The journey towards sustainability isn't an easy one, but with each commitment to mindful action, it becomes a more attainable reality.
In this series of interviews, we shed light on how young Filipinos are contributing to bring this collective dream of ours to life.
It's an honor to have Carmen Castellanos with us for this.
How are you celebrating Earth Day?
I’m probably going to tend to my garden and appreciate the little nature I have around me. As well as finding better alternatives for everyday self care essentials. Using NANU is another way I’m celebrating Earth Day, because caring for yourself doesn’t have to cost the environment anything. We can all be happy if we make a conscious effort.
What's the biggest change you've made for the environment?
Boycotting fast fashion. After reading up on the negative impacts of fast fashion, I was inspired to make that change for the better. Fast fashion has created unethical practices for its workers and the environment, and to me its a reflection of humanities’ disconnect with nature, and even with ourselves. Boycotting fast fashion also allowed me to discover our local fashion industry and their initiatives towards sustainability.
What are your main resources of information about the realities of climate change?
Documentaries
IG pages of Climate activists and orgs
Friends that are just as passionate
Can you give at least 3 actionable steps that we can take in our daily lives to secure a better future?
Educate yourselves about ongoing environmental issues; being aware and open is one of the most powerful actions that anyone can make.
Making more conscious decisions, always take into account the environmental impacts of your decisions, whether it be your diet, clothing, transportation, etc., but of course remember to do everything at your own pace. Making the switch can be quite overwhelming, so don’t pressure yourself, we’re all trying to do our part no matter how small.
Bring your own bag, water jug, and utensils :)
What does your ideal green future look like?
To me an ideal green future would be a circular economy. Although this seems quite far off into the future, it’s something I think about often. Investing and creating using our natural resources without exhausting all of it, and of course finding more effective ways to recycle everything that we put out into the world. I’d say that unity is also something I associate with an ideal green future because when we all come together we can make a big difference, and I really feel like that’s what we’re missing in our fight against climate change. If we all listened to each other and prioritized these environmental initiatives, then we’d see a great difference.
Thank you to Carmen for spending this time with us, and for sharing her knowledge and inspiration. To learn more about Carmen, check her on Instagram.
Use code CARMCEE for a 10% discount starting April 23 until June 23 2021.