It’s the end of another year, and it’s got us all philosophical. In this week’s Simply Sundays newsletter, we are thinking about how we spend one of our most precious resources: our attention.

Attention is a form of investment. What we attend to tends to grow. When we don’t pay attention, things diminish, for better or worse. In some cases, we want to give less attention—to social media or minor tasks that don’t matter to us. In other cases, we wish we had more attention to give—to the people who matter most, to the community and the earth that asks more of us.

So, instead of a resolution, we are thinking about a reinvestment. And, to us, we want to reinvest in ways that build and protect our community and the earth.

Here are the reinvestments we think will pay big dividends in the coming year, especially when we reinvest in them as a collective.

Start small: Invest in what you ingest.

Tackle food waste

According to a 2021 report by the Environmental Protection Agency, almost one-fourth of our landfills are filled with wasted food which then emits—in a single year—the greenhouse gasses of more than 42 coal-fired power plants and wastes enough water and energy to supply more than 50 million homes.

This may be one of the simplest and most economical steps you can take to help the planet. Buy less, and use what you buy. We’ve got advice for doing both, here.  

Load up on plants

If you eat a plant-based diet, you produce, on average, 75 percent less greenhouse emissions than your buddies who eat even a small amount of meat, and you contribute far less to freshwater pollution too. (Read all about it.) 

If you eat meat (we do), don’t run off! Even a small reduction can make a difference if thousands of other people do it too. From The New York Times:

In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, people who ate more than 3.5 ounces of meat daily accounted for 22.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a day due to, among other variables, the farming of livestock and land used to grow animal feed. People who ate less than 1.7 ounces of meat accounted for about half that amount, or about 11.8 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, while fish eaters accounted for 10.4 pounds of carbon dioxide a day, and vegetarian diets produced 9 pounds of carbon dioxide daily. Vegan diets had the lowest totals, accounting for 5.4 pounds of carbon dioxide a day. (Source)

When you emphasize plants on your plate and choose animal products wisely, you do the planet and your health a big favor.

Next step: Know when to invest and when to divest when you shop.

Buy durable and reusable

So much of what we buy is disposable—from single-use paper and plastic products (think paper towels and to-go cups) to electronic gadgets that last for a year or two and need to be replaced. Disposable products don’t just fill up landfills, they pollute the air and water, harm wildlife, deplete the soil, fill the land with factories and warehouses, and require ever-cheaper human labor. And that’s just getting started. 

We’ve written plenty on this topic in our blogs, including the impact of coffee filters, plastic wrap, and paper towels, as three small and easy examples. But the logic extends to everything we buy, from clothing and shoes to phones and refrigerators. 

When you find you need a new product big or small, you can make a big difference by asking yourself a couple of key questions: 

• Is it reusable? And, if not, is there a reusable version available?

• Is it durable? For those larger products, how long will it last? Is there a more durable version available? 

Shop small and local

Small local businesses may be small, but they are mighty! 

The Small Business Administration’s; 2022 fact sheet states that, “small businesses generated 12.9 million net new jobs, meaning small businesses have accounted for 66 percent of employment growth over the last 25 years. 

More than large businesses, small business owners are more likely to be families, women, immigrants and people of color. They also tend to stay local, hire local, and support local civic life. That community connection keeps small businesses accountable to and engaged with the communities in which they operate. 

What’s more, small businesses tend to be more environmentally friendly, because these businesses “typically have a deep connection to their communities’ and environments’ needs, and therefore often have an incentive to be good stewards of their surrounding environment.” (Read more.)

There are more than 31 million small businesses in the U.S. You can probably find a small business near you that sells just what you’re looking for.

Buy used or skip it altogether

We love a good thrift store haul or resale find. And you can find everything from furniture and small appliances to a sturdy new pair of boots at a resale shop. 

Yes, hunting through thrift and resale stores can take time and patience, and that’s not always in supply. When you do have the ability, it can be a fun challenge and big reward to find unique, quality, and like-new products in resale shops for a fraction of the price you would pay if you bought it new. 

One side effect we’ve noticed of hunting around in thrift shops is how often we realize we didn’t even need what we were looking for anyway. Sometimes the best decisions about buying is the decision not to buy at all. 

Today and everyday: Invest in community

What communities do you belong to? A family, a neighborhood, a workplace?  A community of practice, of thought, of craft, or of values? An online book club, a shared love of bread baking or knitting or roller skating? 

In an age of global connections, communities need not be bound by zip code, but by mutual interest, benefit, and support. And that last part is crucial. At their heart, communities are accountable to each other.

When we invest in our friends, families, neighbors, and connections far and wide, we tighten the bonds that lead to mutual respect and mutual aid. 
Tighter bonds are good for our health and the health of our planet.