It’s Plastic Free July!! 

In Melbourne, we attended Rotary International’s annual convention where Barbara and Rotarian Melanie Lewis presented Rotary’s global environmental initiative - “End Plastic Soup”.  [See our May 7th blog to learn more about End Plastic Soup!]  The presentation began with an acknowledgement of the First Nation peopleas traditional custodians of the land on which we gathered and to pay respect to Elders past and present. 

As we Rotarians met on these unceded  lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, Melanie shared the Australian Dreaming of the Rainbow Serpent story.  She shared that this is one of the oldest religious stories we know of, having been passed down through the generations through rock art and storytelling over 6000 years!  It captures how we are connected to Country, and why we must protect our waterways, our rivers, our oceans – our life source.

This view of nature and of the intimate relationship with the land and the natural world is shared by many First Nation people around the world.  There are approximately 370 million First Nation people in the world, 5 per cent of the total population but they officially hold 18 per cent of the land and lay claim to far more. Their home areas across 70 countries from the Arctic to the South Pacific include many of the planet’s most critical biodiversity hotspots. These often-marginalized groups are gaining recognition as vital stewards of our environment and its fast-depleting resources.  They can provide inspiration to all of us to take actions to protect our world for generations to come.  We McSisters encourage you to find your own inspiration and take the Plastic Free July challenge.

This Plastic Free July we McSisters are excited to take new steps to reduce our use of single-use plastic. We invite you to take the challenge with us.  Start with onestep to reduce your use of single-use plastic!!

McSisters Frances and Barbara were inspired to keep taking plastic free steps during a recent  trip to New Zealand and Australia.  During our travels we had the great fortune to meet several First Nation people who shared stories of their culture, traditions, and personal family experiences. The Maori people of New Zealand and the Kuku-Yalanji people of northeastern Australia each have a strong tradition of protecting the environment. 

 The Maori people of New Zealand feel that humans are deeply connected with nature and that the two are equal and interdependent, even Kin. The term ‘kaitiakitanga’ is a Maori word that means the actions of the Maori people to respect and honor the land and all things that come from it.  We learned from our Maori guide that the Maori are the guardians of the earth with the responsibility to care for, protect, and maintain the environment for generations to come.

The Kuku-Yalanji people, the traditional owners of rainforests north of Queensland, Australia, have been living in harmony with the environment for 50,000 years.  We learned from our Kuku-Yalanji guide about the ongoing traditions of sustainable fishing and land use, and customs that assure protection of the environment for future generations.

What can you do?

Write a letter to the next generations of your own family and answer these questions:

a.      What did you know?

b.     When did you know it?

c.     What did you do about it?

• Learn more about environmental impacts, particularly on First Nation populations. You can start with this one: https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-and-health-indigenous-populations#key

• Refer to our other blogs about plastic and climate change, toilet paper and climate change as it is all interrelated.

• Check out:  https://endplasticsoup.nl

• Carry on with your plan for a Plastic Free July! Just one step and who knows where that will lead . . .