Inspiration to Help Fight the Climate Crisis

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by

James Walters
in
Inspiration to Help Fight the Climate Crisis

Here we look at; Where I Get Inspiration. This is one of over 40 ideas in our Sustainability Roadmap with Solutions to Climate Change, and part of our series on Living Sustainably.

If you already know that inspiration is a great motivator in the fight to stop climate change, here are some ways that I find inspiration:

  1. The Minimalists Podcast
  2. Kiss the Ground
  3. Eat Dirt by Dr. Axe*
  4. The Kindness Economy on acast
  5. Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology*
  6. Gray Mountain by John Grisham*

If you want some more facts before making any decisions, let’s get into the details:

I was sitting in my home office. It was the first lockdown. I discovered podcasts. I knew what they were, just hadn’t listened to many. Hadn’t had time.

I started listening to podcasts back to back throughout the day. They were good company because I was working on my own.

I’d started to get into researching the climate crisis. Listening to podcasts helped me hear from some inspirational people.

The Minimalists podcast felt like some personal therapy sessions. What they spoke about was so on point. So to the moment.

Then I discovered The Kindness Economy with Mary Portas. It was a breath of fresh air listening to people that actually care about others, not just about making profit at any cost.

I Was Inspired to Start Nafford Junction

It was The Minimalists podcast, the episode where they interviewed the founder of Patreon, that gave me the nudge I needed to leave a job and do something to help stop climate change, by starting Nafford Junction.

Where I Get Inspiration

Inspiration can come from anywhere. It can be practical like knowing that we can save 1,000s of litres of water by changing how we flush the toilet. Or, inspiration can come from others.

I read lots, listen to something almost all the time, and watch tons of documentaries. Sometimes I just have something on in the background, but even then I always hear little nuggets of information that teach me something new.

Here’s my shortlist of the main places that I find inspiration to grow, eat, and live sustainably to help stop climate change and to live a more meaningful life.

Inspiration from The Minimalists

My journey with Minimalism has taken some time.

It started with Minimalism on Netflix. I loved that documentary. It got me thinking about living a more meaningful life with less. Not living in poverty, as I’m very very lucky that I don’t have to live in poverty, but living in a way that I only have what I need, without needlessly consuming and wasting, and turning off to the manipulation of constant advertising to ‘do the next big thing’ or ‘buy the next big thing’.

From their documentary I got into The Minimalists podcast. They have some amazing episodes. They really struck a chord with me. Questioning to do lists, emails (email is somebody elses to do list; I love that line, so spot on), giving gifts, receiving gifts, dealing with conflict.

I’m now signed-up to their private podcasts on Patreon. Just brilliant.

Find Out More About the Minimalists

Kiss the Ground Inspired Me About Climate Change

Discovering Kiss The Ground was a smack in the face Oh-My-God moment.

Kiss The Ground was mentioned in one of the Biodynamic Gardening Course sessions.

I watched Kiss The Ground documentary on Netflix then started researching their website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iknWWKZOUs

It was amazing stuff about using regenerative agriculture to reverse climate change, ending our reliance on artificial fertilisers and damaging chemicals, and improving our health and happiness by eating more nutritious foods (foods that aren’t laced with cocktails of chemicals).

I started their 8 module Soil Advocate Training Course. After completing just the first module, I was totally gobsmacked. It was like I’d discovered all this secret information that hardly anybody knows.

I learnt information about soil life and the billions of microorganisms in a teaspoon of healthy soil; how conventional farming with artificial fertiliser, intensive ploughing, and dangerous chemicals is destroying soil; how cocktails of chemicals in our foods are part of the huge growth of so-called ‘modern’ diseases like diabetes and cancer; how farmers are locked into a struggle to survive (financially, mentally, and healthwise), dependant on the giant chemical and seed companies; how so much of the food we eat, most of the non-organic food we eat, is altered in some way to lower costs or increase profits or increase transport and storage time.

Watching the documentary and starting the Soil Advocate course made me realise the urgency of the climate crisis.

Knowing all of this information inspired me to get off my back side, stop just working for money, and do something with my sales and marketing skills to inspire others to help climate change through regeneration and sustainability.

Find Out More About Kiss the Ground

This Mountain Life

This Mountain Life documentary is beautiful!

Simon the snow artist. The mother and daughter, traveling 1,000s of kms through the snow. Bernhard and Mary (my favourite part of the documentary) living off-grid in the mountains for the last 50 years.

The reason this inspires me so much, the reason I keep watching it, is that I’m fascinated with getting away from everything. Living a life with less. Humans used to do it all the time, it was normal life. I feel there’s so much noise in our lives, it gets in the way of living and connecting with the world around us.

I also don’t like being a caged animal. I love being outside, away from buildings, away from crowds. I watch this documentary, breathe out and relax.

But it’s important to get out and off-the-grid in the real world, which is why I’m so happy to have discovered the beauty of the Brecon Beacons that are near(ish) to where we live, and the amazing Mountain Bothy Association.

Find Out More About This Mountain Life

Dr Axe Inspired Me to Eat and Live Dirty

So, I’m not suggesting to live and walk around all dirty, but the book Eat Dirt by Dr. Axe* is all about getting back to a life where we’re connected to all the microorganisms in and around us, not trying to kill them (and ourselves) all the time.

Eat Dirt was another recommendation from the Biodynamic Gardening course. Another thing that blew my mind and inspired me to eat and live in a different way. Another thing that made me realise we’re living a synthetic life, where everything around us is changed because of convenience or profit. I realised that we’d been living a sterilised life for far too long.

I love the Dr. Axe Podcast with inspiring guests in each episode. People that are natural health professionals and can help us lead a healthier and happier life.

Find the Eat Dirt Book by Dr. Axe Here on Amazon*

Eat Dirt book by Dr. Josh Axe

Inspiring Business Leaders in the Kindness Economy

The Kindness Economy Podcast with Mary Portas is such a breath of fresh air. Successful business people that actually care about others.

I’ve always advocated doing a great job first, doing the right thing, and success will come. I’ve worked in businesses where the priority has been money money money, and those aren’t nice environments to work in. They’re also places that typically burn clients and constantly need to find new ones.

In this podcast, Mary interviews a different business person each time. Inspiring stuff with a reminder that there are good business people out there. They do exist. It’s just we need to squeeze out the greedy ones and replace them with the ones that are here to do good stuff that benefit people and planet.

Listen to the Kindness Economy Podcast with Mary Portas

Inspired to Live with Less

On the theme of being interested to live a good life, with less, I love the book Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology*

It’s the story of Eric Brende, whilst he was a student at MIT, trying a real-life experiment of getting away from mobile phones, tvs, and cars, to live in an Amish-esq community.

It’s a fascinating book that makes me think that a life living and working on the land, where you rely on your neighbours, is one where there are far less distractions, far harder physical work, and far more reasons to spend time with others, more of a connection to others.

Find Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology Here on Amazon*

Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology

Gray Mountain Inspires Me to Question Big Corp

This was the first John Grisham book I read. Wow!

It’s big business (coal in this story) doing whatever it wants to make money at every cost, even if it means the cost of human life. It’s the small town lawyer doing the right thing, fighting for the people that can’t fight for themselves. It’s also based around the very sad and very real strip mining business that destroys landscapes, literally flattens mountains, just to extract until nothing is left.

Find Gray Mountain Here on Amazon*

Gray Mountain by John Grisham

Here Is What You Can Do

Want to Continue Your Journey?

Where Next?

There is so much inspiring information to give you ideas of how to help climate change by growing, eating, and living sustainably, you can:

  1. Read Our Articles
  2. Sign-Up to Our Free Email Newsletter
  3. Get Started and Vote with Your Money
  4. Try the Sustainability Roadmap
  5. Use the Company Directory
  6. Support Nafford Junction

Help Us Inspire Others

If you are passionate about helping climate change, please consider supporting Nafford Junction, you can:

  1. Become a Patron to Give Regular Contributions
  2. Buy Me a Coffee to Make a One-Off Contribution
  3. Create for Us and Publish Thought Provoking Content
  4. Become an Inspiring Leader and Advertise with Us
  5. Go to NaffordJunction.co.uk/support

Sources Used to Create This

  1. The Minimalists Podcast
  2. Kiss the Ground
  3. Eat Dirt by Dr. Axe*
  4. The Kindness Economy on acast
  5. Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology*
  6. Gray Mountain by John Grisham*

Production Notes

This was produced by me, James Walters, as a personal project to help stop climate change by inspiring others to grow, eat, and live sustainably.

Any advice given is the opinion of those involved and does not constitute medical, financial, or legal advice.

* We include links we think you will find useful. If you buy through those links, we may earn a small commission. It’s one way to support our work and to inspire as many people as possible.