Earth Day is my favorite holiday aside from Christmas. Ever since I was a kid I knew how valuable our planet was and the importance of taking care of our Mother Earth. My disabilities are impacted by the health of our Earth. Yet being disabled makes environmental active a challenge.
The difference I have seen between abled environmental activists and disabled activists is stark. Environmental activism from abled people is full of well a lot of ableism. The focus is primarily on individual change rather than systemic change. Moves to protect the environment often don’t consider disabled people.
At a young age, climate change activist and autistic teenager Greta Thunberg realized the critical need for systemic change. In her TEDx talk, she even emphasizes that poorer nations need to be given a larger carbon allowance than richer nations, so they can build needed infrastructure like hospitals and schools.
While I see many disabled and autistic environmentalists, I also see many who are overwhelmed by the fact that most everything we produce is bad for our planet. It can be hard to grasp how the polar regions matter when we don’t live there, and there is so much energy spent on trying to survive life.
I used to feel tremendous guilt because my lifestyle didn’t match up with my desire to protect our planet. I have learned to accept and love myself now and not feel guilty about things beyond my power. This allows me to learn about issues beyond my control while still protecting my mental health.
I have below a list I use to cope with my disabilities in a more earth-friendly way.
Sensory & Stimming
- Thrift shops are great sources for stimmy items.
- Cooking is a sensory process and cooking from home reduces waste over store bought.
- Mindfulness can help reduce binging.
- I leave spare reusable bags in my car, so I don’t forget them.
- When I cook I only cook one dish at a time, this allows me to focus on what I am cooking.
- Using a pill sorter helps me take my pills. Forgetting increases the amount I binge.
- Using clear plastic containers helps me keep track of my stuff so I don’t have to buy more.
The biggest advice on being Earth-friendly aside from Reduce Reuse Recycle is taking care of your physical and mental health.
Autistic Observations 