Land

Chapter 4 - Deforestation and Desertification

• Sign petitions that support the mandatory labeling of all products that contain ingredients like palm oil which are produced as a direct result of deforestation. Holding large corporations accountable for their participation in these destructive activities is the first step in initiating change.

• Encourage your government to protect important local woodlands from real estate developers. Alternatively, sign petitions to designate specific protected areas where new home expansion is important to help meet housing requirements for our growing population.

• Volunteer at tree planting organisations in your local area and abroad. Counteracting deforestation comes in two parts: petitioning against mass deforestation, while also engaging in the replanting of trees whenever possible. When the right species are planted in the right locations, these trees can help absorb masses of CO2 from the atmosphere, which helps minimise the effects of climate change made worse by these deforesting activities.

• If you’d rather leave the work to the experts, you can donate to tree planting organisations like the Eden Reforestation Project that works with local communities to restore forests on a massive scale. Visit their website at https://www.edenprojects.org/ You can also help out by donating to WeForest. This organization has programs in place where you can sponsor a forest as a company or as an individual, plant trees locally, or make a donation to help combat deforestation.

• You can help support Seedballs Kenya (@seedballskenya on Instagram) and donate a bag of seedballs to help re-green Kenya by visiting the donation page on their website: https://www.seedballskenya.com/donate

• Signing petitions that push your government to pass policies which regulate farming practices. Petitions which put mandates in place to minimise deforestation or encourage the planting of trees are especially useful. These mandates will work to help protect the soils we depend on by preventing overfarming and ensuring we are more responsible with our agricultural water usage.

• The UN observes the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought every year on June 17. This day is a great opportunity to raise awareness of these important issues. On June 17, post about these issues on social media, tell your friends, and learn more about what is being done. There is strength in numbers, so getting as many people as possible to understand the detrimental effects of deforestation and desertification puts power behind the movement to stop it.

• Finally, as desertification puts greater numbers of people at risk of becoming environmental refugees, you can get involved with groups like the Climate Refugees organisation who work to educate the public and organise think tanks. They provide letter templates you can use to easily contact your government about these issues.

  Chapter 5 - Regeneration & Protection

• You can support JustDiggit in their mission to re-green Africa and buy a bund for around $9(€8) to help out! Visit their website at https://buy-a-bund.justdiggit.org/ By buying bunds you can help invest in a cooler climate and directly support an African farmer who digs the bunds.

• Support farmers and organisations which are promoting and using regenerative practices. Check for the Land to Market verified seal on products at the supermarket. These are products which have been grown on land that’s actively regenerating.

• Plant your own garden at home if you can. Getting your vegetables from your own garden is the most sustainable thing you can do and it will help regenerate the microhabitat of your backyard.

  Chapter 6 - Plastic Pollution

• If you’re interested in shopping without plastic, you can find the locations of Bulk Stores on websites such as app.zerowastehome.com or litterless.com if you’re in the United States. If you’re outside of the US, you can search for ‘bulk stores near me’ or ‘zero-waste shops near me’ to find local solutions. Remember to bring your own reusable cloth bags, containers, or jars to the store!

• Shopping at farmers markets is fantastic for many reasons, one of them being that you can buy local goods without all the plastic packaging or those pesky little stickers! Check out localharvest.org to find your local farmer’s market if you’re in the US and farminguk.com/farm-shop-map if you’re in the UK.

• Avoid buying new whenever possible. Usually, new products come in an abundance of plastic packaging, and require a whole new set of materials to make them. By looking for what you need at local second hand shops, on websites such as Facebook Marketplace or Freecycle, you can avoid all that plastic and likely save a bunch of money too! A personal favourite of mine is the Buy Nothing Project, the world's biggest gift economy, which you can learn more about here: https://buynothingproject.org/

• If you’re in the UK, you can use the website recyclenow.com to find out what you can recycle at home and where the nearest drop off is for those pesky items your council doesn’t recycle curbside.

  Chapter 7 - Indigenous Wins

• Support farmers and organizations which are using Indigenous practices by choosing their products over companies using less sustainable farming practices.

• Consider buying local Indigenous products like Indigenous artwork, jewelry, and food before considering other alternatives.

• Most importantly… listen. Listen to what the Indigenous communities have been telling us, not only to their knowledge which can help us, but also to their lived experiences in order for us to better understand. Healing begins with acknowledgement, so listening to understand and recognise these injustices is a good place to start.

• Sign petitions to support First Nations people having their land returned to them. Organisations like Landback are doing great work to raise awareness and help return land to Indigenous communities. Returning land to its rightful owners will allow it to be cared for properly and allow for justice, as we return what was taken so long ago.