12 Resolutions for 2025
I believe that the most important actions we can take to make the world better for everyone are to make more connections with each other and nature. Without meaningful connections to each other and the world around us we cannot solve social, economic, political or even environment problems. These connections are vital to helping us become caring and responsible humans. So with this idea in mind, I have put together 12 resolutions your can make throughout the year that will help you strengthen these connections, live a more sustainable lifestyle and ultimately make the world a better place.
JANUARY
Get to know your neighbours. Loneliness and depression have reached epidemic levels and much of it can be attributed to feeling disconnected. Loneliness and depression make a huge impact on both our mental and physical health. Social media has only made the problem worse. Not knowing our neighbours is isolating and makes us more vulnerable to crime and vandalism too. Consider hosting a potluck. If you’re not ready to share your home, try forming a walking group and visit local parks or explore nearby trails together. Even better, start a garden club and share tasks, seeds, plants and food. People who feel connected to their communities and the environment around them are more likely to take the responsibility for caring for them and are a lot less likely to neglect them or litter.
FEBRUARY
Stay informed. With a federal election looming this year, it’s more important than ever to stay informed about the issues that affect you the most. Don’t fall for the divisiveness plaguing politics these days. It’s not an ‘us versus them’ game. In a true democracy we work together to find solutions that work for everyone. If you don’t stay involved and voice your opinion, decisions will get made without you and you won’t always like them. Consider how electoral reform might make the whole process more fair in Canada and then demand it. Join a group, sign a petition or send a letter. It shouldn’t matter so much which party wins. It’s a politician's job to represent you regardless of which affiliations they have. Politician’s listen to the loudest groups. Consider ways to find common ground with everyone in your community and make yourselves heard. We can accomplish anything united.
MARCH
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I can’t repeat this enough. Reducing consumption makes the most impact on keeping your footprint sustainable, followed by reusing, recycling, repurposing and repairing wherever possible. Our washing machine recently broke down. Luckily, it was an easy part to replace and we were able to repair the machine for about $150. Buying new would have been hundreds of dollars. Although the newer machine’s use less energy today, the resources that go into manufacturing them make my older, less efficient model more sustainable. This cost comparison is the same for just about any appliance and for vehicles too. Repair it. And if it can’t be repaired, buy used first whenever possible. You will be reducing your consumption overall which reduces waste and your burden on society.
APRIL
Drive Less. I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record but, even if you choose a different mode only once a week, I promise you, it makes a difference. Not only will you be reducing emissions but you will be improving your health both through physical activity but also the social connections you will make when you travel by other means such as bus or walking. “Research in Wisconsin from 2021 found that the more often people walk or bike, the more likely they are to engage in community issues by writing letters, making phone calls, and attending public meetings.” If you can’t walk, cycle or take a bus to work, you could try using one of these modes for another trip. Try walking to the park or library instead of driving. Ride a bicycle to the grocery store or take a bus to an event. What shorter trips could you ditch your car for?
MAY
Plant a garden. The benefits are many including increased exercise from squatting, lifting, shovelling and stretching; improved diet because fresh, local food is more nutrient dense; mental wellbeing from spending time in nature; reduced stress levels, it’s very gratifying growing your own garden not to mention you’ll learn to slow down and be more patient; social connections because gardening brings communities together; self sufficiency and responsibility through caring for plants; and finally gardening is good for the environment improving soil conditions and contributing to cleaner air. If you don’t have access to a garden space, it’s easy to grow plants in pots both indoors or outside on balconies. You could even join a local garden club or community garden and make new friends while you are at it.
JUNE
Avoid anything wrapped in plastic. Stop buying food sold in packages, especially plastic packages and start making more of your own meals. A significant portion of waste going to landfills is generated from food packaging alone. Almost everything you need for a healthy diet can be purchased in bulk. Buying bulk saves you money too. Pre-packaged foods cost more, can increase food waste because the portions are a set standard and often contain unwanted additives. Kootenay Coop will give you a 10% discount if you bring your own container. You may purchase a wide array of spices, teas, grains, nuts, sugar and even soap in the bulk section. Bring your containers from home when you are running low and fill them up here. Bring cloth bags for fruits and vegetables and purchase milk in glass whenever possible. Insist on paper for meat. And above all, be sure to compost all food scraps. These biodegradable items should never go to the landfill. They produce dangerous methane gas emissions. In summer, buy fresh produce from farmers markets.
JULY
Learn how to cook from scratch. It doesn’t have to be complicated. I find that the recipes with the least amount of ingredients are often the tastiest. When you prepare meals yourself you ensure there are no unwanted additives, it’s fresher with more nutrients, and it is gratifying work. Cooking can be a creative outlet too. Impress friends and family. It will save you a lot of money. There are many staples that are easy to learn how to make and require less time and effort than you might think. If you learn how to make bread, you can bake multiple loaves at a time and freeze the extra. Make large pots of soup stock from scratch and freeze them for throwing together quick and easy dinners any night of the week. Make and preserve jars of tomato pasta sauce for simple pasta dishes or make your own salad dressings and store in the fridge. Dry fresh herbs and make your own spice collection for use during the winter months. There is a wealth of knowledge online including wonderful sites with easy recipe ideas. One of my favourites is Love and Lemons.
AUGUST
Go on a Staycation. Travel is bad for the world. I’m not saying that you should never travel. I’m a firm believer that travel broadens your mind and these experiences almost always make us better people but, we need to be aware of the impact that our modern travelling privileges have on the rest of the world. We produce far more garbage than we would at home in the form of take out containers and single use packaging for convenience items. Plus, the resulting emissions from flying are not sustainable. We also unwittingly contribute to the destruction of various cultures and economies around the world in our relentless pursuit of comfort and entertainment when we travel. I’m not suggesting that you should never travel but, perhaps choose to travel less and consider what options you can choose that don’t exploit other cultures and economies.
I recently calculated my carbon footprint. The goal is to keep your carbon footprint under 1 ton per year to be sustainable. Most of us living in rural Canada will have footprints six times that. The most effective way to reduce your footprint is to live in a smaller house, drive less and eliminate flying regularly. I was able to determine that if I take action to reduce my footprint in other areas I can make one short haul destination flight every year and one long haul destination flight every three years and stay within the 1 ton limit. While I wait for my next opportunity, I explore my own backyard and enjoy staycations. Although driving is still the most popular mode of transport, why not consider a bikepacking trip or even a backpacking trip and reduce your footprint even more?
SEPTEMBER
Shop local. I’m sure you’ve heard this all before but, I’m going to repeat it again. Shopping local helps keep more money circulating locally which plays a vital role funding provide public services such as fire protection and trash collection. Supporting local businesses helps insulate us from recessions. Locally made products help preserve our local culture while creating more jobs. Local businesses support non-profits, often up to 250 percent more than large ones. Shopping local helps keep our communities connected to each other in healthy ways because you’re able to make personal and meaningful connections to small business owners. Shopping local helps enable local business owners to adjust their inventories to include the goods and services local people want to buy or unique products you can’t find anywhere else. Shopping local can be more cost effective with a better customer experience and better quality. Shopping local means less profits ‘leak’ out of our community because small businesses tend to support other local businesses first. For example, the Taghum Shell station stocks a number of staples in its retail store. One of those items is eggs. They are sourced from local farmers and everyone that lives near this store buys their eggs here! They are the best. “We can’t simply say ‘Shop Locally!’ and keep our economy vibrant and healthy,” Harris explains. “We have to take the time and spend the money to support local businesses with our presence and our dollars.
OCTOBER
Host a food swap in your neighbourhood. What’s a food swap you ask? It’s an event where home cooks, bakers, canners, gardeners, and foragers get together to trade their homemade and homegrown food items. For example, someone might trade a loaf of homemade bread for a jar of pickles. The modern food swap movement began in Brooklyn, New York, in 2010. It has spread to every corner of the United States, Canada, Europe, and even South America and the Antipodes.
Food swaps can be large community events or small neighbourhood events but, they all have a few key things in common. No money changes hands. Everything is traded, not bought, and it must be grown or made by the participant. Food swaps help create food sovereignty. Food products sold commercially are subject to health and safety regulations. For example, food that is intended for retail sale must be prepared in a commercial kitchen by someone with proper required permits with sanitation training, and labeled according to industry standards. By swapping, rather than selling food, participants in a food swap can avoid this costly kind of regulation and government scrutiny.
What people bring to food swaps may include baked goods, candies, condiments, preserved fruits and vegetables, cheese, fermented foods, drink syrups, alcoholic infusions, hand-milled flours, herbs and produce from vegetable gardens, eggs from backyard chickens, foraged fruits, mushrooms and plants. Sometimes people bring non-food items, such as dog treats, soaps, art or clothing to swap for food. It is up to the organizer of the swap to determine the theme and what participants can and can’t swap.
NOVEMBER
Embrace homemade gift giving. You don’t have to be a talented artist or skilled seamstress to make wonderful gifts. Gifts of food are always appreciated. Bake cookies and bread or make pickles or chutney. Perhaps you have a good collection of recipes that you can assemble into a cookbook. Create a pretty bouquet or wreath with foraged flowers and plants found in your backyard. Thrifted items that are cleaned and repaired make excellent gifts too. The first bicycle that my parents bought me for a birthday was used and I loved it! One of the best gifts I received was a used, vintage music box that had been repaired. I was so touched that my friend thought of me when she found this item. I’m certain nothing comparable could be found new in stores today. Used books also make great gifts. New books can be very expensive and unaffordable. Even better, you can trade in old books for new ones for gifting. Workshops, tickets to events and other experiences are a good bet too. Homemade, repaired or experiential gifts all require your thoughtfulness. The receiver will appreciate this which makes these types of gifts all that much more meaningful. Plus, there is the added bonus that you will be reducing your consumption overall and that’s the end goal.
DECEMBER
Start living within the seasons. We live in a literal paradise here in the Kootenays with four distinct seasons. Get outside and enjoy what every season has to offer. You’ll feel more connected to your community and to nature and that’s important for both your mental and physical well being. In Spring, explore the forest and discover all the plants popping out of the ground. Flowers are blooming and leaves are unfurling usually with intoxicating fragrances and bright, beautiful colours. A feast for all your senses. Spring is my favourite season full of hope and inspiration. In summer, I love swimming in rivers and lakes. Being in or near water is calming and helps reduce stress. In summer, we get to enjoy long days and warm nights. I feel carefree not having to wear socks or a sweater. All the extra sun gives us so much renewed energy. In fall, I’ll admit I usually feel a bit melancholy with winter just around the corner. Yet, the colours are beautiful and the bounties we harvest from our gardens keep us busy and focused. It’s nice to have a reprieve from the heat, breath crips, cool air while getting cosy around a fire. In winter, I enjoy being out in the snow. I ski, snowshoe, ride my bike and build snow sculptures. When we dress for the weather and get out and exercise in it, we feel better. With longer nights, it makes sense to slow down and sleep more.
We should eat within seasons too. Lighter meals such as salad full of fresh green shoots and berries in the warmer months with heartier meals like roasted root vegetables and preserves baked in pies will be more satisfying during the cooler months. Eating within the seasons supports local farmers, eliminates the need for costly imports and is healthier because it’s fresher. Ultimately, we should be striving to live lives we don’t need vacations from. We need to take time to be present and enjoy every season, be grateful for where we are and recognize that these actions benefit not only ourselves but the entire world.
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