There’s no doubt that Mother Nature loves us. I mean, have you seen the color of the sky? Have you felt the sunshine on your skin? Have you heard the birds chirping and the wind singing? And although we need many things from the Earth in order to help us survive, there’s a fine line between using what is needed and unnecessary exploitation of resources. And although I may sound like a sustainability major (oh wait I am), we need to start taking better care of our Mother Earth. There really is no planet B; this is where our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are going to live. So let’s start taking care of their and our future homes. (Mother-Nature)
- Try dairy-free milk in your cereal or coffee
Ok, there are literally SO many kinds of milk. Cow’s milk is honestly super good and I get why everyone loves it so much. But, the dairy industry definitely is not the best thing for our environment. It takes up a ton of land, leads to a bunch of greenhouse gas emissions, and leads to issues in water supply. Almond milk, oat milk, and rice milk are my favs for cereal! Dairy free coffee creamers are also super easy to find! (Oat milk is the best milk ever don’t @me)
- Take a little less food when serving yourself up
Girl, I AM NOT telling you to eat less. Eat as much as your heart wants! What I am suggesting, though, is taking a little less when you first go up to get your food. If you eat the entire plate and you’re still hungry, you best go get another plate! The issue is that many of us have eyes that are bigger than our stomachs, so we eat half the plate then throw the rest away (I am trying to get better about this). Food waste makes up about 20% of the average landfill. Don’t feed the fill!
- Chill with the red meat
If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, BLESS YOUR SOUL. I, personally, love meat and eat it fairly often. Steak used to be my favorite, but I have started to learn about some of the problems the red meat industry has caused and continues to cause. Deforestation, acid rain, water and land damage, along with greenhouse gas emissions are among the problems cause by the red meat industry.
- Check to see if it’s recyclable
Most people recycle on a regular basis, IF YOU DON’T PLEASE START NOW. If you already do, though, make sure what you’re putting in the bin actually is recyclable. Unfortunately, if a recycling dumpster gets contaminated with something that shouldn’t be in there, the entire thing is sent to the landfill. Also, sometimes it’s just easier to throw something away because there are only trash cans around. If you know it’s able to be recycled, hold onto that until you can dispose of it in a recycling bin.
None of this information is meant to make anyone feel bad about their choices! I am simply sharing because it is important to make informed decisions. I don’t fully live by these ideals, but I have definitely changed my ways! Since many of these changes are difficult, I suggest trying them once or twice a week. If a lot of people change just a little, big differences are going to start to happen.