Change how we live. If we want to enjoy the future we must work to preserve our earth now, by starting today making changes in our current thinking.
For anyone who has children, small grand-children, consider what their future holds and how they will be effected by our choices globally today.
What can we do to change for the better and become more eco-conscious even in the small things we do in our daily lives. If you consider that there are an average of 7 billion people in the world, every little positive change ripples out to the rest of the world. Yes is can be challenging to change our current way of thinking and living, but it is completely necessary for the safety of our earth and lives on it.
Here are a few examples of what you can do to help create a sustainable world
- support local organic companies that have sustainable practice and non-toxic products. ( the use of toxic ingredients gets washed into our eco-system, affecting the marine life and soil pH disruption for healthy food. )
- read the labels on your bottles of products and become educated about what the ingredients are and their toxicity. You might be amazed at what you learn, and knowing now what you are putting on, and even more importantly, IN, your body.
- measure your carbon footprint. Here is a fun test you can take to find out just where you are personally in your daily life. http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
- save energy every chance you get! We can all sometimes get in bad habits of not turning out lights, using water carelessly, or simply just overall not being aware of our energy usage.
Simply changing your light bulbs more often is a first great step in the right direction. Here are a few others that you could do to save energy costs.
Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones; they last longer and will cut the cost of your electricity bill
Turn down your thermostat by just a degree and slash 10% off the energy used in heating your home
Opt for a shower rather than a bath, but try to avoid power showers
Turn off your electrical appliances (DVDs, mobile phone chargers, TVs, computers, stereos) at the wall. Every year the country spends £730m on appliances being left on standby
Get a free Home Energy Check from The Energy Saving Trust
Run your fridge at between 3-5°C
Turn down the hot water to 60°C
Draw your curtains at dusk and maintain the heat in your rooms
Set your washing machine to 30-40°C and try to dry your clothes naturally
- To buy or not to buy- we can all agree that as americans, we consume a lot on many levels, energy, natural resources, simple pleasures, material items, etc.
Here are a few ideas to consider:
Take reusable bags to do your weekly shop to avoid accumulating mounds of disposable ones
Buy products with less packaging. You will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill
Choose timber products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) They come from well-managed forests.
Buy recycled products where possible, such as recycled paper and toilet paper
Use rechargeable batteries rather than disposable ones
Give unwanted furniture and clothes to a charity shop
Use biodegradable bin bags
Don’t upgrade your mobile phone and gadgets every year – wait until they are defunct
Think before you travel-
Drive less and consider car pooling.
Ride your bike to work and other places when able. Walk or cycle for short trips and get fit in the process
If you are buying a new car, investigate more energy efficient or hybrid models
If you do a school run why not organise a walking bus for your children and their friends? It’s more social and helps keep your children healthy, not to mention the money saved from petrol and other car costs
For those who only do short trips, look into buying an electric car
Persuade your employer to provide safe and secure bicycle storage and shower facilities for keen cyclists
Think about what you eat
The way we eat has an enormous impact on the planet. Food is produced on such a huge scale that changing what we consume really can help cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit damage to vulnerable species and environments.
How do you know what changes to make? Fortunately, what’s healthy for the planet is generally healthy for people too. The government’s ‘Eatwell Plate’ already illustrates a healthy diet that contains more fruit and vegetables and far less meat and dairy than most people in this country consume. If diets shifted to meet these guidelines, there would be significant gains for the environment and for health.
How do we change our food impact on the earth?
Livestock has a big impact on the environmental issues and challenges. Being more considerate with your meat and dairy consumption can help in a small, yet effective way.
Reduce food waste
An alarming 30% of the food we buy in shops ends up in the bin or landfill, or to put it slightly differently, it's like leaving the supermarket with 10 bags of shopping and putting 3 directly into the wheelie bin, the minute you get home. Try to plan your shopping and your meals carefully – and try to avoid waste, using up or composting leftovers.
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