Sustainability the Trini Way

Okay, let's call a spade a spade. This is not World Environment Day that we are commemorating but World Human Race Survival Day. The world, the planet, the natural systems will figure it out. Once the human impact is reduced - either by reduced populations by environmental force or by reduced impact by choice - then the other species will find their way back into balance. Sure it's going to take a long long time after we are gone but in the natural non-human time scale a few thousand years is no more than a second.

So what much of this - Go Green/Save the Planet/Environment Day thing - is really about is attempting to ensure the survival of the human race. The natural world is making a big heave to get back into balance and that can ONLY happen by reducing the impact of humans. The natural world NEVER allows any one species to predominate for too long and endanger the bio-diversity that natural systems strive for.

So how can we reduce our impact right here in Trinidad and Tobago? And this is where things like World Environment Day come in - but still don't be confused that the end goal is about anything but human survival.

1) Eat vegan. This doesn't mean eat vegan every meal or even every day. But really increase your commitment to eating low impact food - which animal products are not. Introduce vegan food into your diet a few times a week to start. And (shameless advertising here), don't forget that you can get locally planted, organic vegan meals at Sun Eaters Organics delivered to your doorstep every weekday.

2) Set limits to your driving. For those of you who live far from work then ensure that the car contains other people going in the same direction Maybe you can share a ride 2 days a week?

3) Eat organic. Organic uses less water, less energy, sequesters carbon in soil, and lots more. See shameless plug above.

4) Start planting. Johnny Stollmeyer and Earle Rahaman-Norohna conduct permaculture planting classes. Johnny and I start a 4 session organic planting class next week Sunday for 2 hours a session (only $25 to come). Plant anything, anywhere to start building your relationship with the natural world.

5) Start recycling. Drop off your stuff at Sun Eaters or if you live in the East go directly to Indo Caribe for newspaper drop off, Carib Glass works with glass, and in El Soccorro you can take plastics.

6) Read any of the Ishmael books - Ishmael, My Ishmael or the final one (I'm writing this on a plane so don't have research access to the internet). You will never be the same.