Wasteful things I HATE about the Midwest...unsustainable farming, litter, suburban sprawl and more

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It's time, let's get into the wasteful things I hate about Ohio, my home state. I've done these unsustainable things I hate about where I've lived for Spokane, Vegas, and Japan, check them out below! How is your hometown zero waste or wasteful? Let us know below and check out more zero waste on a budget below :)
Videos mentioned/recommended:
Wasteful things I hate about Spokane: • I think I hate Spokane...
Wasteful things I hate about Vegas pt 1: • WASTEFUL THINGS I HATE...
Unsustainable things I hate about Vegas pt 2: • WASTEFUL THINGS I HATE...
Wasteful things I hate about Japan: • Wasteful things I HATE...
Zero waste grocery shopping at Meijer: • Zero waste grocery sho...
Zero waste groceries at Kroger:
Why eating vegan is better for the planet: • Why eating VEGAN IS BE...
12 ways you can start composting today: • EVERYONE can compost! ...
How Denahi helps me reduce food waste: • My dog helps me reduce...
Living zero waste with pets: • How to live ZERO WASTE...
Timestamps:
00:00 - The suburban sprawl
1:31 - Unsustainable farming practices
3:08 - Few vegan options
4:01 - No support for small businesses
5:26 - No one cares about climate change
8:02 - So much litter
8:52 - Let us know yours!
10:29 - Bloopers
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Plastic free makeup from Axiology: www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=20...
Bathroom swaps from Plaine Products: www.plaineproducts.com/ref/th...
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Опубликовано:

15 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 103

@amycopler3513 3 месяца назад

I’ll watch them no matter the length, but the shorter ones would be a little easier to fit in on mornings before work. I love how much you pack into your videos and get to the point. I actually like the sit down ones a bit better, unless it involves some kind of walk through or tutorial for something.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

yay thank you for that! I like sit down better too haha thanks for the feedback!

@veronicalynny 3 месяца назад

You are spot on with all of these! As someone who was born and raised in Southern CA, lived in East TN for a bit, Tampa, FL for 10 years and now the Dayton area of OH for the last 3, you are so right. Especially the trash!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

yes! it's crazy right!

@Meganesmith1104 3 месяца назад

Fellow Ohioian here 👋🏻 and the amount of littler I see is no joke. Even in my neighborhood there’s so much. Whenever I walk my dog I always pick up litter along the way. But in the country it’s even worse which doesn’t make sense to me either. I enjoy longer videos! Short ones are fine too. I’ll watch them all haha

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

okay i thought it was just me! crazy how much there is here. Thanks for being here no matter what :)

@persephone213 3 месяца назад

Ohioan here, too! While there are improvements being made here in Cincinnati, there’s definitely still much work to be done. What part of Ohio are you from?

@erintannehill 3 месяца назад

I enjoyed this style of video! A lot of what you said can go for the south, too. It’s crazy how political things have gotten for anyone who cares about the environment. I’ve also found it difficult to talk to people because they blame my beliefs on politics, and I’m like that has nothing to do with taking care of the planet. 🤦🏼‍♀️

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

I believe it! it's wild!

@ashleyanderson4821 3 месяца назад

I love this version of you doing things while talking! The tiny details actually add to the channel (showing dinner & pup food)! 🎉

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

right! so many random eco tidbits here and there, thank you!

@evolunacy2 3 месяца назад

I’m a native Angeleno, and my husband is from Akron. I don’t realize how much of a west coast person I am until I’m back visiting folks in Ohio. I’m used to seeing so many out and about exercising, easy access to vegetarian/vegan/organic food…I will say that our litter problem is much worse than Ohio’s. I’m out there with bags picking it up myself, but the problem is so bad here, unfortunately.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

omg I feel you! it's crazy!

@persephone213 3 месяца назад

Yeah, as an Ohioan, sometimes I really wonder if I’d fit in better out in the west coast. I’m a vegan zero waste yoga instructor healthnut lol

@veronicalynny 3 месяца назад

And I do like this format, I have watched many many videos of yours since Vegas. I have learned so much from you and implement little things all the time. I think you're doing an awesome job and will keep supporting the channel either way!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

woohoo thank you!

@denisemarie485 3 месяца назад

I like all your videos and watch no matter what the length or content. I will say as humans, we are used to doing things as we speak. It's a nice casual everyday approach even though the content is important. It's like sitting in a chair in the kitchen listening while watching you go on with real life stuff. Keeping it real. I like it 🤗❤

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

I see every one of your comments and they always make my day, thank you so much!

@denisemarie485 3 месяца назад

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I know liking and commenting helps your channel 😉

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

it sure does, thank you! @@denisemarie485

@maan8846 3 месяца назад

I liked that you were waving around with knives :-) Good content also.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

hahaha i couldn't help myself thank you!

@persephone213 3 месяца назад

As a fellow Ohioan, I’m stoked to see this video up! Also, you wielding a knife while ranting about Midwest wastefulness is a total vibe. 🤩 I’m glad I live in Cincinnati within city limits. I find people here to generally be more progressive and Findlay Market is my zero waste go-to, along with a few other resources and we have about a handful of vegan restaurants. I don’t think I’d want to live anywhere else in Ohio, though, honestly. Also, yeah… most people don’t seem to care, which frustrates me.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

isn't it a vibe? hahahaha. Cincy is just so fun!

@melissam4954 3 месяца назад

The litter is the WORST out in semi-rural suburbia! I see so much of it every day. Unfortunately most is thrown out of cars on highways or busy streets so it's hard to pick up because you have to pull over, risking yourself or your car getting hit at a high speed. A positive thing about the midwest I've noticed is that there seems to be more of a frugal minded DIY mindset here, which can lend itself to lots of reusing and repairing. My whole family is from the midwest and it seems like every item has a secondary use after it cant perform its primary function.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

glad i'm not crazy and others notice it too! ooooh yes that is a good thing indeed!

@sapa6483 3 месяца назад

I like this format cause you get to share tips about what you're doing. Also, don't feel bad about the views. lot of people don't like to think 😢

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

I thought so too!

@crowgrl13 3 месяца назад

OMG, Denahi's big eyes when you gave him that broccoli bone, LOL! I enjoyed watching you chop your veggies while talking, and honestly, I do like content being about 10-ish minutes, but that's just me.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

hahaha he does that every time! thanks for the feedback :)

@kat_thefruitbat 3 месяца назад

Your northeast Ohio neighbor here!👋😁 Great points! 100% agree. My partner and I have one electric vehicle and one gasoline vehicle. Another issue related to the lack of incentives for owning an EV is the fact that you have to pay a $200 fee every year when you re-register your vehicle…It’s because you’re not buying gasoline, which helps pay for road upkeep with its tax. They came up with that fee a couple years after we purchased our certified preowned EV. I do think it’s fair for the most part, but I’m sure it’s a deterrent for some people, which makes it unfortunate. We have our own 220V charging station at our house because the 120V cord the car came with takes forever to charge the car, and, like you said, there aren’t a ton of public EV charging stations. The issues with suburbs are numerous and very frustrating because it feels like an insurmountable problem that everyone complains about but has no idea how to change. In the suburb we live in, there currently is an example of a serious problem happening on the south side….It has long been a food desert, and now, the area’s one major grocery store just closed this past week because they reopened a new location in a busier area (a shopping “village” that started up 5+ years ago and continues to expand 😑). So now the area is basically left with nothing but expensive corner stores. At first I wanted to be mad at the business for leaving that area in the name of more profits, but quickly realized it’s not the responsibility of a business to prevent further food desertification by staying….It’s the responsibility of our local government, who KNEW many months ago that the store would be relocating and didn’t do anything to prepare for the social issues that would come from it….They are just NOW starting to work with the county’s very limited transit busing system to hopefully add a couple additional routes to provide grocery store access to south side residents who don’t have their own means of transportation. And I guess the local gov is also advertising tax incentives to attract another grocery store business to the area, which is good, but these efforts should have started BEFORE the store finished relocating. 😓

@junglesuperstar9270 3 месяца назад

It is also problems with zoning laws . I just recently learnt that they exist in the USA and now I kinda understand why American towns with suburbs are so bizarre

@kat_thefruitbat 3 месяца назад

@@junglesuperstar9270 💯!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

that EV tax is crazy, what?!? ugh how frustrating!

@pambroz547 3 месяца назад

I love long content! And I’ll watch whatever format you go with. 😂 I have just a handful of channels I subscribe to, and I watch while crafting-so the longer, the better as far as I’m concerned. I’ve learned so much from you over the years, even though I came to this channel as an already-eco person. Keep up the good work!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

woohoo thank you co much! thank you :)

@junglesuperstar9270 3 месяца назад

What I hate is tetra-pack and vegan milk manufacturers . All the recycling facilities for tetrapack are situated thousands kilometers away but for whatever weird companies that are supposed to care about environment put their product in the most unsustainable package ever . Creating even more problems and trash . For all other products like regular milk, juices there are products in recyclable packaging . Except vegan milk.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

Tetrapak isn't actually the most unsustainable ever I recommend you check out my full tetrapak and packaging comparrison videos here: Also, there are plenty of brands of vegan milk that come in a #1 plastic bottle. You just jhave to look! Dairy is extremely unsustainable so plant milk is always better for the planet ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-oKj1PsAJClY.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LSuadr_lnJw.html

@ashleystanley7941 3 месяца назад

This is really interesting. I remember your frustrations with Vegas, and those seemed very systemic and somewhat of a result of the densely populated city combined with drought/climate change. It seems a lot of regional eco problems could be solved by individuals taking more action in the midwest.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

yes! it really is curious to compare it to the systemic flaws of Vegas cause you're right this is heavily individual based

@jessthoma2803 3 месяца назад

I loved this kind of video!! Feels like you're talking to a friend, and I ain't got no eco-friendly friends! So it was refreshing lol.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

aww yay thank you for letting me know!

@mercurious6699 3 месяца назад

Yep, experiencing the consequences of climate change is key to climate awareness. And yes, the present political polarization doesn't help at all...

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

yes!!

@dianabenocilla1771 3 месяца назад

I do agree that a lot of the Midwest has these issues (being more suburban, sprawl, not focusing on small businesses), but I do think that it is generally a lot of america. It also seems opposite in cities in general (saying as a Chicagoan [Midwest] who has composted for years, city has small business ethos, use public transportation & bike, refill and secondhand places [Wasteshed & RXBuilding Exhchange are my fave] and most of my friends are equally sustainably minded and all of them vote - but I feel like that’s only really special case cuz city). I’ve lived all over FL and also roadtripped a lot of america (including ohio!) and most of these issues are everywhere. It’s america (sad, unenthusiastic yay)! The worst place I’ve been around Midwest is Nebraska….sadly so many cows and crammed into small spaces. Driving on the highway smells like poo for hours. We really gotta reduce our cow dependencies :(

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

for sure a lot of my critique videos have similar themes cause they're all the US and it's all so similar! ugh that makes me so sad!

@findingagain 3 месяца назад

Thank you for sharing all of this as you've gone back! I haven't visited much since moving to the PNW and hearing you talk about it, and thinking about my youth, it's all absolutely true. I'm a little surprised Kewpee is still around with how popular chains are; I think it's literally the only small business I've heard the people around me actively be excited about. The amount (and kind) of trash feels absolutely unreal sometimes. You could probably make whole wardrobes with the amount of random clothing strewn about the road and sidewalks where I'm from.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

I totally thought I was crazy going into this but so many midwesterners agree!

@MelissaReist 3 месяца назад

Yes, the litter is so bad ☹️ I’ve lived in the Cincinnati area my whole life and the litter has been terrible my whole life! Litter constantly ends up in our yard even though we have a 6 foot privacy fence Yes to a part two!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

it's wild, isn't it? I don't get it! Part two being the eco things about Ohio?

@plantsbeautylove 3 месяца назад

When I moved to Ohio ..one of the first things my neighbor brought up was climate change…he mentioned he the winters are like they used to be and how each year it’s more mild than before…so personally I’ve noticed people who grew up in the Midwest are actually more aware of the affects of climate change than people who don’t have real seasons …so

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

that's great to here! I live in a really red area though

@shaunaburton7136 3 месяца назад

I live in Indiana and I hate unsustainable farming! I’ve met so many elderly people who grew up on one crop farms like soy or corn and their families worked hard and lost the farms to foreclosure! It’s been unsustainable for decades!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

yes!!! unsustainable money wise as well honestly

@geofft3214 3 месяца назад

Interesting and unfortunate about OH. Similar problems even here in New England. The suburban sprawl is the worst with no decent light-rail trams and bicycle paths/lanes. 😠 Slowly getting zoning reforms.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

I'm sure most of the US is quite similar. It's so sad

@alicja_brudnicka 3 месяца назад

Hi Emma, I am sending you big, green hugs from Texas (: I am from Europe but since I temporarily moved to TX in 2021 I am still shocked and overwhelmed how much single use plastic people use in daily life e.g., in grocery stores or at my campus university. We also have here lots of litter, concrete highways and smashed opossums :((( The things that I like about TX though is the sun most days of the year, and plety of vegan options in the grocery stores (in my home country Poland we don't have them so many). It's acually interesting, since most of the TX resident loves meat right? I also like doing my groceries in the grocery clearance store, where you can kind of " rescue" the food that have been rejected from other big-name stores. Again, since UE regulations, stores can't sell food that is a few days expired (which I am happy to buy because most of the times is completely safe to eat - especially if you are powered by plants). Anyway, I really appreciate your content Emma! Thank you for your time and knowledge that you share with us!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

it's crazy here, right?! I lived in San Angelo for a year and it was hard to be eco there!

@racheljames9187 3 месяца назад

Hi Emma, I'm sorry the youtube algorithm is hiding you. I run an online business myself... having higher powers play games with your income and trying to learn what new things you need to do to make it work is not fun (I'm a digital seller on Etsy part time... Etsy take pride in constantly messing with the algorithm!). My favourite form of content is long form educational stuff - the sort of content that is loads of work to produce and may not payoff if the algorithm is working against it! I think a fun video - which might not apply to everyone, but might still be inspiring - is easy craft projects to decrease waste (e.g. making produce bags, make up wipes, crocheted kitchen cloths, recycling cards to gift tags, fun alternatives to gift wrap, furoshiki cloths, scrunchies/bunting from old/thrifted fabrics etc etc.. I make a lot, super happy to send photos if that helps. I think even if people aren't particularly naturally inclined that way, low waste people tend to be very open to learning new skills and having a video might be the encouragement they need to try - or to find someone to help teach them. Also, there aren't many low waste videos on repair cafes. If you have any local ones and go there to get something fixed that would be a fun one. I'm a repairer at a repair cafe, everything people produce to help champion the cause helps a lot :)

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

I wish I had time to craft, maybe I can make that video one day! it sounds fun for sure :) ooooh yes I need to find my own repair cafe to attend!

@miss_m_yt 3 месяца назад

Main thing I wish people knew is the importance of voting. So many people choose to sit out. Your voice counts!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

YES!!!!!!!! Ugh I cannot say it enough either it matters!

@karinhart489 3 месяца назад

Yes, we had such a low voter turnout yesterday in CA.

@miss_m_yt 3 месяца назад

@@karinhart489 we will need to make sure we tell all our friends/family/etc to make sure they are registered to vote and to make sure they have a plan to do so!

@leanneono6237 3 месяца назад

I like this style of video, sometimes I just listen and not looking at the visuals anyway. 20-30 mins is good for me. I prefer videos being general tips or factual so I can apply them - I left this vid til last because I don't live in America

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 2 месяца назад

yay thanks! I wish more people liked longer vids but alas they do not :(

@karinhart489 3 месяца назад

Farming: I had a chance to watch all the dairy farms in a region north of us become organic. In my state that means the pastures cannot be sprayed with pesticides for a minimum of 1 year. No gmo feed, no zombie medication. The farmers did it to improve the quality of the dairy products & health of cows, plus they get paid more for their milk. Just now learning about our organic farming in the broader region.

@karinhart489 3 месяца назад

Ok, tell me what Ohio does right… besides my mom & dad met there at college.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

ugh frustrating!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

uhhhh...I guess many people are frugal here and frual = low waste in terms of reusing and shopping secondhand. There's a big antique culture here too! @@karinhart489

@antoniomartins2900 3 месяца назад

I love your videos!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

thank you so much!

@coalcat5417 23 дня назад

Makes me sad to see all the corn and soy fields in Ohio, knowing it’s mostly going to feed towns out west.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 22 дня назад

yup!! I wish we could use our farmland to feed people and not millions of cows and pigs

@junglesuperstar9270 3 месяца назад

This type of video is fun.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

yay thank you!

@fwebster6226 3 месяца назад

I really like the chat sessions. Gotta say that clips over 20 minutes don’t get a look in tho

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

okay i'll try to keep it around 10-15 :) thankyou!

@nature_rabbits5370 3 месяца назад

We are seeing the scary changes here in Oregon

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

like wat?

@nature_rabbits5370 3 месяца назад

The severe winter storm we had in January was one of them which has happened almost every year since we’ve moved here. Which was about 10 years ago. We also had temperature fluctuations this year. Which is concerned because of the native pollinators and then getting confused because it’s getting warmer and then it dips down to like the 40s in the evening.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

woah that's wild! @@nature_rabbits5370

@chrstopherblighton-sande2981 3 месяца назад

I'm not hugely familiar with the United States and the Midwest even less - though I did think that's the place with big tornadoes so I guess climate change could make that a lot worse! - but from what I did know and from the stereotypes I've come across, I was super surprised to hear that the Midwest isn't big on local companies! I always imagined it as a place of tight-knit small communities where people prioritised family owned local companies that supported their neighbours over the large impersonal corporations - corporations that are the very antithesis of community! It's sad that climate change and protecting our shared planet has become so politicised. Whilst people across the political spectrum may disagree about the ways to fix the problems, we should all at least be agreed on the need to fix them and the need to protect our shared home.

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

the midwest is wild, we do have small communities but in the gossipy way, not the close knit way, it's really sad!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

love what you said at the end!

@plantsbeautylove 3 месяца назад

I just moved to Ohio from Arizona and recycling is sooo much easier and available here than it was in Arizona..♻️ also I live near Lake Erie and bike trails everywhere !plus the public transportation is great..personally my life has become way less wasteful since moving here. The recycling made the biggest change.

@plantsbeautylove 3 месяца назад

Also deer are plenty on the Lake Erie coast… idk about other parts of Ohio but up north yes..deer everywhere ❤❤

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

that's good to hear! yay for bikes!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

omg deer everywhere for sure!@@plantsbeautylove

@mercurious6699 3 месяца назад

Please do a follow-up when your time permits :) thanks so much!

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

follow up about Ohio?

@mercurious6699 3 месяца назад

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist yes 🙏

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist 3 месяца назад

what do you want to see in a follow up I'm not sure what I would talk about? @@mercurious6699

@mercurious6699 3 месяца назад

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist perhaps what you see changing for better or worse in terms of attitude to climate change after the presidential election? Or perhaps a more general one on climate sensitivity in other parts of the midwest? I'm a relatively new viewer so forgive me if you've already covered these suggestions

@kat_thefruitbat 3 месяца назад

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalistyou mentioned at the end about the idea of doing a follow up on things you like about the Midwest/Ohio. 😊