Month: April 2023

For my praxis experiment, I chose to go through a day without using single-use plastic. Early into the day, I realized how tricky of an exercise this would be, and I had to give myself permission to move through my day with an increased awareness rather than a restriction on plastic.  It was impossible to make it through just one day without using plastic. While I tend to think of myself as an environmentally conscious human, this experiment has shown me that I certainly have room for improvement. 

I took notes on my plastic use after my morning shower. My shampoo, body wash, and face cleanser are all in plastic bottles. Some of my beauty products (used after my shower in preparation for the day) are in glass bottles and some are in plastic. I assume that I am like many of us, and my toothbrush is also made from plastic, as it my toothpaste tube, dental floss box, and so on. I was overwhelmed and I had not left the house yet! By the time I got to my much-needed cup of coffee, I realized I talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk. 

I typically use one Keurig pod per day to make my coffee. I don’t sit in a drive-through line with my car idling and drive away with a disposable cup, so this makes me feel somewhat better. I know they the plastic coffee pods are terrible for the earth and while I used to use the washable mesh container, I got lazy and started enjoying the ease of the disposable pod.  

My work day was quite effortless in going plastic-free…I fill up my BPA-free water bottle from the water cooler,  use cutlery that I bring in from home for all my meals, and bring my lunch and snacks in glass container (they have plastic lids, but not single-use plastic). However, my protein bar is wrapped in a plastic foil wrapper, and my mid-morning juice comes in a plastic bottle. As I made my way home, I picked up a package on my doorstep that was, you guessed it, wrapped in plastic. In making dinner, I found there to be plastic on so many things. While I recycle the single-use plastic from containers in the cupboard or fridge, there is strong evidence that illustrates the inefficiencies of recycling, so I don’t feel like that’s really doing much to help the root cause. Cleaning up from dinner, I caught a glimpse of my plastic soap dispenser (I do refill it and have been on the same one for well over a year now). Rather than using plastic wrap for the leftovers in the bowl, I used foil. I think that might be trading one evil for another, but I wanted to continue to try my best to avoid plastic. 

As I got ready for bed, I was once again faced with the overwhelming amount of plastic when it comes to personal hygiene products. This was certainly not an easy exercise, and while I wasn’t able to make it through the day without plastic, I am grateful for the awareness that the exercise brought. It certainly started the wheels turning. How can I be better and lead by example?

How did we get to the place where we are so dependent on plastic? “Though plastic—a chain of synthetic polymers, essentially—was invented in the mid-19th century, it wasn’t until the 1970s that its popularity skyrocketed” (Single-Use Plastics 101). Through our desire for things to be convenient, portable, and deliver instant gratification, single-use plastic has permeated an unfathomable number of everyday items.  

Most of us can understand or see, firsthand, the damage that plastic is doing to the environment. From plastic bags and bottles washing up on beaches across the globe to poor children wading in rivers of plastic trash to animals (both land and sea) entangled in our waste, the evidence is all around us. Look at our insatiable human demand for things to constantly be newer, bigger, and better than the previous version, coupled with our desire for convenience and it’s not hard to see the ways in which we are harming the earth. This directly relates to ecofeminism and the ways that humans oppress Mother Nature. If we continue to abuse her the way that we have been, she may give up entirely, and we may be left with nothing at all.  

In addition to the dangers that plastic causes to the world around us, it also has numerous harmful effects on our bodies. “Many of the chemicals in plastics are known endocrine disruptors, and research has suggested that human exposure could cause health impacts including hormonal imbalances, reproductive problems like infertility, and even cancer” (Single-Use Plastics 101). There is an op-ed piece published in the New York Times, which discusses the harmful effects of plastic and how microplastics are showing up in a measurable way, within our bodies (O’Connell). While the evidence of plastic within the human body is real, the effects of this are still being uncovered.

Do I consider my praxis to be successful? I do. While I “failed” in that I did use some single-use plastic throughout the day, my intention created more awareness, as well as a renewed sense of dedication to finding manageable alternatives. I am glad that I chose this exercise for my praxis assignment as it has helped me see where I can personally improve – be it with more eco-friendly replacement options, or cutting down on my capitalistic, consumer-driven need for consumption. As we have learned, ecofeminism looks at how women and the earth and connected and oppressed, and we see substantial evidence of this when looking at the detrimental effects plastic has on both our bodies and the earth.  

If reading this post has brought your own plastic use to your attention, you might be thinking “I’m just one person, what can I do?” There are a lot of things that one person can do, and maybe it’s helpful to think of one or a few small changes that can lead to a compounded, larger effect. Perhaps you start by bringing in washable cutlery to eat meals with while in the office. Maybe you’re committed to bringing both reusable shopping bags and eco-friendly produce bags to the grocery store. If you have been wanting to transition to glass storage containers, this could be the prompt you have been waiting for. Young girls and women who are menstruating can opt for more eco-friendly options – check out this resource guide for more details. 

Is there anything that you can think to start with that will help reduce your single-use plastic consumption? There are so many small steps that we can each take towards eliminating single-use plastic, and it will help reduce the amount of plastic that we need to manufacture as well as the amount of plastic that winds up in landfills or the ocean. Check out some of the sites below with some ideas to get you started. Have a favorite practice you already enjoy? Please share in the comments below!  

The Best Eco-Friendly Alternatives for the Plastic in Your Life | Eartheasy Guides & Articles 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/17/19-genius-inventions-that-can-stop-us-from-using-so-much-plastic/39358833/

https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/10-alternatives-to-plastic-to-bring-into-your-daily-life/

Works Cited 

O’Connell, Mark. “Opinion | What Is the Plastic in Our Bodies Doing to Us?” The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/opinion/microplastics-health-environment.html. 

Single-Use Plastics 101. 9 Jan. 2020, www.nrdc.org/stories/single-use-plastics-101#what. 

In putting what we have learned about ecofeminism into praxis, I am choosing to concentrate on the amount of plastic that is used in daily life and what other products can be a sustainable alternative. While many places in the western world recycle plastic (there are debates on the efficacy of this), the one way to truly decrease the amount of plastic is to find alternative options and more sustainable materials.

For this exercise, I will attempt to go an entire day (within the next week) without using plastic. I am excited for the awareness that this practice will elicit. I know that it will be impossible to get through a day without any plastic use (otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to record my experience via my phone, a pen, or my computer), so I will concentrate on disposable plastic use. In doing so, I will look at where I might use plastic and source out other options. For example, I find plastic utensils to be wasteful, so opt to bring in cutlery from home to keep in my office, and then take it home to wash and bring back in. What other opportunities do I have to do something similar? I will start one morning and go an entire day, trying my best to avoid convenient plastic use, especially when there are other options readily available.

In prepping for this exercise, I started to think about how plastic is everywhere. Through this one day praxis exercise, I will be more aware of where plastic shows up in everyday life, identify instances where I can lessen or eliminate plastic use, and source solutions for items that may have a more sustainable alternative. I think this will be an effective exercise, as I first need to identify the opportunities where unnecessary or excess plastic is used, and then identify alternatives. For example, a wooden toothbrush could be a good substitute for a plastic toothbrush. Instead of using plastic wrap on food items stored in the fridge, what else could I use to prevent the plastic ending up in the trash, and hence, a landfill? The options will need to be readily available to purchase and rather seamlessly be able to incorporate into everyday life as I think this will offer the most success.

The goal for me is to find out how, on an individual level, I can lessen my plastic use and also find alternative options. In doing so, I can do my part in lessening the need for plastic. I can share my findings with family and friends and see if they have an interest in adopting a few small changes into their daily routine. I enjoy writing and sharing information, so I might keep this blog and transition it to one where I can share my thoughts of healthy living, sustainable practices, and maybe even find ways to collaborate with others who are passionate about eco-friendly products and ideals. If you are reading this and have some thoughts on how I can improve upon my praxis, please share! Or, if there is a certain plastic item you’ve been wanting an alternative for, let me know and I can incorporate it into my research. Stay tuned, I’m excited to share my findings!

In previous posts, we have explored some of the ways in which women and the earth are connected.  This week, we explore how the oppression of women and nature are inextricably linked. We’ll also look at how women have, and continue to advocate for the preservation of the Earth and its precious resources.

From the Gendered Impact videos (links below), we hear about the direct connection between the degradation of the earth and how it leads to the oppression and abuse of women within Indigenous communities. The videos discuss what happened to Indigenous communities where mines were established. The mines have detrimental effects on the environment and also on women. In the Land is Identity video, a woman shares how she is scared for her daughter. The mines have altered the landscape, the surrounding ecosystems, and the sacred connection to the land that Indigenous people once had. First Nations women are connected to nature, and when the land is harmed, it is said that they feel it in their body, mind, and soul. Through this connection, Indigenous women also are the advocates for the animals and other life forms that need their protection (KAIROS Canada). In the Violence Against the Land video we hear,  “90% of women said that the mine had increased problems within the community” (KAIROS Canada, “2015 Gendered Impacts Series (5): Violence Against the Land (3:02)”). When there is an increase in revenue through newly created jobs, there is also an increase in drug and alcohol use, which then leads to an increase of domestic abuse against Indigenous women. 

Another example that showcases how closely related the oppression of women and nature are is through the work of Wangari Maathai from Kenya.  Maathai explains how women are responsible for tilling the earth, planting and tending crops, and harvesting the bounty to feed their families. With this, “they are the first to become aware of environmental damage that harms agricultural production: if the well goes dry, they are the ones concerned about finding new sources of water and those who must walk long distances to fetch it” (Cstraight Media – http://www.cstraight.com). Matthai is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, which began on Earth Day, 1977, and has now expanded to include over 30 countries across the globe. By encouraging women to plant “green belts” (to slow soil erosion, create shade, and produce a steady supply of lumber), she advocates for planting, harvesting, generating revenue, and creating community connections. Matthai is literally teaching women across the globe the important connection between women and the earth, and how to sustainably grow what is needed for survival.

In addition to this, Matthai intervened with the government wanted to erect the tallest building in Nairobi, in the center of a treasured public park. With her strong convictions and fearless leadership, the building was never built. Matthai was physically beaten and threatened with female genital mutilation in an attempt to help her “behave as a woman should.” This is a prime example of how the patriarchy exert their power and domination over both women and nature. In the coming years, Matthai organized and participated in more protests, generally yielding favorable results, and a high cost to her own safety. And yet, she continued on. The shares that she had the courage to continue these fights to save the earth, and the people that inhabit it, and does so without thinking of the terrible things that could happen to her as a result. When speaking about how she finds her courage, she says “At this particular moment, I am only seeing one thing—that I am moving in the right direction” (Cstraight Media – http://www.cstraight.com).

Both of these examples illustrate the innate connection that women have with nature. In understanding how sacred nature is and what is means to our survival, these women are able to share their knowledge, organize themselves to stand up to the patriarchal rule around them, and lead by example. Through their courage they not only preserve the world around them, like Matthai, they strengthen the knowledge and connections to the community around them. They work to empower women to stand up for themselves, their children, and their heritage.

Upon closer examination, we can see that the material deprivations and cultural losses of the marginalized and the poor are a result of  disempowerment and environmental degradation. When one person or group has too much power, there is another person or group that is at risk of being oppressed. Ecofeminism: A Latin America Perspective offers that when speaking of ecofeminism, women in Latin America struggle to understand the concept as there is such a strong reliance upon the patriarchy and the church (Gebara, 93). This in turn creates a population of women who are marginalized as they suffer from the effects of both the  patriarchy and capitalism (Gebara, 95). Gebara continues with the example of the daily cycle of hope, disappointment, fear, complacency, and exhaustion. Women send their children to school, rarely work outside of the home (which means they are reliant upon husbands/partners for any income), hope that their children come home having eaten, are heartbroken when they haven’t, and this day can be topped off by her husband/partner coming home with an abusive streak or wanting sex, which could add yet another child to this continuously broken cycle.

We see the detrimental effects of capitalism, especially in marginalized and poor countries in respect to trash. Trash is certainly a by-product of capitalism, and for those countries with no program to manage it, can be funnelled in heaps to slum neighborhoods.  The article that references Recife, Brazil with a literal river of trash, and for some, the only way in which they can make a minuscule income. In wading through the trash, it is again, women and children who search for aluminum or metal to then sell (Corrêa).

The image above of a child in filthy river of trash is heart-wrenching on so many levels. None of us would ever hope for this for a child, be it our own or anyone else’s. There is no innocence for this child, and those who are marginalized as a direct result of patriarchal rule, capitalism without social responsibility, and the degradation and disrespect of nature. As we have previously looked at, the concept of intersectionality illustrates the many layers of identity that the people within these marginalized groups encompass. It’s not to say that the people who are so oppressed even know how to assess the different layers and labels, as they are clearly trying their best to survive on a daily basis. This problem is one that can benefit by being looked at by ecofeminism through a thoughtful and all-encompassing lens. We owe it to humanity and our earth to harness our insatiable demand for more and the right to assert power over other humans.

 

 

Corrêa, Talita. The Brazilian Slum Children Who Are Literally Swimming in Garbage. 30 Jan. 2014, www.vice.com/en/article/kwpwja/the-brazilian-slum-children-who-are-literally-swimming-in-garbage-0000197-v21n1.

Cstraight Media – http://www.cstraight.com. Speak Truth to Power | the Green Belt Movement. www.greenbeltmovement.org/wangari-maathai/key-speeches-and-articles/speak-truth-to-power.

Gebara, Ivone. “Ecofeminism: A Latin America Perspective.” Cross Currents, no. Spring 2003, 2003.

KAIROS Canada. “2015 Gendered Impacts Series (4): Land Is Identity (2:28).” YouTube, 14 Mar. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LopcPrSvDBw.

—. “2015 Gendered Impacts Series (5): Violence Against the Land (3:02).” YouTube, 21 Mar. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlbc2dD0gP0.