24 Words You Should Know About An Eco-friendly Life

As you know, this month at Franca Magazine we are celebrating our anniversary! For the last two years, we have been going through the alphabet, learning together each month a new word associated with a slower, eco-friendly, and balanced life, with a different letter of the alphabet.

We started in the first edition with palm oil in the letter a, and last month we closed the alphabet with zero waste in the z. For this reason, we wanted to put together a small compilation of all the concepts that we dissect in our French Glossary section.

Palm oil

It is a type of vegetable oil from the fruit of the oil palm and is used as raw material mainly by the cosmetic and food industries. It is also used by the pharmaceutical, energy, and biofuel industries.

The pulp of the fruit is used to extract oil that is used in food and the seed is used to extract oil that is used in soaps, creams, body lotions, lipsticks, shampoo, and toothpaste and detergents.

What is the problem? Clearing land for oil palm plantations has led to widespread deforestation in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as other regions. An area equivalent to 300 soccer fields of the jungle is cleared every hour for plantations. If this continues, a staggering 75 percent of Southeast Asia’s original rainforest will be lost by 2030 according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). This is pushing many species to extinction. If this continues, a staggering 75 percent of Southeast Asia’s original rainforest will be lost by 2030, according to the United Nations Environment Program.

BPA

BPA stands for bisphenol A. BPA is an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. It is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are often used in containers that store food and beverages, such as water bottles. They can also be used in other consumer goods.

Epoxy resins are used to coat the interior of metal products, such as food cans, bottle caps, and water supply lines. Some dental sealants and composite materials may also contain BPA.

What is the problem? Some research has shown that BPA can leach into food or drinks from containers made from this material. Exposure to BPA is a concern due to potential health effects, particularly on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland of fetuses, infants, and children. In addition, its intake is of concern because this chemical product is classified as an endocrine disruptor, that is, it is a substance that interferes with the body’s natural hormonal system.

Climate change

Let’s start briefly and simply with the weather, that is, the set of conditions such as rain, wind, snow, hurricanes, tornadoes, and temperature over a place, over a long period. For example, the climate of the Atacama desert is dry, without rain. Brazil has a tropical climate. At the poles, it is cold and very cold. Easy.

The average climate of all the regions of our planet form the global climate of our Earth. It has been heated or cooled for different reasons throughout history. Think of the ice ages. Today we are experiencing accelerated and atypical climate warming, for which most scientists agree that it is we humans who are causing the increase in average temperature. Causes include the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal; deforestation, and intensive cattle ranching. All of the above release greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat from the Earth’s surface, causing it to remain in our atmosphere. A warmer climate can affect the Earth in many ways: heavy rains, melting ice sheets, droughts, and loss of biodiversity.

Decluttering

Clutter in English means disorder, so de-clutter is a mixture of reducing, clearing, and organizing the material you have. The author Marie Kondo in her bestselling book The Magic of Order (2014) provides the key to getting rid of the unnecessary in our lives: everything that does not generate happiness or joy when looking at it should go now.

If we take a look around us, do we see a clean space that inspires tranquility? Or is there a pile of papers, folders, souvenirs, hundreds of pencils, electronic products that no longer work, gifts that you did not like and are saved, and so on, long etcetera? It may be that we are suffocated because we have evolved for millions of years with an instinct that has told us to eat as much as possible, as often as possible.

Buying many things means sending a signal to companies in the sense of continuing to produce many goods so that we are promoting the burning of fossil fuels and therefore contributing to global warming.

Company B

B Corporations are businesses that have achieved high standards: social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal responsibility to balance purpose and profit.

They are companies that want to harness the strength of the market to generate social and environmental impact and that, as a result of doing things well, generate an economic impact. Therefore, they are organizations that seek to always focus on the triple impact: social, environmental, and economic. It is the way of doing business in the long term, explained Nico Morales, part of the board of directors of Sistema B Chile. What the B certification requires is to change the paradigm through a change of statutes that adds the social and environmental role.

Freegan

It is a person who uses alternative strategies to live, based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimum consumption of resources. That is people who do not buy anything new (not even food).

Freeganism is, therefore, the anti-consumerist ideology that implies the renunciation of participating in capitalism and the culture of consumption in its entirety. The view of a freegan is that to live a truly ethical life, a person must withdraw from capitalism, and the main way to do that is to refrain from buying products altogether. The reason? All products support some industry that operates in an unethical way, be it with animals, humans, or the environment.

What are its key principles? Reclaim waste, minimize waste, use eco-friendly transportation, access rent-free housing, be close to nature (as a source of food, medicine, relaxation, and housing) and work less, since they oppose the labor system, they consider that it exploits people to generate unnecessary products and services, created for the profit of a few.

Greenwashing

The word greenwashing is the result of the combination of two words in English: green, meaning green or ecological, and whitewashing, the activity of hiding uncomfortable facts. Together, they indicate the tendency of some companies to declare supposedly sustainable behaviors, include environmental issues in their marketing campaigns, or sponsor environmental associations or initiatives to draw the attention of consumers who are aware of the environmental problem and obtain, thus, higher profits.

It is, then, a form of misleading advertising or image washing that companies use to obtain greater economic benefits, without doing anything concrete in favor of the planet.

Holistic

A holistic lifestyle is a conscious choice to create balance in our lives and reach the maximum potential of individual well-being in body, mind, and, soul.

Although its meaning is variable and customizable, in general, holistic living is governed by the principle of observing and reacting to events as an integrated whole that ultimately determines how the parts behave. Holistic living considers four aspects of wellness: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It is believed that what happens to one of the aspects can affect the other three. Therefore, holistic care takes each of them into account and focuses on how they work together in each person.

The holistic perspective understands, for example, that the background of an illness can be emotional and psychological (not only physiological), and that there are a variety of tools to treat an illness, unlike a more traditional current of thought, where it would be believed that for every ailment there is a relatively standard cure.

Incineration

Incineration is a waste management method that involves burning materials found in the garbage. It is a way of dealing with garbage through thermal processes, where it is converted into three components: ash, gases, and heat.

Ash, for the most part, consists of inorganic materials or particles that can be harmful to the environment depending on the type of waste incinerated. The gases emitted from incineration, for their part, must be cleaned to eliminate polluting components before being released into the air since they can be toxic. And, as for heat, it can be used as energy to produce electricity, depending on the incineration plant and the country where it is located.

JOMO

The joy of missing out, for its acronym in English, translates as the joy of missing things. It is the cousin of FOMO, that is, the fear of missing things or the fear of missing out.

Unlike FOMO, which was once popularized by the number of events, trips, and environments in which we see people on our social media (and which lead us to believe that most of them live a more interesting life than perhaps they do). has), the JOMO is an invitation to move away from those comparisons.

The idea is precisely to enjoy the joy of being able to disconnect and be present. It is the comforting feeling that comes from downplaying the concerns caused by external influences, such as social networks, the apparent lives of our peers, or even our thoughts that insist on those things that perhaps we did not do so well or that we think we could do better. have done better.

Kintsugi

It is part of a Japanese philosophy that states that breaks are part of the history of an object. And not only that; but kintsugi () also proposes that cracks or fractures should be highlighted instead of hidden since they embellish the object by evidencing its transformation and resilience.

Kintsugi can be seen as an artistic manifestation of the wabi-sabi philosophy, which celebrates the imperfection, impermanence, and transience of objects. Its origin dates back to 15th century Japan when Japanese craftsmen were looking for rather aesthetic ways to repair broken pottery.

It is based on the beauty and strength of the imperfect. If a glass or a vase breaks, the invitation is to repair it, not throw it away. Objects transform their useful life, and according to this philosophy, this history that includes breakage can be evidenced in its appearance without compromising its aesthetics.

Local

Local refers to the products of a locality or region. It is a term that is used especially in the field of food, to refer to the production of something in a particular place; although it also takes into account the site where the product is processed, distributed, and finally sold and consumed.

In general, we understand the term local to a delimited area, such as a locality and its immediate area. But it could also be a region or state. There is no universal (or monitored) definition of local. In some countries, food that is produced just a couple of miles away but across the border is no longer considered local. In other cases, products that grew 200 kilometers away, but within the same state or region, could be called local.

The definition of local or regional is flexible and differs depending on who is asked. Some producers consider that if the food is easily transportable to the fair, for example, it can be said to be local (but that definition is somewhat ambiguous, obviously). Others measure it according to the time it takes for the product to travel from its place of production to its point of distribution. If it is less than a day, it can be said that it is local to some. And others are simply governed by the limits of a city or region.

Methane

Methane (CH) is an odorless, colorless, highly flammable gas that exists naturally as a molecule containing one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Despite not being one of the most important gases in our atmosphere (as only nitrogen, oxygen, and argon are), it is one of the most abundant organic compounds on Earth. Methane is also the main component of natural gas and is used as a fuel to generate heating or electricity in different parts of the world.

Naturally and synthetically. There are, in turn, two main forms in which it occurs naturally. The first is through a series of chemical reactions by the decomposition of organic matter at shallow depths in low-oxygen environments, such as swamps.

Another is in underground fossil fuel deposits that have been subjected to high pressure and temperature for millions of years. And as these fuels are mined when coal, oil, and natural gas are extracted, methane is also released. Part of this gas is used to heat water and generate steam, which is then used to generate electricity.

Carbon neutral

It is one of the strategies to combat climate change. Being carbon neutral (or carbon neutral) refers to achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions.

How is it achieved? First, with measures that reduce energy consumption as much as possible. This includes improving efficiency in production processes and increasing innovation in low-carbon technology (such as nuclear, wind, or hydroelectric power). It is complemented by migrating to electricity consumption from renewable sources (solar energy, for example) and, in the long run, eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Put simply, it is achieved, first of all, by emitting fewer greenhouse gases.

Today, it is difficult to achieve zero emissions in many human activities. Therefore, to the extent that carbon emissions cannot be reduced (or eliminated), the next step is carbon offsets. This mechanism is designed to balance or neutralize the volume of emissions released into the atmosphere with an equivalent amount of withdrawal. That is, produce a decrease in emissions. A simple example of an offsetting effort is planting trees.

Organic

Many of us have an idea of what we mean when we refer to organic fruits or vegetables. Perhaps we get the idea that these are agricultural products grown without using pesticides or chemicals that harm the environment or affect human health. However, the reality is that the term organic encompasses much more, as explained in the National Certification System for Organic Agricultural Products. And not only in the realm of food. There are organic materials that our clothes could be made of, such as organic cotton.

Organic textiles are grown in controlled environments that are effectively free of synthetic chemicals like fertilizers or pesticides. Only natural fertilizers are used in its cultivation, and the water and soil must be monitored.

A textile material cannot be called organic simply because it is natural (cotton, linen, leather, etc.); certification is required. Who certifies? The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is a global standard that has been recognized as the leading standard in the processing of textiles made with organic fiber.

Permaculture

It was originally a contraction of the terms permanent and agriculture and referred especially to the conscious design of landscapes that mimic the patterns and relationships of nature while supplying abundant food, fiber, and energy to meet local needs. That is, it started as a sustainable agriculture system. The term was coined in the book Permaculture One (1978) by the Australian biologist, researcher, scientist, and activist Bill Mollison, and by David Holmgren, also an Australian ecologist and writer.

In the mid-1970s, Mollison and Holmgren began developing these ideas to create stable farming systems in response to the rapid growth in the use of destructive agro-industrial methods. Eventually, the concept evolved into a more fully holistic design process for creating sustainable human habitats.

Over time, the vision of permaculture has evolved into a more inclusive combination of permanent culture. Today it can be understood as a set of tools to face environmental challenges and rethink and redesign communities to live continuously with the natural environment and, in the long run, transform the world.

Renewable

Renewable energy is a topic that often comes up in discussions about climate change. The reason is that some of these sources, such as solar and wind energy, do not generate emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

And what is it exactly? It is the energy produced from resources that regenerate naturally and do not run out. Or, as the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says, the practically inexhaustible ones. The most common are: solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass.

More than 80% of the total energy consumed by humans is derived from fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas). However, we know well that these energy sources are finite, and will run out sooner or later. There is much talk that the maximum rate of oil extraction has already been passed, so that production will be smaller and more expensive, according to National Geographic. Renewable energies (hydroelectric, wind, wood, biofuels, solar, geothermal, waste), on the other hand, have faster global growth, and their environmental impact is considerably lower.

Sustainable vs. sustainable

To talk about development, the environment, and a friendlier life with the planet, we usually use the terms sustainable and sustainable interchangeably. But do they mean the same thing? The short answer is that not exactly, even though both terms share an essence. The English sustainability does not allow this doubt, and it is precisely in English where the division between both terms is born.

The use of the words “sustainable” and “sustainable” was first formalized in a document known as the Brundtland report (1987), produced by the World Commission on Environment and Development. But it is from the Declaration of Rio a UN proposal to promote sustainable development (1992) that the term sustainable development was narrowed in English, generating confusion as to whether or not there is any difference between the terms sustainable development and sustainable development. in English, according to Manuel Rodríguez Lacherre, an academic at the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the National University of Trujillo, Peru. There is little clarity regarding the difference between these terms since the concepts of sustainable development are still under construction and are often defined with nuances that respond to particular economic or particularly environmental interests (UJAT).

Traceability

Traceability is about being able to say, of any product, what items make it up and in what proportions; who bought each of those raw materials with which the product has been made, and to which customers it has been sent. For this, there is backward traceability (origin of each product or component), process traceability (detailed composition and method used to make it), and forward traceability (customers).

In fashion, traceability is known as the set of processes, location, and trajectory of a product throughout a supply chain. That means having knowledge and control of each one of the parts of the production process of a garment, according to the definition of the Fashion Revolution. The use of the term in this industry is more recent since the need to make the production chain transparent has not always been evident. Transparency and traceability exercises are of great importance for fashion brands, since many may be responsible for poor labor or social practices or practices that have a high environmental impact, without even knowing it. Not knowing the origin of the raw materials with which the clothes are made rules out the option of correcting these practices from the outset.

Upcycling

The term upcycling is born from the combination of two English words: upgrade (update) and recycling (recycle), and indicates the act of creating new and higher-value products from recycled materials.

It was coined by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart to explain their view of how objects should be designed. The two authors began by demonstrating it materially with their book Cradle to Cradle, published in 2002. When it came out, it drew a lot of public attention due to the material it was made of: its pages were made of reusable plastic and even the ink was meant to be washed and reused. This is to show that it is possible to design zero-waste products.

It refers to those materials or objects that are creatively re-adapted and re-proposed on the market, thereby achieving a longer useful life. Its primary objective is to remodel and unite discarded elements and materials to transform them into a different product, where the objects maintain the same value or even acquire more.

Vermicomposting

It is a fast-food composting technique, which is produced in a vermicomposter and takes advantage of the earthworms’ degrading capacity: in short, it is an ecological method to add value to organic waste.

The principle is simple: the worms eat the organic waste and compost is formed from their droppings, which is powerful natural fertilizer. Using a vermicomposter then helps to significantly reduce the amount of household organic waste and transform it into fertilizer for our plants. The degradation of organic material is much faster in vermicomposting than in conventional composting, because the worms ingest between 20% and 100% of material each day concerning their body weight.

What is the difference between vermicomposting and composting? Classic composting leads to the same result, a highly fertilizing soil, but it is based on the action of microorganisms, which can also decompose other types of vegetable waste, such as green garden debris. The compost bins have a different shape, usually flared, and have to be positioned outdoors, protected from the sun and the wind, so that they can be in direct contact with the soil and the microorganisms. They should have solid but airy walls, and a lid that can be easily removed to remix the pile every 15-20 days.

Wabi-Sabi

The aesthetics of the Western world is dominated by the Greek ideals of beauty, symmetry, precision, and proportion which derive from an affinity for mathematics and the quest for invincibility and perfection. In Japanese philosophy and wisdom, on the other hand, aesthetic ideals stem from a respect for the transient, fragile, modest, and slightly flawed.

There is no exact translation for the term wabi-sabi (). It refers to the beauty of the impermanent, rustic and imperfect. It highlights the marks of age and the individual characteristics of objects and proposes that the aesthetic ideal is not impeccably polished, but the nobility of nature. A crack in pottery, according to this philosophy, should be celebrated and even highlighted instead of being hidden or disguised, since the peculiarities of an object give it a unique and meritorious character. Thus, the art of kintsugi evokes precisely the principles of wabi-sabi, as does the Japanese tea ceremony.

The timeless wisdom of wabi-sabi is relevant to modern life, which is increasingly focused on productivity and materialism. We know that the pursuit of perfection in possessions, relationships, and accomplishments brings stress, anxiety, hardship, and blocks. Therefore, wabi-sabi is an invitation to focus on the real tastes of everyday life, rather than getting frustrated chasing nonexistent perfection.

Yet there

The term yeet hay is used in traditional Chinese culture to refer to certain foods that cause a warming effect on the body. The word yeet hay () in cantons could be translated as hot air. It is a similar concept to the mandarn huo qi da (), which means something like great air of fire. However, it does not refer to the temperature of the food itself (hot soups, for example), but to the effect of energy that they cause when eating them.

This is why there are teas that are considered cold even if they are drunk very hotly. Whether food is considered hot or cold depends specifically on the effect it will have on the body after digestion. Examples of yeet foods are ginger or chili since they make us feel hot, even if we eat them cold. Also, fried foods, are excessively greasy or too spicy.

The principle is that when we consume too many yeet hay foods, our body becomes unbalanced and we may experience uncomfortable sensations, such as heaviness, burning in the stomach, heartburn, and even a scratchy throat, or itchy eyes. Keeping yin and yang (hot and cold) in balance is considered the key to overall well-being.

Zero waste

According to the French and waste-free life guru, Bea Johnson, author of the book Zero Waste Home (2013), it is a philosophy based on a set of practices aimed at avoiding waste through the 5 Rs: reject, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot or compost. This means rejecting what you don’t need (such as gifts like plastic pencils from banks, junk mail, etc.), reducing what you do need (tidying up your home), reusing what you already have (instead of throwing it away or replacing it), recycling (if you have to buy something new, cardboard, glass, metal, or wood grommet), and composting.

Johnson has highlighted that this lifestyle has made her and her family healthier, and has also saved her time and money. And it is that the packaging of a product, in general, makes it 15% more expensive than its bulk version.

The zero-waste philosophy is an accessible alternative that we have as consumers until everything is designed with the cradle-to-cradle model. It is a form of minimalism with a purpose. It’s simplifying life. It is about how to live in a balanced, conscious, and eco-friendly way. It’s about making some products yourself (hence the Zero Waste DIY section!), as well as making informed purchasing decisions. It is about supporting the locals and nature and living in tune with the environment and the community.