See the below six lifestyle categories that serve as the foundation for your Eco-Evaluation. Prior to our consultation, we encourage you to reflect on your current lifestyle by considering each of these categories and how you are currently living with respect to each.
1) Energy Sources: Electricity vs Oil and Gas
- Switch from oil and gas to renewable electricity sources whenever possible. Solar, renewable energy certificates from a third party or your utility.
2) Transportation: Bike, Walk and Public Transport vs Car
- While biking and walking are the most sustainable modes of transportation, public transport is also a sustainable alternative to driving. If you drive frequently, consider buying an electric vehicle (EV). Also, limit flying as much as possible but when you do fly, try to offset your impact through direct or indirect (helping others) carbon offsetting.
3) Diet: Vegan and Veggie Friendly vs Meat Heavy
- Try your best to eat a whole food, locally sourced, plant-based diet. Minimizing meat consumption greatly lowers your carbon footprint and consumption of water.
4) Consumer Brands: Cheap Brands vs Sustainable Brands
- Are you always buying the cheapest brands or are you investing in a better product from a sustainable company? Break down the products you consume into categories and research the most sustainable brands for each. Look for sustainable brands and especially those that repurpose otherwise waste into new products.
- Some of our favorites: Grove Collaborative for paper goods and cleaning supplies. Toms of Maine for hygiene products. AllBirds, Patagonia Worn Wear, Threads 4 Thought.
5) Overall Consumption: Wasteful and Overbuying vs Composting and Recycling
- How much intention are you giving towards limiting your resource consumption? Are you buying way more than you use?
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Be intentional about not wasting resources and taking the time to appreciate the entire life cycle of a product you consume. Use smart thermostats and remember to turn things off that are not in use.
6) Investments: Use your money for good
- Invest in the companies that care about the environment. Create bank accounts with banks that will only invest in sustainable companies that are helping to transition towards a sustainable world. Make sound investments in solar panels that save money as well as electric vehicles which are now becoming affordable and require almost no maintenance and much lower fuel costs.
- Find a sustainable investment firm to manage your investments. If you manage your own, invest in the companies building a clean, sustainable future and stop investing in the technologies we must move away from.
- Examples: Aspiration Bank for checking and savings account. COIN for sustainable portfolio management.