Good friend, conservationist, and fellow yogi Mollie Cox did something amazing over the month of July. She gave up un-reusable plastic! She’s an inspiration to me and the kind of free thinker we need in our society. Yoga is about so much more than just a series of exercises, it is living your life with compassion and love for the world around you. You can catch up with Mollie at http://www.jalayoga.co/ or on her instagram @jalayoga.co. Here’s what she had to say to a few of my questions:
What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is Mollie Cox and I am from the Gold Coast, on the East coast of beautiful Australia!
Did you know it’s Coral Reef Awareness Week? What does the reef mean to you?
I did actually, I love everything about the ocean and follow all of these days. If by reef your
meaning all reef’s in the world – the ecosystems of the reef mean a lot to me. They are the
lungs of the ocean, and with out them the ocean cant breathe. We get over half of our
oxygen from the ocean, and our food chain – vegetarian or not – is so interconnected with
the ocean. Coral reef’s act as carbon absorbers and neutralisers too – so they have a
pretty important role in keeping our air and atmosphere clean – particularly because of the
fossil fuel emissions that continue to be omitted into the atmosphere. If the ocean dies, we
wouldn’t have very long left on the planet. Not to mention how beautiful the reef is. I have
spent a lot of my life visiting the Great Barrier Reef and live on the east coast of Australia.
It would be my favourite coastline in the world. So ecologically diverse, from world heritage
rain forests that grow out of sand, to wetlands, to secluded islands with amazing reef
systems, plus more. Because I live on the East Coast, and right on top of the East
Australian Current, it means I get to see the migratory species that visit the great barrier
reef (humpback whales for example) pass by my local beach most of the year. I’m very
blessed, and I think we, as humans need to cherish these natural wonders. We as a
species need places in nature to visit that is still wild. Nature is so healing, on so many
levels. And there is nothing more exciting than seeing a humpback cow and her calf
breaching 200m off shore out the front of your house, or being out in the surf next to
dolphins and sharks!
I don’t live anywhere close to a coral reef, so how do you think protecting the reef would effect me?
Like I said above, regardless of where you live – the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat,
the water we drink, the rivers, the earth, these things are all connected to the ocean.
Humans are essentially made from the same chemical compounds as the ocean – salt
water, and air. Whether we can see it or not, it is vital to take responsibility for our actions
to protect our oceans, to protect our reef systems. Scientists are predicting that within 30
years the ocean will be uninhabitable, and over run by jelly fish. Regardless if you live inland
or you can see it from your house like I can – it needs protecting. Who doesn’t love tropical
holidays? We won’t be able to do that for much longer if we don’t start taking responsibility
for our actions.
What can I do as an individual to protect the reef systems?
As an individual, there are so many things we can do!
First, looking at the waste we produce that ends up in land fill. A big one is plastic. It is
literally suffocating our oceans, and is responsible for killing over 1,000,000 animals per
year. It can be as simple as cutting down single use plastic consumption. Straws, Plastic
Bags, Take away coffee cups/ cutlery and food packaging. Do we really need these things
when they are so easily replaced with reusable options?
Another thing is pesticides! Eating organic is not only so much more delicious and
nutritious, and better for our bodies, its also better for the environment. All the chemicals
they spray onto the vegetables go both into the air (which plays a role in our waters
life cycle), and into the ground which goes into the aquifers/ water table and guess where
else – Into the ocean.
Reducing our carbon imprint is huge. Composting, recycling, avoiding plastic, walking/
riding bike or skating places more, turning lights off when we are not in the room. The list
goes on, see more at https://www.carbonfund.org/reduce. Like I mentioned before, the
ocean, and particularly coral ecosystems act as carbon neutralisers and absorbers. Since
the industrial revolution, we have pumped 365 billion metric tons of carbon into the
atmosphere. This is way more carbon than the ocean can handle and is one of the main
reasons we are seeing climate change, an increase natural disasters and species
becoming extinct due to the pH of the ocean becoming acidic. Just by reducing your own
individual imprint and maybe teaching all of your friends too also, you can play a huge part
in protecting the ocean.
The last one I will mention is regarding the Great Barrier Reef. There is a proposed Coal
export terminal set to go in 2016 where they are going to (and have started first stages of)
dredging 3million cubic meters of sea bed within and on the borders of the World Heritage
Listed marine park. This is to make room for the Indian company Adani to place the worlds
largest coal export terminal where 7000+ ships will be passing over the Great Barrier Reef.
This is so so detrimental to the reef on so many levels – between the ships, the dredging,
the potential for oil spills (which has already happened), the coal they are digging out of
the ground to burn as fossil fuels to produce more carbon. The list goes on. The Australian
public has been fighting against our government and pushing them to protect our reef. We
need global help to make our message heard. Best thing is to check in with
http://www.marketforces.org to see who your bank is loaning money too, follow our movement
@protectthereefofficial on instagram and the Australian Marine Conservation Society +
WWF collaboration http://www.fightforthereef.org.
There are so many issues revolving around reef conservation: over fishing, plastic, carbon
overload, shark finning, general wear and tear by tourists trampling coral and touching
everything… It can be quite overwhelming.. Simply reducing your
carbon imprint and slowly learning about the issues is the best thing you can do. 🙂
What is Plastic free July, and what made you want to do it?
Plastic Free July is an initiative for the month of July where we use no plastic! This means
finding ways to avoid plastic in every aspect of life: Household cleaning products; food
packaging; personal care; shopping. Everything! Plastic, aside from climate change, is the
biggest threat to the ocean. Plastic (even the eco friendly brands) never breaks down to
more than a micro bead of plastic, which means Every single piece of plastic ever made is
still somewhere. Our ocean is literally becoming a plastic soup, killing 1, 000, 000 animals
(and that’s the ones that are recorded) per year. There are 5 gyres in the ocean where the
currents meet, where there is mountains of plastic accumulated, where it degrades into
microplastic. For more information visit http://www.the5gyres.org. These reasons made me want
to take on the challenge. I think walking what you talk is important. Integrity is everything.
What has been the hardest part of this experiment?
Being unprepared! I work full time, and only have one day that I can get my bulk foods
organised. If i miss that chance, I am scrambling around for plastic free options. Its sad it is
so scarce! Plastic is seriously EVERYWHERE!
Also, brushing my teeth! I haven’t quite mastered the recipe just yet. We have a store
called Lush in Australia that make “toothy tabs” which look like little tablets that you chew
on then use your tooth brush as normal, and the tablets foam into toothpaste. And they
come in a cardboard box and made with all natural ingredients! They have saved my life
this month haha!!
What has been the funniest moment of this experiment?
The first time me and my house mate brushed our teeth with the first batch of homemade
toothpaste. It was not good, and so hilarious.
Also, trying to speak to people with English as a second language, and asking them to put
the food they are selling into my own container. It took me 5 minutes to order Sushi at my
local sushi place the first time! Now I have been doing it for a month, they know me and
my “strange” requests.
What is your advice to others wanting to try something similar?
Read up on alternatives, get creative, and just do it. And tell everyone you know why your
doing it. As Gandhi says: Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Don’t be scared, there are so many positive things I have learnt and will continue doing! I
have found the most amazing Charcoal and Hemp soaps that are Palm oil and chemical
free, and shampoo + conditioner bars that look just like a bar of soap yet so nourishing for
your hair; and discovered there are millions more uses for Coconut oil than i originally
thought!
Will you be carrying on after July ends?
Definitely. I understand the saying “If you do something for long enough, it becomes
habit.” I take cutlery, stainless steel or bamboo straws, stainless steel drink bottle a bowl
and container from home everywhere I go that may have a chance of me needing to take
away food. Its not heavy at all, and i usually get bonus food from cafes who appreciate the
forward thinking. Its also nice to dine in at places i would normally get take away from to
avoid plastic take away containers. That alone has taught me to slow down, and enjoy the
experience of lunch or dinner 🙂
Where can I get more information on going plastic free?
Checking out blogs like :
http://treadingmyownpath.com
http://wellnessmama.com
http://www.turtlesbite.com
And websites:
http://www.plasticfreejuly.org
http://www.lifewithoutplastic.com/store/
http://myplasticfreelife.com/plasticfreeguide/
bonnyleeyoga 