Every day we come across stories about how the world is going to hell – increasing poverty, pollution, etc. We are witnessing the stratospheric ozone depletion, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, and urbanization that exhaust the available resources. In the 21st century, these detrimental environmental changes with global hazards to human health are no surprise to anyone. Scientists, policymakers, and people have become increasingly concerned about the coming generations.
Although global environmental changes require management at many levels, it is time to become the change you want to see. It is impossible to bring a revolution of change, but making small amendments in our lives can make a difference. From planting trees, reducing pollution, growing organic food, and using renewable energy sources, you can do a lot. Alongside saving the environment, it significantly improves the quality of life.
Are you wondering where to start? Here we are unpacking eight tips to bring about incredible changes in our environment.
1. BECOME A GREEN CONSUMER
Everything we purchase has an environmental footprint. So, why not use this purchasing power for a positive change? Support eco-friendly products to limit environmental damage. Choose more natural fabrics while buying clothes – for instance, eco-cotton and look for stores that don’t use chemicals. Similarly, start using solar products and renewable energy resources. You can install solar heaters, geysers, and bulbs to utilize natural energy.
In addition to this, purchase hybrid cars to relieve the environment from carbon emission. These cars operate on batteries, using minimal or no fuel at all. If you are passionate about bringing such changes, explore this niche further. You can look up for a sustainability degree to make a career out of your passion. These small gestures can maximize contribution to the environment and limit your exposure to toxic chemicals.
2. REDUCE WASTAGE & RECYCLE
As the population is increasing drastically, the amount of waste is skyrocketing, giving rise to new problems. It leads to sewage sludge and bacterial diseases because of mosquito infestation. Therefore, try to reduce trash and wastage by switching to reusable materials. Instead of buying a plastic bottle, take your water bottle along. Likewise, if you are going grocery shopping, don’t forget to carry the reusable grocery bag. Most importantly, try to waste as little food as possible. Do your part by eating up leftovers and using spare ingredients to prepare meals.
3. FIND WAYS TO DONATE
Amid environmental changes, the world is relying on generous donations to carry out projects. There are multiple organizations – Environmental Defense Fund, American Rivers, The Nature Conservancy, seeking funds to save the environment. However, donations don’t have to be monetary because you can also donate your time to others. There are countless volunteering opportunities for people of every age and profession.
Students can volunteer in soup kitchens, help street children, or start a street school for underprivileged youth. Likewise, young tweens can clean outdoor parks or help to campaign for World Wildlife Fund. After all, there is no need to put yourself in an uncomfortable position to make a difference.
4. REDUCE PAPER USAGE
Unsurprisingly, deforestation is one of the biggest concerns in today’s world. Millions of trees cut down to meet the rising demand for wood. Since we are breathing in a digital world, limiting paper usage should not be a problem. Students can take notes on an iPad or laptop since most schools are already using digital media. Similarly, people can create grocery lists and other notices on their smartphones. And offices can also switch cloud servers to store data online. In addition to reducing the carbon footprint, it saves printing, cartridge, and stapling costs.
5. STOP WASTING WATER
Approximately 71% of the earth’s surface is water, but access to clean water is limited. Hence, protect communities by reducing your water consumption. Here are some tips to save water.
I. Install low-flow fixtures, toilets, showerheads, and faucets at home since it can save up to 100,000 liters of water annually.
II. Save rainwater by placing buckets and use it to water your garden or indoor plants.
III. Don’t run your washing machine until it is full of clothes.
IV. Turn off the tap while brushing teeth or washing faces.
V. Connect the faucet pipe with the toilet to save clean water.
Alongside conserving water, make sure you are not polluting it. Every drop of chemical, pesticide, paint that gets into the water leaks toxins in the soil, killing life around the planet. Thus, be considerate towards these issues and take a step forward with these little gestures.
6. GO ORGANIC: GROW YOUR FOOD
Everyone loves grocery shopping, but do you know the origin of the items. Do a bit of research on your favorite brands and take a dig at the ingredients they use. Likewise, if you consume meat, ask from local sources how the farmers treat animals. Delving into these sources can help in understanding your contributions to other’s well-being. If you have spare land or space in your house, consider planting organic vegetables in the yard. You will sustain yourself with food that didn’t require fossil fuels for transportation. And you will have serenity knowing there was no usage of pesticides on the vegetables.
7. INVEST IN COMPANIES USING RENEWABLE ENERGY
Are you an entrepreneur? Surprisingly enough, you can also play your part in preserving the environment within the business world. Start investing in companies that are researching, producing, and selling energy-efficient products. The renewable energy industry consists of three sectors – power, heat, and transport, which means you can invest anywhere. Each sector has industry-specific metrics, allowing investors to make the right decision. Alongside getting higher dividends, excellently utilize your money. As for the growth prospects, soon, the world will run out of finite resources, increasing the dependence on this industry.
8. AVOID USING PLASTIC
Plastic bags are another name for convivence. Whether you are buying vegetables, clothes, or fruits – they have become a part of modern lives. Unfortunately, this overconsumption of plastic bags carries a high cost to the environment. Since these are lightweight, they get carried away by the wind readily. As a result, you can find them everywhere – floating in the water, lying in parks, washed off in beaches, and tangled in trees. It clogs drainage channels, causes pollution, and kills marine life. Therefore, switch to reusable bags and bottles to preserve the environment.
FINAL THOUGHTS
With mounting environmental concerns, it is high time that people make alterations to their lifestyle. After all, the dirty water, pollution, and carbon emission is damaging your health. Are you wondering how to save the earth? Change your interaction with the environment, which includes switching to resources that are not harmful to the environment. You can conserve water, plant trees, move to renewable sources of energy, and help this world become a better place.
