One Intentional Step at a Time

At the forefront of that mission is our desire to move closer toward being a carbon-negative business. Our goal is to minimize our carbon footprint through actionable steps, no matter how small, to support long-term sustainability—and to do the right thing. Through right action, we move closer to carbon neutrality and, one day, become a carbon-negative business. A big goal to achieve? Yes. But at alive, we’re up to the challenge.

So, what is carbon negative?

If you’re wondering what the term “carbon negative” actually means, you’re not alone. When an entity such as a person or a company offsets the carbon emissions they produce by purchasing or funding an equal amount (or more) of carbon savings or equivalents, their actions are carbon negative. That means, as an individual, when you purchase from a company that is making a conscious effort to compensate for the emissions they release, you’re making a difference.

Companies, and individuals too, need to employ strategies toward carbon offsetting. It takes intention and active participation. It involves sustainable practices and functional workplace carbon-reduction programs that are affordable and realistic. Some examples include

• reusable dishware and cutlery
• effective recycling and composting programs
• appropriate backing of carbon-saving goods, services, and partnerships
• responsible heating and cooling systems

An overall attitude of intention toward sustainable measures is the key to making change and establishing a lasting impact. On an individual level, it can mean including more plant-based foods in our diet, biking to work instead of driving, and calculating our own ecological footprint so we can better understand our effect.

Consumers care about who and why

Today’s consumer cares about who they’re purchasing products and services from. We want to know a company’s big “why?”—why do they do what they do, produce what they produce, and how are they making the world a better place while they do it?

Does this sound powerful? Yes! Does it sound honest? Absolutely! Honesty, when it comes to who we support and why, is an attribute we value in all our relationships.

At alive, we’re all in

As a major publisher in the natural health realm, alive believes we need to stand behind the initiatives we share with you. And, as a leader, we believe that what we do must reinforce what we say.

So, when we inform, educate, and inspire you to live a more sustainable lifestyle by lowering your waste, your emissions, and your resistance to change, it’s our obligation to be making those efforts ourselves. And, as we spread the word about sustainability, we will, continually, need to be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough?

It's been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step. We’re committed to moving forward—consciously and mindfully—to walk alongside you, our readers, and those who are driven to make a difference in the health of this planet.

It’s not about perfection

We know we won’t get it all right—all the time. Sustainability, natural health, physical and mental fitness should develop over time, but we’re confident that the underlying commitment to act sustainably will guide us at every level of what we’re trying to accomplish.

At alive, we’ve renewed our commitment to the health of our planet by taking a company-wide look at how we could improve: holding ourselves accountable for times we fell short and brainstorming around ways we can continue to move forward. In which ways could we reduce, switch to green, or offset?

Partners in sustainability

In our quest to offset our carbon usage at alive, we look to work with organizations that can help. Enter tentree, a sustainable apparel brand, that plants 10 trees for every item purchased. tentree is an Earth-first lifestyle apparel brand whose mission is to plant 1 billion trees by 2030 to drastically reduce climate change.

As we promote, partner with, and purchase from tentree, we know that they’ll help us with carbon offsets and move us closer to our goal. Not only are trees important to all of us because they absorb carbon and provide oxygen for us to breathe (and make the earth beautiful!), but they also provide us with the raw material for paper production. So, it follows that, when we use trees to produce paper, we need to replace those trees by planting more. See where we’re going with this?

At alive, we care about the future of this planet, and we want to spread the word about other businesses that do, too. In fact, as a publishing company that provides thousands of readers each month with information on natural health, wellness, and sustainability, we feel it’s our responsibility to do so.

As we work toward becoming a carbon-negative organization, we’ll highlight companies like tentree, now officially Climate Neutral Certified, who share our vision of not only reducing the negative effects of carbon, but also of focusing on the impact of the positives, like cleaner air and a healthier planet. tentree represents an “Earth-first” supply chain, and we want to support that.

Many North American companies, and companies around the world, are now committing to meaningful action; this is good news for our planet, and for us all. We’d love to hear from you about how you’re moving toward sustainability. Connect with us on Instagram @alivehealth; on Facebook: facebook.com/alive.health.wellness; or by email at editorial@alive.com.