How to be a Daily Activist
Yes, I believe you can be an activist! Even if you’re just starting zero waste TODAY. Every little thing we do matters. It is never BAD to do a GOOD thing! So, here are some ways that I partake in activism every day from more traditional means to small things you may not have considered activism until today. Let’s chat about it!
What is activism?
According to Wikipedia, activism “consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good.”
Do you promote efforts for a common good? Then you can consider yourself an activist! Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all model to activism. You don’t have to protest or donate all of your money, but you can. Alternatively, you can do little actions like shopping small and walking vs driving. It DOES count as activism in my book! Here are some small ways you can be an activist.
So, here are some small things that I do most every day that may inspire you to be a daily activist as well:
Walk and Bike
I think one of the most impactful things we can do as individuals for the planet is to boycott Big Oil as much as we possibly can. They are the reason we are here in the first place when it comes to climate change, and even other socio-political issues like war. Many items on this list are going to fall into this broad category of Voting with your Dollar. This means diverting your money from wasteful companies like Big Oil and using your money for good by shopping small, for example (more on this topic next). The less money we give to these wasteful companies, the less money they will have to pollute and do other evil things. It doesn’t seem like much if I stop giving them $1 per day, but if every single person on the planet did that, you can see how huge an impact that makes.
That’s largely what my activism comes down to. It’s easy to discount our small actions, but I recognize their power when we all do them together. If you can, join me in going car-lite and using my car as little as possible by walking, biking, and car-pooling. Check out this week-long car-free challenge I did recently here!
Consuming Less and General Boycotts
I also just quit giving other wasteful companies my money, too! Amazon, Target, Walmart, Temu, Shein, and more NEVER get my money. I would rather be inconvenienced than give them my money to do evil things.
And in general, I just shop much less than I used to. We have an overconsumption problem in the US. Yes, we need to buy things to survive, like shelter and clothing and food, but that is not an excuse to consume more than we need. I still indulge myself in sweet treats and new-to-me items from the thrift store, but compared to teenage me, I’ve come a long way in changing my shopping habits.
You can learn more about breaking up with overconsumption here. But in general, I’ve found other things to fill my time with besides shopping and also overconsuming content by scrolling too much. I instead fill my days with reading, crocheting, painting, dancing, playing games with friends, hiking, learning, walking, and more!
Shop Small
Speaking of voting with our dollars, when I do need to buy something, I shop small. I ran out of hand sanitizer the other day, and instead of running to REI, where I got the original bottle, I hit up my local soap makers just to check. And, they had liquid hand sanitizer that I could also refill! I got to refill the bottle I already had for just $7, which supported a local business, cut down on shipping emissions, reduced packaging waste, and I even went on foot!
Not only does it just feel better to give money back to my community than an evil mega corporation, but there are many other environmental benefits to shopping small that you can check out here.
Shop Secondhand
In that same vein, if I need something, I almost always check the thrift store first! For example, I’m writing this as my spring semester comes to an end and I need to prepare for the next one. I plan to hit the thrift shops this summer to find new notebooks, notecards, folders, and other supplies I may need instead of shopping new.
There are many benefits to shopping secondhand, but ultimately it comes down to saving you money, preventing these items from going to the landfill, and stopping the production of so many new things. We have so much stuff on this planet already. Let’s consume what’s already been created instead of increasing the demand for new stuff.
Contact my Reps
I’ll admit, this isn’t quite daily, but I try! From calling my reps using the 5 Calls app to using the Resistbot toolto send emails to my reps and even sending the government postcards made out of trash, I like to be loud and let my reps know when they do evil and bad things. The most important part of this is to remind them that they don’t have your vote if they do evil things. The most evil of our reps love two things: money and power. We can’t take away their lobbyist money, but we can take away their power with our votes. Remind them (and yourself) of YOUR power. Contact them and demand that they do their jobs to create better lives for us all.
Recycle, Reuse, & Compost
It seems silly and small, but recycling and composting matter! Everything we can divert from the landfills matters. Of course, reducing and refusing what we consume matters more. Check out the “R’s” of Sustainability here. But once that item is in your home, think about how you can avoid throwing it away. Most commonly, I recycle and compost. I follow my recycling rules and use curbside composting as well as worm composting.
But I also love to reuse and upcycle! Old jars get washed and reused as cups or storage containers, I’ve been saving hummus lids as drip trays for house plants, junk mail gets saved to take notes on, and things of that nature.
Get creative and avoid the landfill!
Eat Plant-Based
A plant-based diet is a great way to partake in vegan activism if that’s your thing, but also environmental activism! But why? Here are some key points:
A plant-based diet uses less water, a resource we are consuming a lot of these days
It also requires less land to feed a human than it does to feed and house a cow (or other livestock)
It creates far fewer greenhouse gas emissions
Of course, the animal aspect, fewer critters have to die on your behalf
Since animals require so much land, avoiding eating them helps reduce deforestation
And more! Check out all of the environmental benefits to eating fewer animals in this video. And reduce your reliance on animal products to partake in daily activism!
Inspire Others
I think one of the BEST things we can do for the planet is to ensure others join us in this fight. It’s amazing that you want to help. Thank you for being here! It’s even more amazing, though, if you inspire a friend or family member to join you. And they also inspire one person who inspires another who inspires another….and so on! The more of us that boycott wasteful brands, vote with our dollars, consume less, reuse more, shop small more, and the like, is how we make bigger and better changes faster and on larger scales.
Encourage the folks in your circles to join the movement for a cleaner planet! Lead by example, talk about these topics, and approach it all kindly and without judgment. Here is my advice for inspiring others to go zero waste.
Sign Petitions
A SUPER easy way to partake in activism while you’re scrolling is to sign petitions you see. When I’m clicking through Instagram stories, I often see my fellow activists sharing action items. I take the time to sign it real quick. It’s the least I can do while I’m using my privilege to scroll. And, that leads us into our next one….
Spread the Word
Once you’ve taken action, share it with others! Make that impact grow exponentially by sharing with at least two people and encouraging those two people to also share with two people. Of course, the more the merrier, but even this small number can grow FAST!
But also spread the word about other things! Share book recommendations, an infographic, a video in which you learned something, a helpful app, an informative article, a documentary, and so forth. The more of us that are aware of these issues, the better! And, a bonus way I do activism, I stay informed and seek out this information on purpose to always keep learning.
Engaged in Politics All Year Long
I know many people who only vote in the presidential election or only in November of every year. But what if I told you there are more changes to vote and more ways to be politically involved?
First, vote in every election every year. Most states hold primary elections before the main election in November. This is how we narrow down our choices. As I’m writing this, we are preparing for a primary in California for our governor’s seat. Be aware of when these occur and be sure to vote in the primaries!
Also, vote in special elections! These are sporadic votes held throughout the year for things such as the legalization of marijuana, protecting abortion access, voting on gerrymandering laws, and so forth. Keep your eye out for these so that you can have your voice heard!
But also, be an informed voter all year long! Before the primary or main election, that is the time to research the candidate, not when you walk into your polling place. Understand who is running and check out their platforms as well as campaign donors to see if you stand by that person and those who are monetarily supporting them.
Lastly, partake in local politics, too. Head to a city council meeting, join your local school board, help out a local campaign to get votes, help your neighbors register to vote, and so forth. We may not be able to change the world, but we sure can impact our direct communities. Start now!
Use Reusables
Using your reusables is a great way to partake in activism. It’s not traditionally what most folks would call activism, but it still matters. It prevents new items from being created, helps us save money, and cuts down on our reliance on our broken recycling system. It’s small, but it matters! Just imagine how many single-use water bottles you prevent as one person. Now multiply that impact to see how huge this action is when we all do it together. It matters!
Give Back to my Community
You don’t need a ton of time or money to help your community members. Here are a few things I do that you can take inspiration from:
I know where my Free Little Pantries are and I donate to them when I have extra to give
I also donate my old books to Little Free Libraries
I support my local farmers at the farmers market vs mega corporation growers at the grocery store
When I have the funds, I donate to folks’ GoFundMe’s after a disaster or to help keep a roof over someone’s head
When time allows, I donate my time and volunteer to remove invasive species, to trash clean ups, and things of that nature
I go to talks from organizers in my community to better understand my community’s needs and how I can help fill those spots
I give rides to friends so they don’t have to rely on mega corporation rideshare services
I provide a spare room and an air mattress to friends visiting, so they don’t have to rely on wasteful hotel chains
I help friends with whatever they need help with, without seeking compensation
I teach my community skills like baking their own sourdough bread
And more! Let us know how you give back so that we can all be inspired with new ways to help!
Avoid AI
AI is bad for the planet, and you can learn more here. So, I avoid it as much as I possibly can!
I have removed the permissions on Gmail so that Google can no longer train AI from my private emails. I use my own brain to write 100% of my posts vs using AI-generation to do them for me. I block AI accounts on social media and follow human artists. When I want to buy art, I make sure it is human-made.
And I just generally advocate for responsible use of AI. I wish everyone would give it up, but I know that’s not the case. I urge people to use it sparingly and ethically. Let us know how you boycott AI below and stay tuned for my full video on the topic!
Thanks for reading, I appreciate your time!
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
