Meg Van Cleve

I want to prioritize relationships and especially my relationship with the outdoors. I haven't been getting outside enough lately and enjoying Asheville, and I need to focus on non materials in my day to day life.

Yes, living in Asheville we have a lot of sustainable alternatives when it comes to silverware or any kind of houseware items. I just need to make sure and buy bamboo instead of the plastic that I normally buy. 

I can focus on seeking out businesses who are run by women, and try to shop there for my needs rather than other stores. I can also advertise these businesses by talking about them to others, and posting on social media to raise awareness of local businesses that support feminism and women empowerment.

This reflects how much of a bubble we live in as Americans relating to food. By eating all this meat, we are not only disregarding the environmental impacts but also ignoring how much food we consume in relation to other countries where other people do not have the same access to food. Our values come from immediate gratification rather than looking at long term effects and sacrificing some pleasure for the long term benefit. If we can show the abuse of CAFOs (where most of our meat comes from), and also show how easy it is to eat meatless for only one meal, others will be inspired to do the same. 

Portion control can lend to a whole pletherea of other benefits. For instance, our heavy consumer culture in America that is fueled by overeating would drastically decrease if we all only ate what we needed. Not only will overall health improve, but buyers will stop supporting an economic system that leads to environmental disaster.