Having recently discovered about the movement called Ecofeminism, I found myself drawing a lot of comparisons from it to my own life. Turns out, I have been doing this ecofeminist thing for at least 6 years now.
You might be thinking that it sounds kind of complicated to be a tree-hugging, woman-power-promoting child of the earth, but at the end of the day, it is the most satisfying lifestyle I can think of, and it comes quite naturally. Discover the beauty of living an eco-feminist life and consider changing your lifestyle starting today.
Ecofeminism refresher
Just in case you need a short recap on what ecofeminism is and how it works, it’s a movement founded on the belief that women and nature have both be repressed by the patriarchy and misogyny.
Throughout history, there have been incidents where masculinity and industrialism have been parallels and advertised as the stronger aspects of life. Meanwhile, women and nature are weak and need to be controlled.
The philosophy behind ecofeminism is also centralized on the belief that women should be allowed to be women. Some argue that this viewpoint is merely placating sexism because women being women equates to being mothers and caretakers.
Regardless of whether you agree with this or not, for me, ecofeminism has proven to be a great way to restructure my life to be more sustainable. When I look at life from this perspective – that helping the environment will also help me and my sisters – living green becomes much more than just following recycling rules.
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Back to nature
- Produce and consume only enough to satisfy your basic needs. Fight the urge to be a consumerist, buying more than what you truly need.
- Only take from nature what you need. In other words, don’t chop down the whole tree if you only need one branch.
- Promote an environment where every man and woman can discuss their needs with everyone else without judgment.
- Develop “synergic” problem-solving approaches. The problems society faces cannot be tackled by one person or one line of thought. We need to embrace what makes us unique and blend those components together.
- The modern day should learn from the past in order to avoid remaking mistakes. This applies to even our daily lives.
- Make your daily life a balance of work, play, rationality, and spirituality. These facets touch on every aspect of our inner nature.
- Nature is not a personal possession but something to be enjoyed by everyone.
- Men, in particular, tend to see money and objects rather than less tangible things. See beyond material items to what makes life good: love, relationships, friendships, and memories.
- Caring, compassion, and nurturing others need to be cultivated over selfishness and wantonness. Caring for one another and the world is the only way to preserve this planet.
- No one can obtain everything.
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Eco-friendly life
It’s going on six years now that I made the decision to become a vegetarian. When I did so, it was because I saw the lives being wasted, the lands being razed down to make more room for cruel slaughterhouses. Being in Japan taught me about sustainable living and eco-friendly lifestyle decisions, as well as the true methodology behind “waste not, want not.”
Upon delving fully into the vegetarian and nature-loving lifestyle, I felt liberated. More in tune with the world. I have always loved nature like a best friend, but now I can feel its heartbeat.
I’m not saying that you need to turn your life upside down to be an ecofeminist. You do not have to go vegetarian or vegan unless you really want to. Making smart decisions about what food products you are eating, for one, can be all the difference in the world for the natural environment.
Embrace “Meatless Monday.” Add organic, local produce to your diet. Don’t just recycle. Upcycle and reuse. Getting started takes some effort, I won’t lie. Yet once you reconnect to the natural energies blossoming from within, the rhythm is circadian.
Dig in
We are all sons and daughters of this planet. It is terrifying to think that one day the future generations will see a much less beautiful world. Our selfishness and separation from nature have done horrendous things to Earth. Climate change will continue to worsen unless we take the steps needed to actually turn the negatives into positives.
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You do not have to subsist from all modern innovations or totally bash the patriarchy. Instead, use the ecofeminist philosophy to help you make sustainable decisions. Embrace nature, plant the seeds of compassion and power and implement some eco-friendly practices. There are so many benefits you can reap from living an eco-feminist life.1