We have been over-consuming the Earth’s resources for decades; according to data from the Global Footprint Network, the day of overconsumption is getting earlier and earlier. Its global date in 2023 is July 27. In the case of Hungary, it’s an even earlier date: May 30. This is determined by comparing the ecological footprint per capita with the globally available bio-capacity per person. In other words, from January to the end of July, humanity uses as much of nature’s resources as our planet can replenish in a whole year. Individuals play a crucial role in addressing climate change. While systemic changes and policies are more than essential, individual actions can collectively create significant impacts that add up to a larger movement towards sustainability. In this photo series, I would like to showcase various good practices that individuals and communities are adopting to combat climate change. Each triptych of the series sounds a different good practice towards a more sustainable life, from the use of ecological agriculture and reducing food waste to recycling and eco-conscious holidays.

I am Fanni Sall, a visual artist, bookbinder, illustrator, and member of the Nyim Eco Community for eight years. I live in the village of Nyim in Somogy county with my husband, Dani. Tree planting is one of the most important things for me, whether I do it alone or with others. A tree is a living being that exists in a completely different way compared to us. It does not run around like we do; it’s calm, stands still, grows slowly, and often lives much longer than us humans. For me, it is a symbol of hope that it’s worth doing things even when we cannot see their short-term results. I also like to plant trees because everyone understands the significance of this act, I have yet to meet a person for whom planting trees is not important for some reason.

My name is Gergő Hajba. I am a CRM consultant and a music producer under the name RADNOTI. I’m also the enthusiastic founder and coordinator of the Zöld Folt Közösségi Kert (Green Spot Community Garden) in downtown Pécs, which will celebrate its 6th birthday this year, in the summer of 2023. We cultivate this small piece of land in the city centre, which over the years has become an independent ecosystem on Király Street with a group of people.

The community garden movement managed to forge a nimbus from the care and love of plants to bring people closer together—not from intrusion, but from a common will, which is the truly important value of a public garden. This year, as always, we are operating at full capacity, with approximately 36 people in less than 400 m2 of utilised space.

I’m Petra Füzes, the head of the paper mill and graphics workshop at Orfű Mills. At Orfűi Mills we use tailoring waste for creating our papers. We mainly get this from a brand that produces organic clothing, but we also take used covers and sheets from local accommodation providers or jeans that don’t find a home from second-hand shops. Hand-drawn paper has completely different qualities than machine-made paper; its aesthetics, texture, and material quality are totally different.I see the future here in high-quality, fine paper making, not mass production. My name is Zsanett. I live with my children and animals on a 3,5-hectare farm in southern Hungary. With the changing climate, our precipitation system has changed, which has left us with long dry periods and sudden downpours. We have to find ways to keep the water from running down the hill. I use various techniques; one of them is the implementation of swales on the pastures. These long, horizontal, shallow channels keep the surface run-off water in place and help it infiltrate the ground. These swales become wet zones where we can successfully plant trees and start an upward spiral: the trees hold on to the groundwater with their roots, and as they grow, they provide shade; their leaves become ground cover, making it possible to store more and more water in the ground. The swales grow into green zones that give us biomass, habitat, food, etc.

My name is Gábor Bartal, and with my wife, Enikő Niczuly, we are the owners and operators of a packaging-free shop. As for qualifications, we both graduated as teachers, but we did not work much in the field. The idea of the store popped into Enikő's head when we ourselves were looking for the possibility of shopping package-free. There was a small organic store in our vicinity, which we often visited, but life brought it to the point that it was put up for sale. For a long time, we have been looking for something meaningful and useful to deal with in our lives. We planned to start a business; the place itself was given; and the form took shape. Trade is very far from the attitudes of both of us, but we took over the small shop with its remaining inventory, and this is where our family business, Zöld Blokk (Green Block), started on January 19, 2019. It was the first packaging-free store in Pécs and among the first in the country.