Hunger and obesity

The Holiday season always make me a little sad.

The pressure for the "picture perfect holiday" is too much and unrealistic... how could we even come close???

In a world where there are epidemic of BOTH hunger and obesity... in a world where 20% of the world population (located in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia) uses 80% of the world's resource... how can we be completely merry and joyful???

How can we close our eyes on what is going on in the rest of the world? How can we give and eat to such an extent?

Perhaps our eyes a were never open?

Is it just me or the fact that we have people dying of both over and under eating makes no sense what so ever in a society that claims they are the intelligent ones on the planet?

Is it just me or there is no logic at all, in the amount of food we send to the landfills? Did you know that food waste in the USA alone could end world hunger???

I know... you can't just ship uneaten food to people starving... that is just stupid!

But, you can buy less food... you can buy ONLY what you need. If we all did that, the stores/restaurants would buy less also... not to increase their waste and therefore lower their profit margin! There could be a shift in resources allocation and the producers, which are most likely in third world country, could feed their population instead of sending 80% or more of their food here so that we can eat too much, get sick and send the rest to our landfill!

What if next times you have left over you actually bring them back and eat them or give them to a homeless on your way back home? What if you insisted your favorite restaurant gave the extra food at the end of the day to a shelter? What if you did the same with your grocery store? There a are people starving all over the world... even right on the other side of our white picket fence!

What if you ate less meat... to decrease the demand and therefore the production? As a result, some of the cereals use to feed the animals we kill to eat could actually feed humans and save their lives? You do not have to go full on vegetarian or vegan... just one day a week by everyone in North America could end world hunger!

And what about all those gifts? Are they all absolutely necessary? Have you ever took a walk a few days after Christmas and notice how much garbage there is? Why not give something the person will really use and love rather than to impress everyone? Or consumable (food, coffee, rea, bath products, candles...)? Why not make something yourself? Or get something locally made that adds value to your community instead of money to the pocket of one of the 66 billionaires that holds more wealth than the poorest 50%? Why not give time... cookies... go see a movie... go for a walk in the woods? Do a swap party?

These are just a few ideas I have... there can be many more... let me mnow if you think of something else.

I am just asking you to be more mindful of your surrounding, your community, your global village...

Be a little less selfish...

And remember Gandhi said that there is enough resources for everyone's need but not enough for everyone's greed.

Be less greedy this time around. 💜

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Happy sustainable holiday season!

Chloe 💜&✌