Earth overshoot day 2017.

Aug 3, 2017 | 3 comments

In the marketing world, it is said that word-of-mouth communication is among the most credible and effective ways to sell a product. What if, for a brief moment, we could pretend that this product was to take better care of our planet and our bio-capacity?

/ This Tuesday I heard on the radio that on August the 2nd 2017 we would hit “Earth Overshoot Day”. That is the day of the year where we have used more bio-capacity from nature than it can now reproduce in a whole year. This means that we spend the rest of the year tearing on natural capacity that we don’t really have have. This day is highlighted every year, and this time we hit the date almost a week earlier than last year. It’s scary, that it evolves that fast.

I just wanted to use this information to share my concern with you. You know, I do my best not to judge others, point my finger and tell you how we should all do. I’m not an expert and I’m not even the perfect consumer. I’d rather show you in a constructive way how to actually change your old habits as a regular consumer while not feeling that it takes away all the joy in your life. You can read much more about how I personally pursue that right HERE. A clever follower wrote to me that the most important thing is to feel some kind of joy when you want to change your old habits. Otherwise, it’s almost impossible to find the strength to continue. And I am sure that this concern that life will not be “worth” living if you cut down on your consumption is something many people recognize. But difference does it make that I, this one tiny little person out of millions, change my habits?

In the marketing world, it is said that word-of-mouth communication is among the most credible and effective ways to sell a product. What if, for a brief moment, we could pretend that this product was to take better care of our planet and our bio-capacity?

I tirsdags hørte jeg i radioen, at vi d. 2 august 2017 ville ramme “Earth Overshoot Day”. Det vil sige, den dag på året hvor vi har opbrugt mere biokapacitet fra naturen end den kan nå at reproducere. Det betyder, at vi resten af året tærer på naturkapacitet som vi egentlig ikke har. Denne dag markeres hvert år, og denne gang er vi en lille uge tidligere ude i forhold til for blot et år siden. Det går skræmmende hurtigt, synes jeg.

Jeg ville blot bruge denne information til, at dele min bekymring med jer. I ved jeg gør mit bedste for ikke at dømme andre, løfte pegefingeren og fortælle jer hvordan vi alle burde gøre. Jeg er ingen ekspert og jeg er ikke selv den perfekte forbruger. Jeg vil meget hellere vise jer på en konstruktiv måde, hvordan man faktisk som almindelig forbruger kan ændre sine gamle forbrugsvaner, samtidig med man ikke føler det tager alt glæden fra én. Det kan I bl.a. læse meget mere om lige HER. En klog læser skrev på et tidspunkt til mig, at man er nødt til, at føle glæde ved de ændringer man foretager sig. Ellers kan man ikke finde styrke til, at fortsætte. Og jeg er sikker på, at denne bekymring for, at livet jo ikke bliver “værd” at leve, hvis man skærer ned på sit forbrug er noget mange kan nikke genkendende til. Selvom de selv samme mennesker inderst inde alligevel godt kan mærke lidt dårlig samvittighed. Hvad hjælper det at jeg, den her ene lille bitte person ud af millioner af mennesker ændrer mine vaner?

I marketing verdenen siger man, at mund-til-mund kommunikation er blandt de allermest troværdige og effektive måder, at sælge et produkt på. Hvad nu hvis vi et kort øjeblik lod som om, at dette produkt var, at tage bedre hensyn til vores planet og vores biokapacitet?

/ Some environmentalists believe that there is no such thing as a “conscious” consumer. I understand this way of thinking, because if you’re just conscious but not really more than that – if you’re really just what I would call a passive conscious consumer, it’s not helping us. On the other hand, I think that being an active conscious consumer is infectious. For example, you talk to your colleagues around the lunch table at work, and even consumption habits are a topic that is regularly reversed – at least at my job. And here I would like to put in my example of the word-of-mouth theory. We as human beings constantly learn from each other. We are inspired by each other and the choices we make. I know that I have a large interface on my social channels and therefore I can reach out to a lot of people with my message about less consumption. But I don’t think that it should prevent you as an individual in taking a responsibility and cutting down on your consumption. Perhaps it will spread to your own entourage; word-of-mouth!

I know that there are many political and economic reasons for the fact that there are still many people that don’t for example buy organic groceries. But cutting down on your consumption of e.g. clothes and beauty products, doesn’t even cost you more. The problem is more the fact that we are struggling to leave the crazy overconsumption-party we are all attending. We continue to postpone the hangover. Laugh a little instead. Because you are taking a risk if you try to leave; you turn down “fun” as soon as you try to get up and leave this this overconsumption-party and I would like to be the first to admit that it can be a little challenging especially socially. You feel like you are being looked at as “a fanatic” who might take environmentalism a little too seriously, the girl who is practicing something that for other more ordinary consumers seems completely impossible (and boring).

I just want to say that the afterparty is not that bad either. Actually not at all. Okay, I’ll stop with the metaphors … 😉 I hope you understand what I mean. I sincerely feel healthier and more liberated, both mentally and physically. I still love fashion and styling, but through my blog I have realized that there are other fun and creative ways to express myself rather than constantly buying new things. The joy of new things usually doesn’t last that long anyway (and so we are once again out on a “hunt”), but the joy of presence, experiences and long and meaningful conversations is stored in our memory much longer. I feel much more creative in my attempt to learn the art of limitation; new and unforeseen ideas arise all the time. Anyway, I hope my thoughts about Earth Overshoot Day has given you a little more to think about. Preferably a little more than just thinking; I hope it has inspired you to act.

Nogle miljøforkæmpere mener, at det er en skrøne, at der overhovedet er noget der hedder en “miljøbevidst” forbruger. Jeg kan godt forstå denne tankegang, for hvis man bare er bevidst, men ikke rigtig er mere end dét – hvis man egentlig bare er det jeg vil kalde passiv miljøbevidst forbruger, så hjælper det os ikke nogen vegne. Derimod mener jeg, at dét at være aktiv miljøbevidst forbruger smitter. Man taler fx om stort og småt med sine kollegaer rundt om frokostbordet på jobbet, og selv forbrugsvaner er et emne der jævnligt bliver vendt – ihvertfald på min arbejdsplads. Og her vil jeg gerne indsætte min teori om mund-til-mund metoden. Vi mennesker spejler os i hinanden, og vi lærer hele tiden af hinanden. Bliver inspirerede af hinanden og de valg vi træffer. Jeg ved godt, at jeg har en stor kontaktflade på mine sociale kanaler og dermed kan nå bredt ud med mit budskab. Men jeg mener ikke det bør forhindre dig som enkelt individ i, at tage et ansvar og skære ned på dit forbrug. Måske vil det brede sig til din egen omgangskreds; mund-til-mund!

Jeg ved godt der ligger mange politiske og økonomiske årsager til grund for, at der stadig er mange mennesker som fx ikke køber økologisk. Men at skære ned på sit forbrug af fx tøj og skønhedsprodukter koster os jo egentlig heller ikke mere, tværtimod. Det handler mere om, at vi har svært ved, at forlade den forbrugsfest vi allesammen sidder mit i. Vi bliver ved med, at udskyde tømmermændene, som har halet godt og grundigt ind på os. Gør lidt grin med det hele. For man løber lidt en risiko; du takker nej til “det sjove” så snart du rejser dig fra denne forbrugsfest og jeg vil gerne være den første til at indrømme, at det især kan være lidt svært socialt. Du føler dig hurtigt stemplet som “hende den fanatiske” der måske tager vores overforbrug en tand for alvorligt, hende som praktiserer noget der for andre, mere almindelige forbrugere virker fuldstændig umuligt (og kedeligt).

Jeg vil bare sige, at efterfesten nu heller ikke er helt værst. Faktisk slet ikke. Okay, nu kammer det vidst lidt over med de metaforer… 😉 Jeg håber I forstår hvad jeg mener. Jeg føler mig oprigtigt talt mere sund og frigjort, både mentalt og psykisk. Jeg elsker stadig mode og styling, men har gennem bloggen indset, at der findes andre ligeså sjove og kreative måder, at udtrykke sig selv på end ved konstant, at købe nye ting. Glæden ved nye ting varer som regel ikke ved ret længe (og så må vi afsted på “jagt” igen), men glæden ved nærvær, oplevelser og lange snakke lagres i vores hukommelse meget længere. Jeg føler mig ikke mindst meget mere kreativ i mit forsøg på, at lære begrænsningens kunst; nye og uforudsete idéer opstår hele tiden. Anyway, jeg håber mine tanker om Earth Overshoot Day har givet jer lidt mere at tænke over. Helst lidt mere end blot at tænke; jeg håber det har inspireret jer til at handle.

3 Comments

  1. Susanne

    I was not even aware that this day existed. Thank you so much for sharing! I really enjoyed this post.

    Greetings from the Netherlands!

    Reply
  2. Nancy

    So well written and thoughtful. I am a new reader, and I’m really impressed. You are certainly nudging me in the right direction in terms of changing my habits! Thank you.

    Reply
    • signeh24

      Thank YOU for writing me this comment! <3 I'm glad you find my content inspiring!

      Reply

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