Ethical choices vs practical necessities – getting the balance right
It’s hard to escape the sustainability message these days. What used to be made fun of as ‘tree hugging’ is now considered standard practice. It’s the norm to recycle, minimise waste and consider the environment. If anything, it’s expected of all of us.
Considering the environment has now become so commonplace (eco warriors, rejoice), the natural world is even being invited to the boardroom in some companies.
And I’m all for it.
As a student, I was inspired by Swampy and his eco-warrior protests in the mid-1990s. Now a ‘proper’ grown-up, I do all I can to minimise my impact on the environment, and quietly concern myself with what I do next. I consider myself both eco warrior and eco worrier (and a passive militant).
I’m conscious of my eco credentials. I catch the cold water at the beginning of my shower in a bucket - it’s just enough for one loo flush (number ones only - sorry if TMI). I get my electricity from a green energy supplier and turn everything off when I’m not using it. I use natural cleaning products around my home and visit a refill store when I can.
I eat a mainly plant-based diet of seasonal produce from an organic veg box, and usually carry a reusable water bottle, coffee cup and cutlery. (You never know when you’re going to get hungry!) I don’t drive (initially through fear of the road, but now because of my carbon footprint) and I’m fortunate enough to be able to work from home. I generally plan my social life around where I can walk to, and working from home allows me the time to do things a little slower. In essence, my chosen career and lifestyle make it easier to do these things.
Nobody’s perfect - not even me ;)
It’s not always easy, though, is it?
Sometimes, Saint Hannah goes out of the window. Often, this is because I’m out and about for longer than planned and have to resort to a plastic-packaged meal. Or I’ve been too busy to prepare an on-the-go lunch. Or I’m dying for a coffee and didn’t bring my KeepCup. Other times, it’s because I want to join in with a plastic flute of prosecco at a festival.
As for so many Swampy-inspired warriors before me, life has a habit of getting in the way of ideals.
So, how do we balance the struggle between sustainability and practicality? How do we balance eating and living ethically with practicality and convenience? How do we relieve the eco-guilt?
Well, as poet, storyteller, author and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou is credited with saying, “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better”. In other words, when you know better, you do better - but you don’t have to do it all, all of the time.
Why ethical choices count
With the world’s population expected to reach 10 billion by 2052, we need to do all we can to minimise our impact on the environment as we live on an increasingly crowded planet. This means using our purchasing power to make it clear what we want - from refusing plastic-covered cucumbers and demanding sustainable food options to making big and considered decisions on overseas travel, the vehicle we use to get around and how we heat our homes.
Anyone like me wanting to do their bit can really make a difference to the environmental ills of the world. Especially when choosing what to eat. We can avoid unsustainable, uncertified palm oil, go plant-based (even if part-time), eat locally sourced, seasonal food and opt for food brands doing good.
Why? Because shopping, eating and living in such a way helps the survival of the planet. It supports better animal welfare and sustainability and minimises the effects of climate change. And with more of us doing it, even some of the time, it will become more normalised - and it’ll become cheaper.
Quick wins for avoiding not-so-ethical choices
Many ethical initiatives are popping up all over the UK. We can drink beer brewed from discarded bread or smother our chips in mayo made from the water discarded from tins of chickpeas. We have a plethora of dairy-free milks to choose from. We can even choose to eat insects, the sustainable food touted to be the future of protein.
On a standard weekday lunchtime, though, we might need to look closer to home to be ethical. I tend to batch cook and chill (or freeze) portions to eat later or to take with me if I’m out for the day.
If I don't have food to hand when I’m out, and I don’t want to reach for the plastic bowl of salad, I’ll go hungry.
Not really! I’d expire. I love eating way too much.
Instead, I’ll go for the least offensive option, a sandwich usually, and take the wrapper home to rip apart, clean and recycle the best I can. I like to plan meals around what’s in season, too. That means plenty of salads, greens and beans in summer, and root vegetable-based meals in winter.
Eating seasonal food grown in the UK reduces food miles and makes me feel very virtuous. But I really don’t want to sound like an out of touch preacher here. I struggle. I work on a freelance basis. I make decisions based primarily on finances, and sometimes, I can’t buy the eco-friendly or organic things I want to. But if I make one purchase that’s conscious of the environment rather than none, my tinned chickpeas, for example, then I’m good with that.
Pimping up veg - My go-to tahini recipe
Like many Brits, I love a roast dinner on a Sunday, but I usually have some leftover veg. On a Monday, I whip up my make-it-up-as-I-go-along tahini sauce, which jazzes up any veggie.
It changes all the time, but consistent ingredients include lemon juice (a hefty squeeze) and a generous sprinkling of dried dill and sumac. (Sumac is a Middle Eastern citrusy spice and is gorgeous.)
Of course, it also contains tahini, as much as you like. Put everything into a mug, and add some warm water from the kettle. About half as much as you have of tahini should do it.
Stir everything together. Don’t be alarmed when it splits - because it will. Keep stirring, and after a minute or two, you’ll have a super creamy, smooth sauce. Warm up your veggies and pour the sauce over them. I promise it’ll become a firm favourite.
Don’t let the BS grind you down
Aside from busy lives getting in the way of living completely ethically, there are other barriers.
I’ve got a friend. A dear friend, but an annoying one. He always tries to trip me up on my ethical adventures by questioning everything. He once questioned why I said I’d choose paper packaging over plastic all day long. (Yeah, he’s that annoying. The term devil’s advocate was created for him.) After all, paper also needs recycling, he pointed out.
Generally, we’ll end up having a long and passionate debate, with all our other friends making a hasty exit. But I make a good argument (and so does he). Our debates generally end with him walking away clutching a reusable coffee cup or a vegan burger, with a “how did I let that happen” look of confusion.
The point I’m making is that we’ll always come up against doubters.
The people who, well-meaning and lovable or otherwise, will roll their eyes and laugh at ethical endeavours. Those who try to trip up the vegan who’s wearing leather trainers. The people who might say something like, “Ha, trying to be an all-natural, eco warrior huh? How can you be, with your plastic nails and fake boobs”. (I have neither - and no shade on those that do - but I have had this said to me, by someone I was thinking about buying a St Bernard puppy from, who barely knew me - it’s a long, and true, story.)
We can turn these doubters around, though, and it’ll make us feel empowered. The power we have to persuade others to think more mindfully about what they consume is huge. (Perhaps the ill-informed, the judgmental and the ill-informed, judgmental dog-breeders are a much bigger task though, not to be taken on lightly.)
Getting just one person to switch to organic milk, or taking part in Meat Free Mondays, deserves a pat on the back.
Besides, getting others on board takes the pressure off you a bit! It could also help you feel better about not being perfect. (None of us are, just so you know.)
Quit the self-doubt - leave that to the haters
Don’t be harsh on yourself if you fancy a ready meal. Don’t feel guilty if you have to buy a plastic water bottle once in a while. Life has to be lived. Until the whole country is geared up for 100% sustainability, and it’s cheaper to eat ethically, we can’t be angelic all the time. We all have a moral debate raging in our heads, but remain proud of all the good that you do.
Not many of us are actual saints, and we need to be gentle with ourselves. Do what you believe to be right. Eat mainly plant-based foods if it means you can freely enjoy fresh seafood when you’re on holiday. Take the bus, then indulge in a plastic-boxed takeaway when you get home. (The boxes are great for storing everything from leftover food to spare buttons anyway.)
Don’t be embarrassed by what you believe. We can all only do what we think is best, and we can’t do it all. You’re already an ethically minded person because you’re here, reading my words. Swampy will be proud of all of us!
Want to read more from me? You can! Here.
