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So many of us here in the vegan community care about the environment and how our decisions impact our planet. In fact, environmental concerns are in the top 3 reasons why people go vegan. You all have heard multiple times here on the podcast how the documentary Cowspiracy, focused on the environmental impacts of animal agriculture, has influenced many of my guests to go vegan.

Animal agriculture is a leading contributor of greenhouse gasses globally and is one of the top concerns in the climate movement. In fact, the common catchphrase “you can’t be a meat-eating environmentalist” now dominates a huge part of the vegan community because of the negative impacts of animal products on our environment.

BUT, the pressure to be perfect often holds people back from ever going vegan, even if they are interested in the vegan lifestyle or their environmental footprint. In this episode of the podcast, Ariel Green of Sustainable Brown Girl and I explore how to make changes that benefit the planet, all centered around the question of “Does environmentalism have to be all or nothing?”

Ariel Green is the host of the Sustainable Brown Girl podcast and community, a platform created to highlight black, brown, and indigenous women within the sustainable movement. Through sharing the stories of these women, Ariel aims to inspire other women of color to make better choices for the health of their bodies and the planet. Ariel also shares more of her own personal sustainable journey on YouTube and Instagram as Naturally Mermaid.

Making green choices can be overwhelming and I wanted to explore with Ariel different areas of our lives where we can easily make more eco-friendly choices.

In this episode we cover:

Why Ariel started the Sustainable Brown Girl brand and how she began her podcast
Fast fashion and the negative impacts of fast fashion on communities of color
Thrifting tips and capsule wardrobes
Food waste and how to plan ahead to prevent it
Composting at home for beginners, including Ariel’s ‘freezer method
What is a trash audit and what does it teach us?
Toxic ingredients in beauty products that are bad for the planet and our health
Easy eco-friendly swaps for common household items
Tips for using what you already have in a more environmentally friendly way
Why Ariel is not a vegan
The environmental impact of animal products + ethical concerns of animal agriculture
The importance of finding what works for YOU and starting there