“Sustainability”, “Green”, “ESG”, “Eco”…. you may have heard these buzzwords being thrown around lately, but what do they all really mean? Interestingly, even the best environmental experts in the world would disagree with what these terms mean or should mean.  From my perspective, what these words mean are less important than what they represent: there has been a shift in our consciousness. The global sustainability conversation is beginning to change, and that these buzzwords can represent different ideas, goals, and opportunities for individuals like you and I and for companies trying to be more conscious and make an impact.

Sustainability actually came about in order to shine a light on how global companies were having a detrimental impact on the environment.  To highlight the major headline topics such as oil spills, carbon emissions, water usage, waste management, deforestation, and global warming.

Through this process, what people have started to realize is that any company big or small cannot continue to bleed the world dry of resources in the name of capitalism while destroying it in its wake.  Every company no matter big or small should be contributing to global sustainability issues.  The same goes for humans, as individuals or as a group, we should all be contributing to global sustainability issues on some level.  I’ll use one of these “buzzwords” to better describe it, our priorities now are bigger than traditional environmental matters – the “E” in ESG that I just mentioned.  Now we are more conscious and sympathetic to social concerns – “S” like encouraging employs diversity, stamping out child labor, upholding human rights in our supply chains and “G” governance goals which focus on improving corporate leadership and diversifying board membership.

As ESG continues to gain momentum, we better understand what impacts we can make at the individual level.  As an individual consumer because at the end of the day, companies give us what they want.  That means it’s in our hands to change the rules.

Consider the following areas that our personal habits might impact sustainability/ESG:

• Single use plastic (straws, bottled water, delivery containers, etc.) 
• Food waste
• Fast fashion
• Energy usage 
• Water usage 

You may be wondering why all this matters to me. Well, ever since I became a mother in 2015.  I’ve paid more attention to the impact of my choices because I’ve noticed that as a family, we are consuming way more than ever before and it was having a direct impact on the environment we are living in.  We would go to beaches and see the shore lined with plastic rather than shells, I had to restrict my kids playing outdoors because of the increased air pollution.  This is not the life I envisioned for my kids, myself or this earth, this is our only home.  

We are now realizing that business as usual does not work anymore and I see that if nothing else, I need to make whatever changes I can in my own life so that my children and their children will have the chance to breathe clean air and revel in the greenery of Mother Nature.

In 2020 alone this earth has endured so much – from the impact of the pandemic to wildfires in California and Australia.  I see these as escalating warning signs that our planet is literally on fire, now is the time that we need to band together to do something before it’s too late.  After all, if we didn’t have earth, where would we live and what would we eat.   We need to band together to do something before it’s too late. 

That’s why, in addition to EcoDrive, I’ve decided to start this platform!  I aspire to use this platform to raise awareness about sustainability issues big or small, share ways that I’m learning to love more in sync with Mother Nature, and live a life that has as little impact on the environment as possible and most importantly, learn and share together with you.   I am no expert, but I aspire to do the best I can and bring knowledge and information that will help is all make netter choices everyday since we know our environmental crisis is not one that can be resolved overnight.  I hope to share my philosophy with you to create inspirational light and positive energy.

Every day brings a new challenge, but also a new opportunity.

And, “what is my philosophy?” you may ask. Well, it’s simply to “start small, and start now” 🙂