As an artist, my work focuses on Historical themes and thus, few people know how important environmentalism and climate change issues are to me. I feel society places responsibility on Institutions, Companies and Governments to make large scale policy changes... and for us to wait for them to do so.
I believe we have power. Our decisions, our lifestyles and our habits influence our world. Companies and Governments may have the power of policy and law, but we have the power of numbers. While Institutions, Companies and Governments go through the motions, I'm making changes.
Minor Alterations is a way for me to share these changes, whether they be newly adopted or already an established part of my life. New Postcards will be available each month on Instagram @thomson.ht and this webpage.
I believe we have power. Our decisions, our lifestyles and our habits influence our world. Companies and Governments may have the power of policy and law, but we have the power of numbers. While Institutions, Companies and Governments go through the motions, I'm making changes.
Minor Alterations is a way for me to share these changes, whether they be newly adopted or already an established part of my life. New Postcards will be available each month on Instagram @thomson.ht and this webpage.
2021 Postcards
January: Tea Leaves/Bags
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Happy New Year!
Although the days are getting longer north of the equator, it’s still chilly and drinking tea is one of my favourite ways to stay warm. Tea drinking is also related to three of the 5 R’s of sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, and Rot.
A wonderful thing about tea leaves, is that they can be re-steeped! Reusing tea bags/loose leaf cuts your consumption, which in turn impacts the resources used to produce and ship them. PLUS, it saves you money (and every little bit counts in that department!)
Concerned about the flavour? Fear not, most teas can be re-steeped at least once. Green tea in particular is well suited to re-steeping and I make 3 pots of tea before composting. The only change I’ve noticed is the third pot needs a bit longer to get the stronger flavour I like.
So while your self isolating at home, sit back and enjoy a cup of tea! And experiment with how many times your chosen tea(s) can be steeped.
Sustainably Yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
P.S. Don’t forget to compost when you’re done so the leaves can rot!
Although the days are getting longer north of the equator, it’s still chilly and drinking tea is one of my favourite ways to stay warm. Tea drinking is also related to three of the 5 R’s of sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, and Rot.
A wonderful thing about tea leaves, is that they can be re-steeped! Reusing tea bags/loose leaf cuts your consumption, which in turn impacts the resources used to produce and ship them. PLUS, it saves you money (and every little bit counts in that department!)
Concerned about the flavour? Fear not, most teas can be re-steeped at least once. Green tea in particular is well suited to re-steeping and I make 3 pots of tea before composting. The only change I’ve noticed is the third pot needs a bit longer to get the stronger flavour I like.
So while your self isolating at home, sit back and enjoy a cup of tea! And experiment with how many times your chosen tea(s) can be steeped.
Sustainably Yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
P.S. Don’t forget to compost when you’re done so the leaves can rot!
February: Shaving
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Like many minor alterations, this month's change first occurred for non-environmental reasons.
My skin is very sensitive and a few years ago, I decided to stop shaving. Attaining the "flawless" hairless look expected of North American women was wreaking my skin... and producing a lot of waste.
Does this mean you have to stop shaving? NO. That's a personal choice for you to make. BUT, living sustainably is all about moving beyond consumerism and single use products. If you choose to shave, use handles with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors and please look for environmentally conscious brands.
Alternatively, you can go old school with a straight blade. Straight blades can be sharpened (instead of replaced) and you'll get bonus points for badass-ness, after you learn how to use it safely!
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
P.S. there are feminism topics tied to this month's change. If you want to share how you're overcoming learned beauty standards
I'd love to hear from you! Especially if you have some tips, because no longer shaving and feeling confident wearing sleevless tops in
the summer again are two very different things
My skin is very sensitive and a few years ago, I decided to stop shaving. Attaining the "flawless" hairless look expected of North American women was wreaking my skin... and producing a lot of waste.
Does this mean you have to stop shaving? NO. That's a personal choice for you to make. BUT, living sustainably is all about moving beyond consumerism and single use products. If you choose to shave, use handles with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors and please look for environmentally conscious brands.
Alternatively, you can go old school with a straight blade. Straight blades can be sharpened (instead of replaced) and you'll get bonus points for badass-ness, after you learn how to use it safely!
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
P.S. there are feminism topics tied to this month's change. If you want to share how you're overcoming learned beauty standards
I'd love to hear from you! Especially if you have some tips, because no longer shaving and feeling confident wearing sleevless tops in
the summer again are two very different things
March: Fabric Scraps
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Sewing projects rarely use all the fabric purchased for it and excess pieces can be stored for future endeavors. However, small fabric scraps are considered “useless” and thrown out.
Despite their size (inch wide strips and other small pieces) I think fabric scraps are quite useful! I keep all my scraps and, in the past year alone, I’ve used scraps to make cord ties/keepers, reusable makeup pads, and a bag holder for my dog’s leash.
By saving fabric scraps for another day, you’re reducing how much garbage is sent to landfill AND saving larger pieces of fabric for bigger projects. Why make that nice piece of fabric smaller by cutting a bit off, when you could use an existing scrap that’s the size you need? Scraps also come in handy for mending (see January 2020’s postcard)
Remember friends, sewing is sew cool!
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
P.S. Clothes do eventually wear out, no matter they're mended, Although worn clothes can't be donated, they do make for wonderful scraps!
Despite their size (inch wide strips and other small pieces) I think fabric scraps are quite useful! I keep all my scraps and, in the past year alone, I’ve used scraps to make cord ties/keepers, reusable makeup pads, and a bag holder for my dog’s leash.
By saving fabric scraps for another day, you’re reducing how much garbage is sent to landfill AND saving larger pieces of fabric for bigger projects. Why make that nice piece of fabric smaller by cutting a bit off, when you could use an existing scrap that’s the size you need? Scraps also come in handy for mending (see January 2020’s postcard)
Remember friends, sewing is sew cool!
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
P.S. Clothes do eventually wear out, no matter they're mended, Although worn clothes can't be donated, they do make for wonderful scraps!
April: Toothpaste Tubes
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Minor Alterations is all about the small changes we can make to reduce our environmental impact, and this month’s alteration is small and simple.
When a toothpaste tube is empty, cut it in half with a pair of scissors to get more paste out of it! Paste can get trapped at either end of the tube and I find cutting the it in half gets me another 2-3 brushes.
Sure it’s a small action, but every little bit helps! The extra brushes add up over time and you’re able to get the most out of your money.
Win-wins are the best kind of changes!
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
When a toothpaste tube is empty, cut it in half with a pair of scissors to get more paste out of it! Paste can get trapped at either end of the tube and I find cutting the it in half gets me another 2-3 brushes.
Sure it’s a small action, but every little bit helps! The extra brushes add up over time and you’re able to get the most out of your money.
Win-wins are the best kind of changes!
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
May: Menstruation
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I used to feel guilty during my periods because I used disposable menstrual products and produced more garbage on those days then I did during the rest of the month combined.
Although historic methods for blood absorption are less wasteful, we don’t need to go back in time to be sustainable! There are plenty of modern options to choose from to fit any “period lifestyle.” Disposable pads can be replaced by absorbent underwear or cloth pads, while tampons can be swapped for menstrual cups.
I personally use cloth pads and am loving it! You may ask if it’s gross cleaning my pads? And the answer is not really: I pre-soak and rinse them by hand before throwing them in the washing machine. Is it hard when you’re a woman on the go? Also, no. I have a reusable bag that fits nicely in my backpack/fanny pack and holds clean or dirty pads. Granted, I haven’t actually been “on the go” with COVID, but it’s not much different from having spare disposable items in my bag. Or hankies (because yes, I also clean fabric covered in my snot. See December 2019.)
Whatever your preference, swap out disposable for re-usable and save those disposable items for when friends come over, or use them up like I did. (Sorry friends. . . but I know you’re looking at going re-usable too.
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson
Although historic methods for blood absorption are less wasteful, we don’t need to go back in time to be sustainable! There are plenty of modern options to choose from to fit any “period lifestyle.” Disposable pads can be replaced by absorbent underwear or cloth pads, while tampons can be swapped for menstrual cups.
I personally use cloth pads and am loving it! You may ask if it’s gross cleaning my pads? And the answer is not really: I pre-soak and rinse them by hand before throwing them in the washing machine. Is it hard when you’re a woman on the go? Also, no. I have a reusable bag that fits nicely in my backpack/fanny pack and holds clean or dirty pads. Granted, I haven’t actually been “on the go” with COVID, but it’s not much different from having spare disposable items in my bag. Or hankies (because yes, I also clean fabric covered in my snot. See December 2019.)
Whatever your preference, swap out disposable for re-usable and save those disposable items for when friends come over, or use them up like I did. (Sorry friends. . . but I know you’re looking at going re-usable too.
Sustainably yours,
Heather J. A. Thomson