Our lives are complex. People today are busier than ever. We are deeply connected through technology. The internet gives us more information at our fingertips than ever in human history. It also gives us appetites we’ve never had. We see what is out there and we want it. The ease with which we can have it is also new. Amazon will deliver almost anything within 48 hours to most places in the US. Instant gratification is at our fingertips.

All this has made us consumers of goods and resources at an unprecedented level. For the planet and for future generations of people, we will have to learn to curb our appetites and think about the things we buy, the places we go and what we eat in a different way. Our brains are wired so perfectly for the kind of instant reward novelty and comfort bring, that it can be very difficult to change the way we live. But change is not optional. We can decide how it will look, or the planet will decide for us.

Incremental Sustainability is about mindfulness. We recognize that doing things differently takes practice. Our perspective is that every small thing helps and larger things become easier with practice. We encourage you to consider the information above and commit to becoming aware of your choices on a daily basis. When you can, make a choice that is sustainable. When you can’t, don’t beat yourself up over it. Just consider your options and choose sustainability as often as you can. Over time, you’ll find that it’s easier than it seems. Riding your bike or having a vegetarian dinner can be a wonderful way to expand your world a little at a time.

The team of collaborators at The Arctic Arts Project is committed to incremental sustainability. We cannot always make perfect choices. The inherent hypocrisy of traveling the world to document change is not lost on us. Our knowledge of how much climate has altered the systems in the Arctic has made each of us very conscious of the choices we make that impact the planet. We want you to know that for all of our travel for project expeditions and presentations, we buy offsets with Greenland Trees, Native Energy and Cool Effect. These organizations directly support projects that reduce carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. We buy green power for our homes where it is available. We use public transportation, ride our bikes or use an electric vehicle near our homes. We eat less red meat and have found some incredible new recipes in the process. We try to buy clothing that we will keep for years instead of months and we repair clothing and goods whenever possible to avoid buying something new. We also eat very little processed food, buying organic, local produce whenever possible. We’ve committed to eliminating single use plastics in every context we can. Our use of technology is significant. We hope to encourage companies to make our cameras and computers upgradable rather than having to replace them as the systems improve. We see the world through the lens of climate chaos and we work to make our lives more in line with a sustainable future. We hope you will join us in that commitment.