Today, the word green is everywhere. We hear about it on TV. We hear about it on the Internet. We hear about it from our social networks. We are bombarded with thousands of messages telling us how to reduce our carbon footprint and it can easily get overwhelming. What is important to think about is that as individuals, we cannot affect climate change over night. What we can do is slowly join the process and remember that small steps will eventually benefit the big picture.
Here are some simple tips on how to be more eco-friendly in your daily life:
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Go Paperless
A lot of companies are giving customers the option to go paperless instead of receiving everything by mail. This is important if you wish to live more eco-friendly, as the pulp and paper production industry has a huge impact on the environment. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the pulp and paper industry is the fourth largest industrial user of energy and emits large amounts of greenhouse gases during the production process. Choosing to keep everything electronic will reduce the demand for pulpwood and paper production, which is leading to the endangerment of large national forests and many animal species.
Reuse and Recycle
Unfortunately, many of us don’t think about where our waste ends up once we’ve gotten rid of it. Nothing ever really goes away: it all ends up somewhere. We need to make sure that we make good use of what we have, don’t waste and know how to recycle to take better advantage of our resources. This goes especially for plastic, since it’s not biodegradable like other waste. A lot of plastic gets broken down into smaller pieces, and much of it ends up in the ocean and on our beaches. According to the US Environmental Protective Agency (EPA), only 9% of the total plastic waste created in 2012 was collected for recycling. We can reduce the use of plastic by buying items such as reusable shopping bags and water bottles, which are items that we frequently use.
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Eat Less Meat
Believe it or not, the meat industry is a major contributor to the emission of greenhouse gases. According to The Guardian, the global livestock industry produces even more emissions than transportation. We’re not saying everyone should immediately adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, but cutting down on meat consumption can actually be beneficial for your health as well as the environment–plus, saying you’re a flexitarian sounds pretty cool. And it’ll save you some money. Who doesn’t want that?
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Carpool
Have you ever gone out to eat with a group of friends and when you get there you realize everyone took separate cars? Yeah, me too. This is a habit that can easily be changed with just a little bit of planning and organization. According to the EPA, transportation, meaning cars, trucks, ships, trains, and planes, make up 28% of greenhouse gas emissions. Teaming up with coworkers, friends, and other students is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save some money at the same time. Plus, you’ll have company.
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Turn Your Lights Off
Turning the lights off in rooms that you’re not in is a great way to save electricity and reduce emissions. If you leave a room and know you will not return for a little while, flip the switch. This will spare unnecessary use of energy, and it’ll do your electric bill a favor. After all, how would you like it if someone turned you on and just left?
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Save Water
Water is the world’s most precious and nonrenewable resource. Sylvia Earle, a marine biologist, explorer, author and lecturer, said: “No blue, no green.” Without the ocean, there wouldn’t be any life on land. It is incredibly important that we take care of the water we have and don’t use more than we absolutely need to. Taking shorter showers, not letting the water run while you’re doing the dishes, turning the water off when you’re brushing your teeth or washing your face are just some examples of how you can save water at home.
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Skip The Dryer
Sure, clothes coming out of the dryer feel warm and soft, but if you’re concerned about your energy use, try to limit using the dryer to dry your clothes and use a clothesline instead. Again, you’ll reduce your electricity bill and your carbon footprint.
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