New Year's Resolutions - or what you can do at home this year to lighten your impact on the planet.

Today, we're going to focus on resolutions. I know, nobody keeps resolutions, so let's call them goals. This episode is all about sustainability goals for our personal lives, because yes, we need systemic change to change the world, but we can also do our bit with individual action.

Now, this is going to cover a whole range of topics and if you can pick up and try even one of them this year you could be reaping the benefits by the end of the year.

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Transcript:

Kia ora kaitiaki and welcome to Now That's What I Call Green, the podcast that uses a science-based approach to expose the bullshit green scans and help you understand the sustainability world that little bit better. So if you are looking to navigate through everything green or not so green, you have come to the right place. Today we're going to focus on resolutions. I know, nobody keeps resolutions. So let's call them goals, sustainability goals for our personal lives because yes, we need systemic change to change the world, but we can also do a bit with individual action.

We're going to talk about cutting down food waste to nurturing backyards and I have a lot to cover. Now, I have drawn a lot of today's content from Project Drawdown, which I've talked about before. They are a world-renowned research organisation that identifies and analyses the most viable, in every way, global climate solutions. They use meticulous research, data analysts, they're conducted by an international coalition of scientists, economists, and other experts.

They're kind of an inarguable source. So if you feel like being a climate change denier in the comments, don't bother. I'm not interested. Now we've got that out of the way. The interesting thing about Project Drawdown is they don't just focus on reducing emissions. They actually look at solutions that enhance our planet's ability to absorb carbon, like restoring forests and changing agricultural practices.

And this matters to us because it shows that our individual actions, which we're going to be talking about, when aligned with actual research strategies, will collectively lead to substantial change. Because we're all feeling a little apathetic at the moment, and it's empowering to know that the choices we make in our daily lives actually contribute to a global movement. Let's talk about food waste. I talk about food waste a lot because it is a massive global issue, not just in terms of wasted resources, but it's a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

When food is thrown away and not composted, it often ends up in landfills where it decomposes and that releases methane, which is a stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. So globally, about one third of all food produced is wasted. One third on a planet where people are dying of malnutrition and starvation. This contributes to about 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions from wasting food. In New Zealand, in Aotearoa, we throw away about 157,000 tonnes of food a year. Just if you're wondering, because for some reason we always like to equate these to things, that's 271 jumbo jets packed to the gunwales with food. It is worth about $1.17 billion every year.

If we reduce this waste we would feed the population of a city like Dunedin for three years. And if you're wondering it's about $1500 per year per family. If food waste were a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases. I think I've illustrated my point. If we reduce food waste this will significantly lower emissions. And yes, absolutely, a lot of food waste happens before it even gets to our homes, but about 40% happens in our homes. So what can we do to reduce it? Number one, meal planning. I have never meal planned.

I will say that outright. I'm not an organised person, but I'm going to give this a go. So plan your meals for the week to buy only what you need and that way you just reduce the likelihood of food going unused. And don't on a whim decide that you're going to suddenly become a huge fan of water chestnuts and buy 14 cans of them because they're on special because nobody actually likes water chestnuts. Okay, that's not true. They're actually delicious, but you get my point.

Learn how to store different types of food properly. Have you got a drawer full of limp vegetables? Yes, me too. I always put them into a soup and they are delicious. But if you learn how to store different types of food properly, you will actually extend the shelf life. For example, do not put bananas in the fridge. Do not put tomatoes in the fridge, apparently, which is a brand new one to me, but there you go.

Okay, you've done all you can, but there's still stuff to compost like peels and skins. Well start composting. Pretty much everybody can do this at home, even if you don't have a garden, because you can have a little countertop compost bin. And no, contrary to what people expect, composts done properly don't smell. Pay attention to what it is you throw away the most. I find this fascinating. What do you think is the most wasted food in Aotearoa?

I'll give you a minute to think. Dun, dun, dun, dun, it's bread. In average, we throw away a third of a loaf of bread every fortnight. That is bananas. We also throw away leftovers because a lot of people are like, I'm going to put this in the fridge. They don't label it or they don't put a lid on it and they go to look at it the next day or a couple of days later and it's gone dry and they think, ew, that's me, by the way.

Again, something I've already got better at since writing this podcast. Fruit and veggies, another top one. So pay attention to what it is. Buy less, learn how to store. We all know you have to store the Vogels in the freezer. Make sure you understand for your other food too. And finally, get a little bit experimental with all parts of food. I do not understand why for 35 years of my life, I only ever ate the flowery bit of the broccoli. And never ate the stalk.

I have no idea why, it tastes exactly the same, it's just as delicious and arguably a nicer texture. It was only last year that someone said to me, yeah, of course you can eat the stalk. And I thought, oh, well, of course you can, but I don't know I never did. Challenge your thinking because sometimes we have all these assumptions that are just dead wrong. Eat different parts of your fruit. Do you know the tastiest bit of the strawberry is the green thing on top?

It tastes like strawberry, but it's like green, so it's like a vegetable or something. Our second segment might be a little irritating to some of you, but it's an inarguable fact. This is the second most impactful thing you can do as an individual according to Project Drawdown and that is shifting towards a diet rich in plants and lower in meat. Note, I did not say you had to go vegan or give up meat entirely but if you lower it, you will significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Yes, farmers in Aotearoa are doing a stellar job. We are one of the most efficient, most environmentally farming nations on earth and that is absolutely something to be proud of.

But not eating beef is still an absolute win. Livestock farming is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water usage. Beef and dairy alone accounts for about 14.5% of global emissions. And whilst, yeah, we do have one of the least carbon intensive methods of farming, it does massively impact our fresh water. If we had a global shift to a plant-rich diet, again, not a plant-only diet, don't shout at me, we would reduce food-related emissions by up to 70%.

70%! That is bananas! This is what I keep saying when I say we have all the solutions in front of us to tackle further climate change. Start with Meatless Mondays, or I guess they just like the alliteration, but you know, Meatless Thursdays works too. Just gradually reduce your meat consumption. Try plant-based recipes. I have been plant-based for this whole year so far and it's been freaking delicious.

I've eaten beans and chickpeas and so many more vegetables. I have so much energy. My eyes are sparkling like a healthy dog's. I have a wet nose. Okay, I don't, but I feel so much better and it's only day 11 and freaking delicious. It isn't particularly hard for me because I don't eat meat much at all anyway and consider myself vegetarian. But moving away from other animal products has been surprisingly easy and surprisingly delicious. And if you really love meat, of course, there are hundreds of amazing meat alternatives too.

I am a big fan of Impossible products personally. I did a poll not too long ago asking people what was more impactful, where food came from or what it was. Were food miles the biggest issue or was what it was the biggest issue? And a lot of people said actually food miles matter the most. You should buy local, not true. Food miles make up, on average, 10% of a food's carbon emissions.

Obviously, this is going to change dramatically depending on the food, this is across the board. So if you learn more about the environmental impact of different foods, like sourcing soy from the Amazon, which is usually for livestock anyway, so you're more likely to come across it. But if you research that and make informed dietary choices, the change you can make in your own diet will be significant.

So what about transportation? This is in Project Drawdown's top 10. Now obviously transport is a massive contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions because obviously it relies on fossil fuels. And shifting to more sustainable modes of transport is difficult but really impactful. So transportation accounts for about 14% of global emissions. But do you know, a seemingly small change, if public transport usage doubled, so just doubled from today, which is still not a lot because how many buses do drive past that are half empty?

That would reduce urban transport emissions by 25%. So use public transport. That is a really easy win. Maybe one day a week this year, instead of driving to work, you'll use a bus. I love going on the bus. I've always really loved it. It's got a weird quirk of my personality. I love public transport.

I love trains, also because, you know, it's weirdly comforting. But it's so fun to be on a bus and either talk to people, which probably makes me that creepy bus person, or just invent lives with people around you. It's so interesting to see what other people are doing, imagine what it is they're off to go and do. Are they going to go meet the king? Are they going to go and do this? Instead of thinking, oh, I don't want to get on a dirty old bus, try and change your attitude about it and you'll actually think it's quite fun. I remember from my uni days how much fun it was. I sure as hell couldn't afford a car. Talking about cars, share rides, carpooling, that's half of those number of vehicles on the road. It makes your life easier. It's fun to drive to work with colleagues as long as you like them and they're nice.

And there's less traffic for everyone to get stuck in. And if you can, walk or cycle. We used to have discounts and I'll totally lose the game from Incredibles. Anybody who turned up on a bike got a discount. Let's have all retail stores implement something like that. Let's encourage people to cycle or walk places they need to go. It's better for you, better for the planet.

Have you noticed how not a single one of these things yet has asked you to spend more money? That's because being sustainable doesn't have to be expensive. But this next point might change it. The next point goes a little bit at odds with that. Support sustainable brands. Now I have talked a lot about how I believe that the only way we will have a real tangible impact on the planet is if we change business. But consumer choices change business.

Consumer choices have a massive impact on the environment. If we all collectively on mass stopped supporting that separating pustule on the buttocks of humanity that is Sheehan, and that is probably my favourite sentence I've ever said, they would collapse. Their horrific emissions and waste and horrendous labor practices would vanish. So supporting brands to prioritise sustainability and fairness and equity in their production processes will drive market change towards more environmentally friendly practices. Sometimes this costs more, but I will point out, sustainability again is about buying what you need, not what you want.

Now let me just say a controversial statement that Arja Barber has said many, many times that really stands out. Your desire to have the latest clothes and have a constantly updated wardrobe does not override that people deserve to live with dignity, to be paid fairly. That's all I'm going to say about fast fashion today because I already had a fast fashion rant but I will point out that the fashion industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions. It's bigger than most countries. If consumers demand sustainable products, we would see a massive reduction in those carbon emissions. So look into brand sustainability practices before purchasing. Make sure that you buy products with ethical production practices. Try and support local businesses where you can. This is difficult in New Zealand particularly if we're talking about fashion because there's not too many New Zealand fashion labels. Of course, there are some wonderful ones out there. But again, at the heart of it, buy what you need. We don't all need 14 jackets.

Now, we all know that climate change is a big deal, but here's the thing, losing our plants and animals and all the different life forms is a huge part of the problem and it's kind of a vicious cycle that we don't talk about very much. So biodiversity is the variety of life around us, right? We talk about conservation and biodiversity a lot, but it's not just about saving the cute kiwi or the majestic kauri, it's about keeping the entire natural world thriving. Because these things, these plants and animals and microbes, they do a lot of heavy lifting for us.

They keep our ecosystems balanced, they pollinate our crops, clean our water, and yes, they help control the climate by storing carbon. The ocean stores about 50% of it, it's not all trees. But as our climate is changing, and due to all the other things humans are doing to the planet, this biodiversity is under massive threat. Habitats are changing way too fast for most species to keep up.

That's why we're seeing massive changes in populations. This is why we're seeing the sixth mass extinction it's due to us. That is horrendously sad and it's something we can absolutely do something about. It's also incredibly detrimental to us as a species. It's I guess like pulling threads out of that fast fashion jumper you love. Too many missing threads and the whole thing will fall apart. If it's made by Shein, it's probably made of only two or three threads anyway. I hate Shein. Just on a side note.

On the flip side, a rich variety of life will actually help us in the fight against climate change. And you see that where we have redeveloped rewilded ecosystems, they actually have a cooler temperature. Healthy, diverse ecosystems are better absorbing carbon dioxide and adapting to changes and coping with things like floods. Protecting our natural world isn't just about conservation for the sake of it, it's a key part of tackling climate change. So there are some things you can do to help that too. And I know episode two, way back last year, was talking about what you could do about your backyard or how you could rewild your backyard, but here are some more points. Plant natives. Yep, real shock there, isn't it? Choose plants that are native to your region, not necessarily just Aotearoa, but where you are.

Factoring, of course, that there will be a bit of climate shift over the next few decades. Native plants require less maintenance because they're adapted to local conditions and they provide the best habitat for our local species. Even in a really small space, you don't have to have a big backyard to do this, but native plants will attract birds and bees and butterflies and other wildlife that is super important. This is a kind of cute fun thing you can do with kids if you've got them or just do it with yourself if you're a big kid like me. But set up a mini wildlife habitat.

I've done this with my dino dome, I'm currently building a butterfly garden, but set up a bird feeder or a bird bath or an insect habitat, which you can Google because they're adorable. They can be compact, they're really small, they fit in even the tiniest spaces, but they do make a big difference to supporting local wildlife. Vertical gardening is another option. If you have a really limited space, think about going up. So it can be wall-mounted planters or trellises where climbing plants can grow.

There are some awesome videos on the likes of TikTok and Instagram to show you how to do this. Vertical gardens can pretty much grow anything you like, so you can grow your own food and it still supports wildlife and pollinators. One of my favourite ways to re-wild your back garden is to just leave it the hell alone. So if possible, leave a small area of your garden totally untended. Don't mow it. If it's got old rotten wood, leave it. Haven for insects. I actually have a podcast in a couple of weeks dedicated to how much I hate lawns, so I'm not going to go on about it too much. But if you even stop mowing your lawn as frequently and let it grow to double the length, the amount of insect life that you won't even notice because insects don't want to hurt you is huge.

The difference is enormous. So sometimes the best thing you can do is leave it alone. If you can install a water feature, it could be as simple as popping a small bowl down and popping some rocks in it so insects can land on the rocks and have a drink or go the whole hog and dig yourself out a pond. Especially as temperatures increase, currently I'm sitting in a 32 degree day with howling winds. It's really as hideous as it sounds. So water is critical for animals outside. Obviously be circumspect with pesticides and fertilisers. We all know the drill there.

Also don't use weed mat. Oh weed mat grinds my gears. Weed mat is mostly made out of plastic. It creates microplastics in your soil which of course we never remove and massively disrupts the soil wildlife. And when I say wildlife, I don't mean like hedgehogs and deer. I mean everything. So it's kind of like your microbes, although it feels a bit funny referring to that as wildlife. But I mean things like centipedes, which terrify me, and spiders and little grubs and everything that works together to form your back garden's ecosystem.

Weed mat will kill all of it. And also the soil stinks. Ah, when I'm Supreme Overlord, weed mat will be burned. Is that a compost bin? Yeah, we've talked about composting probably in every episode. I am a one-trick pony. Composting is awesome. Not only do you reduce your landfill waste, of course, because when you send food to the landfill it produces massive amounts of methane, but it also produces excellent soil for your plants, and compost juice is like plant crack. And finally, you can feed wildlife if you do it properly.

So for example, there are some birds that need sugar water through the winter. Learn how to make it, ensure that it is changed every few days because it will go off and cause them harm. There is no harm in providing this. If you're feeding seed eaters, ensure that you have the right type of seed and provide that. Throwing mouldy food out in the lawn, not ideal. But you can absolutely feed your wildlife if you just make sure that what you're giving them is helpful. And that's a wrap, kaitiaki!

And there you go. I hope you learned something and realised that being green isn't about

everything in your pantry matching with those silly glass jars or living in a commune. If that's your jam, fabulous. But sustainability at its heart is just using what you need.

If you enjoyed this episode, please don't keep it to yourself and feel free to drop If you enjoyed this episode, please don't keep it to yourself and feel free to drop me a rating and hit the subscribe button. Kia ora and I'll see you next week.

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