FREE SHIPPING FOR ORDERS OVER 100€ IN FINLAND

0

Your Cart is Empty

WOMEN
  • MEN
  • ACCESSORIES
  • SOCKS

  • TAKE CARE & REPAIR

  • SUMMER ESSENTIALS

  • GIFT CARD

  • ALL ACCESSORIES

  • January 30, 2020 3 min read

    Our current habits of consumption are from times when humans thought the natural resources were limitless, with our actions having no impact on the environment. As this is not the case, changing our habits to be more environmentally friendly is simply a matter of course and inevitable. 

     Better choices for more sustainable lifestyle

    In the Paris Climate Agreement, it was agreed that limiting global warming to 1.5°C is crucial. The actions made until now won’t be enough to stop the warming to 2°C. In the next 100 years, life on Earth will change for better or worse; either because of the climate crisis or because of the changes we make to our lifestyles in order to stop global warming. (1) 

    In Finland, the average per capita greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from consumption expenditure were 8.36 tonnes CO2e in 2017 (2). In Germany, the corresponding quantity per capita is 11.61 tonnes CO2e in 2017 (3).

    Consumption in Finland in 2016 (4)
    • 30% mobility
    • 29% housing
    • 22% consumption of goods & services 
    • 19% food
    Consumption in Germany in 2017 (3)
    • 39% consumption of goods & services 
    • 18.8% mobility 
    • 15% food
    • 14.1% heating
    • 6.5% energy use 
    • 6.3% public emissions 
    60-70% of the global GHG emissions are related to household consumption (1). The rest is from government consumption and industry (5). Around 10% of the carbon footprint of a Finn comes from the items we have in our homes like furniture, decorations, clothing, and household appliances. (1)
    Better choices for more sustainable lifestyle

    The level of consumption should be around the level of the 1960s and 1970s given all the modern technologies and developments we’ve had in the following decades, but given society’s huge growth and improvements in quality of life our emissions are in fact higher. (1)

    According to the report of the Finnish Environment Institute in 2017, the most popular ways to reduce the individual’s impact on the environment were:
    • Reducing & separating waste
    • Cutting down the consumption of disposable items
    • Buying locally produced food (5)

    Fewer respondents were willing to take action and make low carbon consumption choices in the fields of energy and mobility that are significant sources of greenhouse gases. However, it is crucial to find motivators for reducing the emissions in these areas that require more changes to the current lifestyles. (5)

    All the sources we studied and read for this Speak of The Frog article agreed that one of the most efficient ways to reduce one’s greenhouse gas emissions is to generally consume less. We should carefully consider our purchases and think of creative ways to prolong the lifespan of our items and avoiding extra waste. It is not always necessary to buy new items when we can easily repair the old one, or avoid buying a new item altogether when one can borrow, rent, or buy second hand. 

    Better choices for more sustainable lifestyle

    It is pointless to think that our lives in the western countries will stay the same after global heating, even taking into account that the effects are more catastrophic in the third world. However, we can all make a positive impact by normalising a new, more sustainable way to live. (1)

    Changing our current lifestyle and norms of consumption doesn’t have to mean we must give up everything and give up our living standards. The concept of “good life” has always been changing and it will continue to change still. What was necessary for living in the past is not always necessary today. What we think is indispensable now, won’t necessarily be in the future.

    In the end, we believe we can all agree that we enjoy clean air to breathe, new greener working places, and having more time for the most important things in life without having to think about consuming more.


    Love,
    Ama & Essi

     

    Edited byAlex Burchell

    Photos by Julius Töyrylä

    Better choices for more sustainable lifestyle

    Sources:

    1. Rinna Saramäki: 250 ilmastotekoa joilla pelastat maailman. Otava. 2019. 
    2. World Data Atlas - Finland - Environment: Finland CO2 emissions per capita https://knoema.com/atlas/Finland/CO2-emissions-per-capita
    3. Syke 2019: Suomen kotitalouksien kulutuksen hiilijalanjälki kasvussa, julkisten hankintojen hiilijalanjälki laskettu ensimmäistä kertaa. https://www.syke.fi/fi-FI/Ajankohtaista/Suomen_kotitalouksien_kulutuksen_hiilija(49873)
    4. Finnish Environment Institute Sitra 2017: Consumption choices to decrease personal carbon footprints of Finns https://media.sitra.fi/2017/10/23144245/Consumption_choices_to_decrease_personal_carbon_footprints_of_Finns.pdf

    Also in Speak Of The Frog

    Active exercisers and athletes - How to find balance?
    Active exercisers and athletes - How to find balance?

    December 04, 2023 4 min read

    A guest blog written by Leena Rapanen

    Burnout, exhaustion, overload, you probably know it and can name it. In Finland, we have a saying that "a dear child has many names" but this child, despite its many names, is not really dear. Exhaustion is rarely a matter of "just tiredness", but often also involves physical and/or mental symptoms, such as pain, aches, sleep difficulties, impaired memory and concentration and, for example, depression or anxiety symptoms. I myself have experience with the whole spectrum.

    Read More
    We are what we repeatedly do
    We are what we repeatedly do

    November 03, 2023 3 min read

    Guest blog written by Noora Huotari from Népra Crew

    Wake up, do your morning routines, bike to work, work, bike back home, do your daily chores, workout, shower, cook food, walk the dog, do your bed time routines and go to bed and sleep. And repeat same things every weekday.
    To many, this may sound exhausting and boring, but at least for me, routines are a big part of coping in everyday life.

    Read More
    Feel good, do good
    Feel good, do good

    April 11, 2023 2 min read

    Népra is an activewear brand that does good. We think charity work is part of a sustainable business and doing good is in Népra’s DNA. This year, we will continue to work with the John Nurminen Foundation to help protect the Baltic Sea. For every product sold online, we donate 50 cents to charity. Read more on the Speak Of The Frog Népra blog.
    Read More