Minimalism and Climate Change
Trends like 33 fashion items, 100 things, and zero waste have spread over the internet.
"Less is More" is the mantra we've heard echoed across social media, by influencers and journalists. Minimalism is the new trend, and it's quite a good one. It has sparked multiple movements including ones to reduce the impact of fast fashion, promote waste reduction, and reduce consumerism. These movements might be the turning stone we need to save the planet.
In today's world, society is bombarded by advertisements, 2-day shipping, and ramped new trends. On a daily basis, we are being told that we need more stuff, must eat more (take a look at fast food), and change styles practically daily. Known as consumerism, this lifestyle has penetrated every developed country across the world. While its definition is simple, "the protection or promotion of the interests of consumers," it goes to much greater depths than merely promoting our interest. Consumerism is defining our interests, what we need, and who we should be. These materialistic values take advantage of our insecurities, sending us down a never-ending search for happiness.
On average, an individual sees 5,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day.
That's where minimalism arose. It's the pursuit of less, not more: thus, the saying of "less is more." It's contrary to consumerism and materialism. But is it true? Will minimalism make you happier? The answer is not simple. People are jumping on this minimalism trend, expecting that decluttering will send them into clouds full of rainbows. Simply decluttering won't make you that much happier. Minimalism is about changing your mindset towards things, literally. Instead of getting trapped in the pursuit for more, where each new thing will bring you some happiness, it directs you to what you already have. And that alone has made people feel 68% physically healthier, as well as contributed to 89% improved well-being, and 73% in lower stress according to a study of 4,500 American adults from Do Good Live Well.
Plus, minimalism makes the environment happier too. Less stuff inherently means less carbon. Taking on the lifestyle change of minimalism causes cascading effects on other beneficial habits. For instance, "minimalists'' eat fewer animal products, shop local, drive less, and are more conscious of waste. To give an illustration, the "33 clothes" trend reduces fast fashion. The “zero waste” movement has diminished people's waste by TONNES, some into just a mason jar a year. Being a minimalist, and living that mindset, can change our climate.
So how can you start? What's the first thing to do? Set your guidelines on how you want to approach minimalism: Would you strip yourself of everything you own besides a mattress on the floor, or would you rather live a more realistic approach to living with fewer clothes. Minimalism is NOT about stripping everything that brings you joy in your life, as some have argued. A minimalist can have dozens of books, but no plastic, for instance. To start your journey into minimalism,
Follow These Steps:
Define minimalism in your own words: Some people may define being a minimalist as only owning a certain number of items. Others may feel that it's actually about taking up less space and resources in the world.
Start with a clean slate by reviewing your belongings. Use it or lose it. Ask yourself: Is it useful? Is it the only one I have? Does it bring me joy or love? If the answer isn't yes to one of these questions, ditch it.
Bring in less. If you get a new piece of clothing, try to remove another from your wardrobe. Set some spending limits on yourself to cut down on consumerism. And even try to start reducing your waste!
Like any journey, you can define what it means to live by the words "less is more." Think about what less really is. Ultimately, minimalism is the change we need now more than ever. It changes the way people think about our planet, our stuff, and our lives. Changing consumerism can bring us more happiness, health, and a changed climate (slowing global warming). You need to just take the first leap to that brighter future. Let’s make minimalism a trend that lasts.
Detailed Source Overview
Hey there! Below you can find the sources we used to research minimalism. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding these sources.
Our Sources
"A Day in the Life of a Minimalist." YouTube, 15 Oct. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG2GJZcBKOE.
"Consumerism--Consumerism and Its Discontents." Https://Www.Apa.Org, https://www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/discontents. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.
Nagel, Gabriel. "Fast Fashion | Light CO2." Light CO2, 20 June 2020, https://www.lightco2.org/articles/fast-fashion.
Photograph by Randy Olson, National. How People Make Only a Jar of Trash a Year. 18 May 2018, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/05/zero-waste-families-plastic-culture/.
"Project 333 Book - Be More with Less." Be More with Less, 20 Oct. 2020, https://bemorewithless.com/project-333/.
VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins. https://www.volunteermatch.org/. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.
https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/8846775/Frantz%2C_Gregory.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. Accessed 20 Oct. 2020.
