization):

• Email received – Check how often the org emails me, and how often they are asking for $.
  • Answer: Only a handful of short emails per year, and all are asking for $.
  • Result: Fail
  • What to Look For: Regular communication and updates on programming etc, going well beyond asks for $.
• Website Check – After reading the email, I checked the website.
  • Answer: The website has not been maintained in any way. Basic pages are up, but most/all pages are basically empty, because the website has not been maintained. Given that the org is asking for donations for a very large capital campaign, this is very problematic. If the org can’t even maintain a basic website, how can they handle large sums of money? What does this gap say about their ability to run effective programming?
  • Result: Fail
  • What to Look For: Well designed website, appropriate for the size of the org and the projects being funded. Clear, concise info, easy to navigate.
• Overall Transparency and Financial Accountability: With the website and other checks, I’m also checking for accountability and transparency
  • Answer: There are no budgets, annual reports or any other transparency/accountability measures shown anywhere. It appears that funds received are not accounted for, to the public in any way.
  • Result: Fail
  • What to Look For: This piece is really important, and often undervalued in poorly run orgs. (Note: For orgs that are not registered to give tax receipts or acting as a charitable org etc, naturally, some of these rules are a bit different). This, in my opinion, is a significant red flag that funds should not be given.
• Contact info and Org Structure: In addition to the basic website info, I’m looking for easy ways to get in touch with senior leadership, board etc. to help ensure that the org is accountable to the public.
  • Answer: Nobody other than the Exec Director is listed on the website. Given that the website is poorly maintained, the board and others are not named, and the other issues, it does not give confidence that contacting the ED through the website would result in a meaningful and timely reply.
  • Result: Fail
  • What to Look For: Senior Leadership, staff, board etc named and with contact info (eg an email address associated with the org). Reasonable term limits etc are also important. Watch out to see if the same person(s) is in a senior position for 15-20+ years at a time, especially in a small org (instead of transitioning by 10-15 max) – as that’s a red flag for other challenges. The org is at high risk of not successfully managing the transition to the next director, and may end up closing down in the relatively near future, which has implications for your donor dollars.
• Others – This is not an exhaustive list, but is a good start for evaluating end or year (or anytime of the year) support for orgs (particularly small orgs) that might be asking for help, whether financial, volunteer time or other.

Summary: Naturally, in this case, I will not be sending a donation to this organization. I would advise them, if I were their consultant, to drop the large capital campaign and spend their time building up a well-designed website, developing a clear and consistent communications plan with a strong senior leadership team, ensuring that the basic work of transparency and accountability happens every year (eg annual reports, budgets etc), creating a meaningful fundraising plan with an appropriately sized donor base and so on. It’s much better to have a well-designed program in a smaller building than a huge building with poorly designed organizational structures. Ultimately, donors give to support impact first, not for a shiny new building.

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Online Store: There are new, sustainable items being added to the online store every day! Check out the website for more details!

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How to Support Menno Adventures: All of the resources that we share here are free, and we do not charge for access to anything (except for consulting services, naturally.). If you find that these tools and resources are valuable, and would like to support this work, any donation, large or small, is greatly appreciated. Details on the website. Thank you!

Hey everyone!

The online store has been growing rapidly over the last few months, and there are more new items that I will (hopefully) be able to add in the next few weeks!

Whatever you are looking for to help switch to a more sustainable lifestyle, you can probably find it in the online store! Plus, there might even be some new finds – things that you didn’t know you were looking for, but might become a new favourite.

Haven’t been to the online store recently? Here are just a few of the highlights!

• Plant-based sauces
• Zero-waste items
• Clothing
• Bedding
• Subscription boxes
• Kitchen Items
• Tech-related items
• And so much more!

Know others who are interested in sustainability? Please share this with them, as well! The more the merrier! Thank you for your support!