11 TED TALKS THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU

1. What if we refuse trash? | Andrea Sanders |

Andrea and her husband are living proof of that what may seem impossible and idealistic, is indeed possible and very inspirational. They waste very little by buying smart and making use of reusable products. This talk focuses on simple ways to start pushing a circular-based economy (zero-waste lifestyle) instead of the linear model we currently employ.

2. Zero Waste is not recycling more, but less | Bea Johnson |

Bea shares her tribulations and secrets to achieving Zero Waste. She covers the importance of applying her 5R’s in order (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot) and shatters misconceptions, proving that the Zero Waste lifestyle can not only be “stylish”, but also lead to significant health benefits, and time and money savings. She manages to talk about her personal journey with humour and without preaching. She brings an intimidating topic down to a manageable scale, lending a unique perspective and making Zero Waste less daunting. Her non-judgmental approach will inspire self-reflection and change. Bea talks about her lifestyle with passion and provides many practical solutions to living simply and reducing waste, but more importantly, finding happiness in our consumerist society.

3. Why I live a zero waste life | Lauren Singer |

Lauren is an Environmental Studies graduate from NYU and former Sustainability Manager at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and the amount of trash that she has produced over the past three years can fit inside of a 16 oz. mason jar.

4. Vegans on top | Ori Shavit |

What is the cost of an egg? Much much more than you think. Journalist, blogger and food critic Ori Shavit explains why Vegans should be on top.

5. Ending the battle between vegans, vegetarians, and everyone else | Brian Kateman|

Many people are aware that their food choices have real-world consequences but believe that the only solution is to completely eliminate meat from their diet. Brian Kateman argues that the “reducetarian” movement can empower individuals to eat less meat with respect to their own diet in an easy and manageable way, thereby improving their health, the environment, and the lives of farm animals.

6. Plant-strong & healthy living | Rip Esselstyn |

Rip Esselstyn, a former firefighter, and author of The Engine 2 Diet, advocates a plant-strong diet to combat chronic diseases. Esselstyn inspired his fellow firefighting crew at the Austin Engine 2 station to follow a plant-based diet and dramatically heal their health. In 2012, Engine 2 and Whole Foods Market unveiled the Engine 2 food line.

7. The less you own, the more you have | Angela Horn | 

Angela expands on the upsides of downsizing and how living with less can positively affect your life.

8. A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists |

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, better known to their 2 million readers as The Minimalists, are the authors of several bestselling books, including EVERYTHING THAT REMAINS. They spoke at TEDxWhitefish about minimalism, the value of community, and discovering what makes people rich.

9. You are what you wear | Christina Dean |

Dr. Christina Dean is the Founder and CEO of Redress, an NGO with a mission to promote environmental sustainability in the fashion industry. Christina is a regular speaker at seminars and has received numerous recognitions for her work, including being listed by U.S. online magazine Coco Eco as one of ‘2010’s Most Influential Women in Green’ and by U.K. Vogue as one of the U.K.’s ‘Top 30 Inspirational Women’. Prior to founding Redress, Christina was a journalist and a practising dental surgeon.

10. The Wardrobe To Die For | Lucy Siegle |

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. An expose on the fashion industry written by the Observer’s ‘Ethical Living’ columnist Lucy Siegle, examining the inhumane and environmentally devastating story behind the clothes we so casually buy and wear.

11. We should all be feminists | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a renowned Nigerian novelist was born in Nigeria in 1977. She grew up in the university town of Nsukka, Enugu State where she attended primary and secondary schools, and briefly studied Medicine and Pharmacy. She then moved to the United States to attend college, graduating summa cum laude from Eastern Connecticut State University with a major in Communication and a minor in Political Science. She holds a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins and a Masters degree in African Studies from Yale University.

Thank You,

Mateja

cover photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash