Eco Action:
92% of GHG emissions from waste is methane, 89% of which is generated in landfills.
A simple action like waste segregation on a household level can have a major impact on overall global emission.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals aim towards achieving a sustainable future for all by 2030, but this is not possible if action is not taken on a large scale. Earth5R’s ‘Home Equals Planet’ solves this problem.
This project creates a chain of individual actions, that spreads like wildfire, and creates a powerful collective change.
Under this project citizens are trained to take 15 tangible actions at a local level. Some of these actions include:
- Eating more Home Cooked Foods
- Being More Physically Active
- Spending Time in Nature
- Choosing Green Commute
- Eating Less Meat
- Learning to Grow your Own Food
- Segregating your waste and recycling
As individual steps towards creating more sustainable communities, the Home Equals Planet Project equips citizens at a household level with the necessary knowledge to restore the planet.
Earth5R’s ‘Home Equals Planet’ Project works with citizens in pursuing a healthy and sustainable lifestyle through actions that not only benefit the environment, but also improve your wellbeing. Eco Action
Home Equals Planet Training (Earth5R)
For instance, eating less meat, one of the 15 sustainable actions, can result in a massive reduction in all sorts of environmental threats such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, and climate change.
Deforestation to make way for livestock, along with methane emissions from cows and fertilizer use, creates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all the world’s cars, trucks and airplanes.
Additionally since methane from livestock farming contributes to 15% of greenhouse gases, reducing consumption of meat can cut down global warming. Hence, performing simple actions such as eating less meat is crucial for a healthy planet and sustainable lifestyle.
Graph depicts different carbon footprints belonging to different diets with vegan and vegetarian diets producing the least amount of daily emissions (Sustainable Dorset)
Arriving from California, USA, Briana Huynh and Yvonne Lin are here today with us to share their experiences and lifestyles after experiencing Earth5R’s Home Equals Planet training conducted by citizen volunteer Claire Hsu.
Briana Huynh is a high school junior. She strives to benefit the environment through reducing her own carbon footprint while simultaneously encouraging others to do the same.
Yvonne Lin is an accountant at TSMS. Yvonne is concerned about the environment, specifically climate change, because of the potential devastating effects it can have in our community. Eco Action
Briana Huynh: “From the Earth5R Home Equals Planet Training, I learned that practicing eco-friendly actions not only benefits the environment, but also myself! Previously, I had never known that long hours of commuting can harm your mental health or that exercise can decrease the risk of cancer!
Home Equals Planet Project Action 02 (Earth5R)
The training really urged me to change up my lifestyle. As a result, I will now try to exercise more regularly and eat less meat. Formerly, I had only exercised about one hour per week, which is below the suggested time. Now, I plan on changing my lifestyle through increasing exercise to about 30 minutes daily, whether that means following a workout video online or jogging around my neighbourhood.
I also plan to educate more people, such as my classmates and family. As the co-president in my school’s environmental club, I plan on spreading this training with the club members and hosting a discussion on why all the steps mentioned are significant.
Briana delivers Home Equals Planet training to her Environmental Club members
Regarding my family, I plan on discussing ways we can eat vegetarian meals more often, and finding healthy recipes we can replicate at home.”
Vegetarian spring roll recipe Briana cooks for her family
Yvonne Lin: “The Earth5R Home Equals Planet Training really widened my horizon to the different possibilities I can do individually to benefit the environment. I always knew that eating vegetables was healthy but I never realized how harmful the alternative of eating meat was! Before this training, I ate meat every day and in almost all meals of the day. However, after learning the massive consequences of eating meat, I started to eat vegetarian once or twice a week.
Yvonne replaced vegetarian salad for a meal instead of meat
When I took that first step towards creating a healthy planet, it felt great! I felt an inner sense of satisfaction.
Yvonne baking vegetarian egg muffins for breakfast
From this training I learned the difference between compost and landfill, something in which I had never truly differentiated the past 5 years. Learning the difference between the two prompted me to reduce my amount of waste and recycle more in order to lessen the greenhouse gases emitted from food waste in landfills.
I felt that this training was fantastic in that it focused on actions at an individual level to benefit the environment. Previously, I had always been overwhelmed by the prospect of saving the planet but this training has definitely brought upon a new perspective to me. This training introduced simple ways to help the environment at a local level which definitely made me more motivated.”
Through simple yet effective steps, the 15 Actions of Home Equals Planet Training revolutionizes local communities by urging citizens such as Briana and Yvonne to take the first step towards change within the community, society, and planet.
Recognizing the importance of individual actions, Earth5R seeks to create Circular Economy based Zero Waste communities with a specific focus on local communities and economic inclusion. Hence, Earth5R´s Home Equals Planet Project emerged as a result of the need to spread environmental awareness among the community.
Furthermore, these actions also contribute towards reaching the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Adopted by the United Nations Member States in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals were implemented to address environmental issues and “ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.” Achieving these goals require not only individual actions, but also actions from governments, private sectors, businesses, and civil society.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN News)
The Earth5R team would like to appeal to all the citizens to participate, take action and further encourage others to take action. Reach out to Earth5R to know more about the Home Equals Planet program. Visit their website at https://earth5r.org/. Eco Action
ABOUT EARTH5R
Earth5R is an environmental organization from India with its head office at Mumbai. It works with the NGO sector, Companies and helps them conduct environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs across India. Eco Action
Earth5R specializes in circular economy based projects. Earth5R also offers short term and long term environmental courses and fellowships.
– Interviewed by Claire Hsu, Edited by Aishani Raghav
