Climate Activism - The Karma Yoga of today
Karma Yoga is one of the branches of Yoga that teaches that the path to liberation is through selfless action. Translated from Sanskrit, Karma means action, and the roots of Karma Yoga can be found in the Bhagavad Gita, one of India's and Yoga's most beloved epics; in the Gita, Lord Krishna instructs Prince Arjuna on different Yogic paths, one of which is the path of selfless action. Seeing the bigger picture and engaging in selfless acts is more critical than ever and Karma Yoga seems the (most) essential practice in these complex times. After all, liberation, the primary goal of Yoga, comes through awakening, and awakening can't happen if we keep closing our eyes to what is happening around us.
We started a series of Instagram posts called Karma Yoga recently with the idea to inform and inspire our community about some of the most pressing issues we are facing and offering advice on what each of us can do to be a part of the solution. And the most pressing issue the world is facing today is human-caused climate change. This year we have seen more devastating consequences of climate change than ever before. The summer in the northern hemisphere has been hotter than ever, with some of the highest temperatures recorded. Here in Portugal, temperatures reached 47 degrees celsius, taking the lives of hundreds of people. Wildfires swept the continent fuelled by the heat, and most countries have faced drought, now followed by storms and floods we are now witnessing worldwide. Extreme drought in Somalia displaced over 1 million people this summer, while almost half of Pakistan is flooded, affecting an estimated 33 million people. Severe weather is becoming a norm in all parts of the world, affecting life as we know it.
Becoming carbon neutral
According to IPCC 2021 climate report, Earth's global surface temperature has increased by around 1.1 °C, already causing irreversible damage to the Earth's ecosystem. Any further increase will have dire consequences, and the governments have pledged to work toward reaching carbon neutrality, often also called net zero, by 2050. "Carbon neutrality means having a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere in carbon sinks." (European Parlament). This means that there are two critical issues we need to address - reducing emissions and increasing carbon sinks. All of this might feel overwhelming and a problem that needs to be solved by the world governments, but we mustn't forget that governments (should) work for the people and depend on our votes, and businesses will need to adjust to consumer requests. As individuals, there is so much we can do. In the words of Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
September 21st marks Zero Emissions Day, created to inspire people to reduce their carbon footprint, at least for the day. This is a great initiative; however, we should aim to reduce our carbon footprint daily. Here is how.
ELECTRICITY AND HEATING
The combined energy used for electricity and heating in commercial and residential buildings accounts for a staggering 31.8% of global greenhouse gas emissions (source: climate watch 2021) due to our dependence on so-called dirty energy such as coal, oil and gas. The world needs to switch to clean energy sources asap. You might think there’s nothing you can do about this, but there is.
Find out if your bank is financing fossil fuels and put your money elsewhere if it is. Here is an interesting article about that. According to Voxeurop, European banks such as Barclays, HSBC, BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse etc, are pumping money into the fossil fuel industry like there's no tomorrow. Literally.
Vote for politicians who are more likely to do something for the common good and less likely to be in the pockets of fossil fuel and similar companies is so important. I know. You dislike politics;). But think of it this way - if you don't go out to vote, you allow Trumps, Bolsonaros and Putins of the world to destroy this paradise we call home. And for what? Money and power - the only language they understand.
Until the day comes when most energy is clean, and we don't need to think about our carbon footprint when switching on the air con, we need to reduce our energy consumption. You would be surprised how much can be saved by being more mindful of energy usage. I survived heat waves by being smart this summer (opening everything up during the night, shading the house during the day), and in days of desperation, when I resorted to A/C, I wouldn't go lower than 27 degrees.
Reducing the heating this winter by only a few degrees can make a huge impact, as well as making sure we don't leave the lights on, switching off electronic devices etc. It is also much healthier not to create a sauna at home while it's freezing outside.
Supporting more mindful and aware businesses is also a good way to reduce energy usage. Check what your favourite brands, restaurants, shops etc., are doing to get to net zero.
FOOD
Food accounts for over 17% of greenhouse gases (source: climate watch 2021). This number is possibly higher as it does not include transport and production, only livestock and manure, agriculture soils, land use and waste. This is a significant number, and reducing it will require being more mindful about what we consume and where our food comes from. In my humble opinion, it is also one of the easiest yet hardest things to change. Easiest because it is really straightforward. According to studies summarised in The Guardian, "avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet, according to the scientists behind the most comprehensive analysis to date of the damage farming does to the planet." Hardest because humans are so reluctant to change.
The biomass of cows is as large as that of humans, actually a bit larger. Humans comprise 34% of mammal biomass (ourworldindata), while cattle amount to 35% at any moment. That cattle, while still alive, needs space, food, and water, and it produces waste and gasses such as methane which is much more potent and thus dangerous than carbon dioxide. It's kind of a no-brainer. Or is it? Beef consumption is actually on the rise, the same as other meats (MIT). It seems that changing the habits around food is also one of the hardest things to change possibly due to beliefs and habits.
One of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint is ditching beef and dairy for good, drastically reducing other meat and fish (I'm a vegan, but I understand it's not for everyone), which is not only healthier for the planet but for you as well and consuming seasonal and local. For example, cacao and coffee are foods with the most significant greenhouse emissions per kilo, so reducing consumption or going cold turkey will reduce your carbon footprint. No one needs five cups of coffee a day. It’s unhealthy and unsustainable. Also, consider the impact on the environment when planning your next cacao ceremony.
TRANSPORTATION
Finally, transport accounts for 14.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions (source: climate watch 2021); most of this (12.6%) is combined road transport (private, public and commercial). The only strong momentum towards change is seen in Electric Vehicle sales which rose from 4% in 2020 to nearly 9% in 2021 (Data: BloombergNEF) and is still growing. However, the price of an EV is still too high for an average family, and this needs to change. Again, not much we can do but perhaps push our governments to create subsidies. Until that happens, we need to be mindful of how we travel (use public transport, share rides with colleagues, take a train, take holidays closer to home etc.) and what we buy. If we purchase something that needs to travel across the world to get to us, the price might be too high. Air travel accounts for 2.1% of greenhouse gas emissions, but we should still work on reducing the flights taken, and the distance travelled.
When we run our Teacher Training courses, our students travel from different parts of the world to join us. Most of our students are European, and most of our TTCs are in Europe as well; however, sometimes, we get students from the US, Canada, and even Australia. We also run Training courses in Sri Lanka and India (but have decided not to expand more/further). This is the reality of what we do, but since our goal is carbon neutrality, we have decided to invest in trees which are natural carbon sinks. We are partnering with different reforestation NGO’s to plant a number of trees for each student and team member attending our in-person training courses, regardless of where they come from. We hope that our Yogis4Future campaign will help us become carbon neutral, raise awareness about the carbon footprint of travel, and inspire you to create your own changes and campaigns.
Nina Vukas
Nina is the founder of Spanda Institute. Apart from teaching, creating Spanda’s programs and organising events, Nina has been an environmentalist and a passionate advocate for sustainability, animal rights and preservation of biodiversity for decades. Her mission is to raise awareness by writing extensively about pressing issues for her blog, Spanda blog and some lifestyle magazines, as well as organising different fundraisers and campaigns.
