Ruby Wax has revealed her worst habit when it comes to the environment, as well as her innovative plans for counteracting it.
The American-British actor has always been at the forefront of pressing social issues, having tirelessly campaigned for mental health advocacy throughout her impressive TV and film career.
It looks like she has now turned her focus towards sustainability, a topic that's been hard to miss with the global climate crisis reaching a state of emergency in recent years. Ruby shared a number of techniques she uses to reduce her carbon footprint on the Earth in a recent interview, along with the environmentally destructive habit she's most ashamed of.
"I fly," she told the Independent. "So, that’s pretty awful, but I’m trying to balance it out with my house."
The house in question is currently a work in progress, but it looks like it could soften some of the guilt associated with flying. With the aircraft industry responsible for nearly 5% of global warming, it's a major contributor to the climate emergency. Ruby hopes that, by embracing a greener domestic life, she can offset some of the damage caused by her plane-hopping.
"I’m getting a little eco-house in Findhorn, which is an eco-community in Scotland," she told the Independent. "They know how to build eco up there. The house will rely on wind turbines, solar power, and car-sharing. It’s the real deal."
Ruby also offered some unique ideas on building a more sustainable Earth, revealing she would make it "a law that whatever you take out of the world you have to put back in it." Under her hypothetical government, people would have to follow "a pay-back system" in which they'd be required to counterbalance their negative behaviors with a positive action.
"So if you were drinking from a plastic bottle, you’d have to then go and deliver food to people who can’t leave their homes, or something," she explained. In her utopian world, planes would also be "electric" or "powered by solar energy."
The Mindfulness Guide for Survival author also shared her top tips on practicing sustainability, emphasizing the importance of connecting with nature to truly embrace an eco-conscious life.
"Watch what you’re doing," she warned. "As you speak, notice where the water being held in your hand came from. Everyone’s going on about sustainability but nobody’s aware of what they’re holding or touching or wearing."
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