Our planet is dying.

This is a sentence that rings loud and clear in my ears almost daily.

It’s such an abstract concept to grasp. This planet is all any of us have ever known. And if you’re anywhere near my age, we’ve heard our planet is dying since elementary school.

Ice caps are melting, and temperatures are rising, there’s more plastic in our oceans than ever before.

And yet from my little tiny corner of Minnesota, things still look, feel, and stay the same. But this appearance of “everything being fine” is just the surface level. You dig a little deeper and start to see how complex the world we live in really is.

There are 7 billion people on this planet, and lately, it seems that a new problem is popping up everywhere you look. I could fill this blog post with a ton of facts about how, as soils turn to dust around the world, every year 40 million people are pushed off their land. By 2050 it’s estimated that 1 billion people will be refugees of soil desertification.

But statistics like that only tend to throw me into a deep depression.

I have seen up close in Haiti how poor soil leads to poor people. I also believe that poor land leads to social division. When communities around the world have a natural disaster after natural disaster, everyone becomes exhausted. People need to move and migrate. Causing more stress and leading to conflict.

I could share a whole blog post just of statistics to try and make you aware of how severe of a threat climate change really is. But chances are if you’re reading this, you already know.

So instead, I’m going to share some of my heart.

Until recently, I would sit on my couch, read articles on my phone, watch documentaries, and get so upset. I was depressed about how hopeless our situation seemed. Mad about those who don’t see the problem and don’t care about the issues.

I was so exhausted from being depressed and mad. I decided to revisit information with a new lens. And at the end of the day, I found every place I looked wasn’t only talking about the problems climate change is causing on our world and societies but also offering solutions. Usually, small tweaks we can all make in our own lives to add up to massive change.

I’ve seen how complicated our world really is. It’s so intriguing to me how one problem usually leads to another or is connected somehow.

For example, our consumption habits are so large we are not only harming the environment with mass production, but also impacting others’ lives. People worldwide are forced to work in terrible conditions to keep up with America’s large consumption and low market prices.

A lot of the things we buy and consume are not produced fairly and equitably. And by buying into that system, we are unknowingly putting our stamp of approval on a system that isn’t really working for anyone except a few players at the very top.

It’s time to change up the game. Change our buying habits and support the companies and communities that are doing things the right way.

Now I understand that’s a challenge in its self. In America, we’re tied into 40+ work weeks. That makes coming home at the end of the day to research where all of our products are coming from seem impossibly exhausting.

I get it. I’ve been there too, and some days I still live in that headspace.

Which is why it’s so important to help each other out. Share information and support companies we already know are good, like there’s no tomorrow.

So that’s my goal. I am a longgg ways away from being the perfect consumer. But we have so much power in what we purchase in life, which is why I’m working so hard to leverage my purchasing power as much as I possibly can. And am inviting all of you to come alongside me on this journey.

Because when we all decide to spend our time empowering each other, instead of giving in to the system and just trying to get ahead of one another – I think real change can happen.

The story around climate change doesn’t have to be a depressing Doomsday tale. Together, we can turn it into one of hope and community.

So, to kick us all off, I’m sharing my heart and hope for the future, along with three documentary recommendations that are filled with facts and hope. Watching these is as easy as coming home after work and turning on Netflix or Amazon just like you do every night. All of these have direct, small steps you can take to make our world a better place.

Kiss the Ground – Netflix

Poverty Inc – Amazon

The Biggest Little Farm – Amazon

Bonus: The Ugly Truth About Fast Fashion – Volume 5 of the Patriot Act.