Minimalist Living: Changing the Environment and You for the Better
Minimalism is becoming a rising trend in mainstream media. This trend is thanks in part to Japanese Tidying Consultant Marie Kondo.
She has found immense success in the states with her bestselling novel and hit Netflix show “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”. Her minimalistic KonMari method of organizing and decluttering houses has changed the lives of hundreds.
Many swear by Kondo’s method of only holding onto things that “spark joy”.
What is Minimalism?
The image that some people have of a minimalistic lifestyle is sacrificing all modern comforts in life. In their heads, minimalism is equivalent to living in the past without any electricity, modes of transport, or water connections.
There may be a few people living like this, but not every minimalist takes it to that extent. There are less extreme forms of minimalism that can be incorporated into your everyday life without any real sacrifices.
In reality, minimalism is a tool. It frees you from your fears, worries, stress, guilt, and so much more. Minimalism allows you to attain real freedom.
This doesn’t mean that owning material possessions is bad. The problem is attaching feelings to these things. As a species, we often attach more meaning to objects than we do to relationships, passions, or personal growth.
Owning a car or house doesn’t mean you can not be a minimalist. Neither does raising a family or having a career. Minimalism simply lets you make these decisions more consciously.
Minimalism is all about living with less. This includes less financial burdens such as debt and unnecessary expenses. For many minimalists, the philosophy is about getting rid of excess stuff and living life based on experiences rather than worldly possessions.
Seth Caraway in his book Minimalism vs. Consumerism: Finding the right balance to take your life back! says,
“[Minimalism] is about finding the right balance between the two that benefit your life the most. The life that still allows you to enjoy the things that make you happy while being grateful for what you have and not always seeking happiness in more.”
Minimalism vs Consumerism
Several items that were considered luxuries a couple of decades ago are now considered necessities. Consumerism is so interbred into everyday life that it is almost impossible to not fall in the trap and it’s the environment and your wallet who suffer.
According to a study titled “Environmental Impact Assessment of Household Consumption” published in the Journal in Industrial Ecology, what people consume is responsible for up to 60% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In other words, we should probably be looking at our consumer habits before blaming a country as a whole.
Naomi Klein delineates in her book This Changes Everything,
“We have an economic system that fetishizes GDP growth above all else, regardless of the human or ecological consequences, while failing to place value on those things that most of us cherish above all — a decent standard of living, a measure of future security, and our relationships with one another.”
This is exactly what is what the minimalist movement is all about. Money can not buy you happiness. It is the connections we have with our friends and family and our experiences that can truly bring us happiness.
Sure a new Louis Vuitton bag may make you feel amazing when you buy it, but that satisfaction won’t last forever.
Minimalism's Effects on the Environment
If the entire world lived like an average US citizen we would need 4 Earths to create enough resources.
Becoming a minimalist doesn’t just benefit you, it benefits the environment as well. By buying fewer things you are consuming fewer resources. Companies won’t start producing less immediately, but over time you will make a difference.
As more people hop on the minimalism train, factory production numbers will go even lower. Therefore carbon emissions would reduce. Minimalism has the potential to create a sustainable future.
3 Ways to Live Minimally
- Food
It’s estimated that 700 million tons of food that could be consumed by humans goes to livestock each year. Going vegan can help combat world hunger and can set us up for a better future. You’ll be healthier and helping the planet at the same time.
2. Travel
A single round-trip flight from New York to Los Angeles exhausts the carbon budget each person on Earth would need to remain within if climate change is to be halted.
It is best that we take mass transit, ride a bike, or walk, instead of hopping on planes or cars. This way, you release little to no carbon emissions.
3. Attire
Humans consume 400 percent more clothes than they did just two decades ago. About 80 billion pieces of clothing are consumed each year and this demand for “fast fashion” is straining the environment.
Instead of buying cheap trendy clothing that won’t last, buy durable clothing that you can wear for years to come.
Minimalism won’t single-handedly solve climate change and save the Earth. But it can change perspectives and allow people to change their lifestyles.
As minimalism grows more popular, companies and the economic system will have to change to a more sustainable system. The question is whether minimalism is just a trend or something that will really change us all for the better.
Sources
Becker, Joshua. “A Helpful Guide to Overcoming Consumerism.” Becoming Minimalist, 1 June 2020, www.becomingminimalist.com/consumer-isnt/.
Becker, Joshua. “Minimalist Lifestyle: 5 Life-Giving Truths From Years of Living…” Becoming Minimalist, 22 Oct. 2019, www.becomingminimalist.com/5-years-of-better/.
Gardner, Brian. “Why Minimalism Is a Better Way of Life.” No Sidebar, 22 Oct. 2019, nosidebar.com/why-minimalism/.
Harveston, Kate. “Can the Rising Trend of Minimalism Help the Environment?” Emagazine.com, 5 Dec. 2018, emagazine.com/can-the-rising-trend-of-minimalism-help-the-environment/#:~:text=The age of minimalism is, less and produce less waste.&text=Doing so means less waste, are stained or beat up.
Jacobs, Suzanne. “Consumerism Plays a Huge Role in Climate Change.” Grist, Grist, 24 Feb. 2016, grist.org/living/consumerism-plays-a-huge-role-in-climate-change/.
Millburn, Joshua Fields. “Minimalism Is Not a Radical Lifestyle.” The Minimalists, The Minimalists, 22 Jan. 2020, www.theminimalists.com/radical/.
Popova, Maria. “The Burning House: What People Would Take If the House Was on Fire.” Brain Pickings, 18 Sept. 2015, www.brainpickings.org/2012/07/19/the-burning-house-foster-huntington/.
Schroeder-Gardner, Michelle, et al. “Shocking Money and Minimalist Statistics About The Things We Spend Money On.” Making Sense Of Cents, 10 Nov. 2017, www.makingsenseofcents.com/2017/11/money-minimalism-statistics.html.
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