Kieran (Semi-Sustainable Man)

Kieran, 24 years old, currently works in the solar industry and has been sharing his journey trying to live a low impact lifestyle, for the past two years. He has been fortunate to travel and his experiences from that exposed him to plastic pollution, water shortages and other environmental impacts, which drove him to start acting more sustainably. Kieran feels a lack of connection to those around us, nature, and to the things we consume in our day to day life, which has resulted in us acting unconsciously. In his opinion, by raising awareness on the impacts of these things, we can start encouraging ourselves and others to act with more intention to have a greater positive impact.

How and why did environmental issues spark and interest?

When I was at school, there was a lecture at an event discussing ‘food, water and energy for the next 50 years’, and that got me interested in sustainability! I switched from applying for Geography and ended up studying Sustainability and Environmental management at the University of Leeds.

Even though I studied it, I wasn’t particularly sustainable in my actions and lifestyle. My first real realisation of this was when I was fortunate enough to go on along the coast of South Africa and saw the devastating impacts of plastic pollution first hand. This was happening in areas where the local people couldn’t have been contributing at this scale. It then made me realise that others actions were leading to this and that I was one of those people. This created awareness, the first real connection for me that my actions had consequences. This led me on the path towards finding ‘zero waste living’, doing a zero waste month challenge, and eventually it made me question my other actions, and ask “why should I expect other people to act if I studied this stuff and I’m doing nothing?”

Just because you learn or become more aware about a subject doesn’t make you a part of the solution, you have to live it. During this time, I was also reducing my meat consumption. 4 months later, I was vegetarian and six months after that, vegan. The latter choice being more for the animals. I have continued to make changes to my lifestyle to reduce my impact where possible. It is a continual journey of learning and I still have the rest of my life to go.

You are very passionate about mindfulness and intentional living. How did that start?

When I was younger, I would occasionally see my Dad meditate. Although it is not something we ever got the chance to discuss in depth, it has been on my radar since then and I am sure it has had some form of influence. I learned a bit about mindfulness at school and tried a bit at Uni but it was only in the past two years that mindfulness and intentional living have really kicked in.

Both mindfulness and intentional living went hand in hand when I realised that I had been living unconsciously in my actions, doing things because that’s what everyone else was doing and that is what society sort of expected. When I started associating actions with consequences, I became more intentional with my actions, to ensure I caused the least amount of harm and have the largest positive impact possible. After making that connection, I have just continued to become aware of different impacts of my life and how I could change them. I try to be mindful in as many aspects of my life as possible, as once we have an awareness for something we can start to change it. Being more conscious of the impacts of my actions and then more intentional with how I choose to act definitely led the way for this whole journey within sustainability.

Incorporating meditation into my daily practice has definitely helped me more to reflect on my thoughts and actions. It has also allowed me to find a moment between thought and action, and question why I choose certain actions. This all started with 10 minute guided meditation sessions, and is now a daily practice. If you are interested in starting, the app I use is ‘Calm’, but there are plenty of things for free online.

Why do you think it’s important to practice mindfulness and live intentionally while doing activism?

On a personal level, it has brought more awareness to my actions, the activism I do and how I try to portray the messages I want to spread. It is important to be mindful of why we are doing what we are doing, and to be aware of how we can bring about the change we wish to see in ourselves, those around us and society as a whole. We must be mindful of the realities of the activism we do and recognise the different ways it can be perceived in order to understand different perspectives and try to reach out to those around us.

Activism encompasses many forms of action and this makes it an interesting topic to talk about, as different actions connect with different people. We must be mindful of the realities of the activism we do and recognise the different ways it can be perceived, to understand different perspectives and try to reach out to those around us.

We must also be mindful and compassionate in our approach to activism, remembering that we all started our journey somewhere. Early in my journey, and probably even at times today, I may not approach activism in the best way, but just continue to do your best and be open to learning. Recognise that not everyone has to do the same form of activism to spread the message you want to be a part of. The strength comes from our diversity in approaches. There are so many different forms of activism and they will appeal to different people. Find one you believe in and start doing that. No matter how small or big it feels, you are making a difference.

What advice would you give to fellow activists and environmentalists, in order for them to be more connected to themselves and avoid burning out?

To be more connected to ourselves, I would suggest questioning our actions. This doesn’t have to be all at once but, over time, looking at particular life areas, checking in how intentional the actions surrounding that are. Really understanding why we are doing what we are doing is important.

Meditation has really allowed me to be more considering in my approach to activism, but also allowed me to better understand myself, what drives me, how drained I am etc. Being able to tune into that is important, especially to know when to rest and recharge. We must listen and respect our body and mind, knowing when it is time to take a break. You can’t be active from a place of burn out and overdoing it consistently is not sustainable.

Surrounding yourself with like-minded people within your activism is important. Try to find a strong support network that you can talk to about all these things. Activism can be draining and it is important to have people around you who understand you and can support you.

Don’t think you have to be the activist who does everything. Know what you feel comfortable in doing and do that the best you can. Don’t let others shame you or make you feel bad for not doing enough. We aren’t all the same and we can be active in different ways.