Earth Day was just last week, and in honor of the holiday, I have gathered simple ways to go green! This is a quick guide to easy, everyday habits that are environmentally friendly and mindful of our ecosystems.
The value of caring for the planet is crucial as climate change issues rise into dangerous hazards. These are some sustainable ways to do your part.
Minor changes can make a big impact collaboratively. It is easy to live passively without being concerned by rising sea levels and melting ice sheets, but your daily lifestyle is connected to the planet’s well-being. Starting with America’s moral compass – capitalism – the first step to acknowledge your impact is to acknowledge your overconsumption.
Consumer-driven lifestyles lead to an abundance of waste. Throwing out last season’s sweaters and heading to the mall for a new wardrobe collection is so last season! Decrease your spending, save your money, and stop buying everything “trendy.” Fast fashion is an unsustainable industry that results in a waste of synthetic polyesters and nylon.
Shopping secondhand at thrift stores and flea markets is much smarter and allows you to find unique pieces no one else has, plus you can make a whole day out of it! Upcycling also allows for personal creative design. Using less of anything is key. Take quicker showers, turn off the lights when you leave a room, decrease use of motor gas vehicles, and eat less meat!
Living in Los Angeles, you will likely go to the beach, and as summer is around the corner, be mindful to clean up after yourself. Marine debris comes from marine ecosystems, mostly from land-based sources, so any trash could end up in the Ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch between California and Hawaii currently stores 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, and the accumulation of marine debris in the middle of the ocean has disturbed food webs and leaked toxic chemicals.
In addition, landfill waste is a large contributor to methane emissions, which is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. You can do your part by eliminating single-use plastics and paper. Swap Ziploc bags for reusable baggies and containers, swap paper towels for washable towels, swap plastic water bottles for flask bottles, and join the trend by bringing your reusable grocery bags to your errands. In addition, the three R’s are the core of switching every habit into a continuous decision: reuse jars as cups, reduce energy use, and recycle!
Climate change is a product of human exploitation of natural resources and organic land that was not meant to sustain rapid industrialization and mass production. Many of the major contributors to climate change, like fossil fuel burning and deforestation, can feel out of control.
As members of the human species, we do have a responsibility to make changes to our lives for the betterment of our planet. Walk on an environmentally considerate pathway without leaving behind a carbon footprint. Sustainable fashion is cool. Zero-waste lifestyles are smart. Saving the trees is kind. And protecting the environment is necessary.