What we can all do to Save the Environment

We all pollute the environment we live in, I do, and your dog does too. It’s very much in our control to reduce this pollution. With effects of global warming becoming more apparent by the minute and an entire group of individuals in power denying climate change for the sake of profit, it may seem like the world is doomed. It’s easy to give up when you feel hopeless, when you feel like it’s not worth trying because you’re only one person.

But now, more than ever, it’s important to look at what we CAN do. When you feel helpless, help someone else; start with just one thing. History is full of individuals who chose to take action and made a difference. We all matter and there is a lot we CAN do.

Various ways you can help save our environment;

Go paperless, save the environment. Sure you can’t stop advertisement leaflets coming into your mailbox (shouldn’t there be an environmental law to ban this practice, or at least, be made it mandatory to use recycled paper?) but, you can control the statements, updates, and notices which you get from your financial institutions.

Select paperless as the mode of communication. Mostly all of them support this. It’s high time that all govt. agencies implement this too.

Stop using bottled water. This may be very hard for many, I understand. If it’s not that hard for you, start using re-usable materials and fill it up every time.

Stop smoking. Smoking creates pollution inside of your body and for the people around you. Even after hours of smoking, your kids can be recipients of harmful effects of your nicotine consumption.

“The pollution caused by cigarettes does not stop in our bodies or the air around us; it also affects the land we live on and the water that we drink. Millions of cigarette butts are discarded on to the ground every day“.

Use less electricity. There are various options to save on electricity, I can write an entire post about this. The easiest of the ways is to use a fan instead of an AC if you can. Air drying clothes, letting sunlight come in the winter and blocking it in the summer are other easy options to try out at your home.

Use less gas. Bike to work, carpooling are the easier options you can try. There are various other effective ways to save on gas.

Recycle. Don’t just throw your old electronics and batteries to trash. Make use of local free recycling facilities. Dispose of your plastic containers as well by separating them out from normal trash.

Use reusable shopping bags. It was my wife’s idea to start using reusable bags. They are made of cloth and need cleaning once a week. We eliminated a lot of plastics from our life this way. You can do the same.

Buy fresh local produce. Whenever you have the option to buy from farmer’s market or local grocers, give it a preference. Processed goods take a lot of energy, first for processing part and then, the fuel consumption in transportation.

Save water. Sweetwater is a scarce resource and it’s being depleted at a greater pace than earth is replenishing it. There are various ways to save water in everyday use from fixing leaky outlets to adjusting the timers on sprinklers.

Use emails and eGreetings. Unless you are already using it, what’s preventing you from going ‘e’ route? Apart from being environment-friendly, it also reduces the effort required to pass your message across.

Use ceramic cups. Instead of plastic, paper or Styrofoam, the ceramic cups can be used over and over.  This reduces the impact on the environment and on your budget.

Print less. Unless it’s absolutely necessary to print, refrain from doing so.  When you do have to print, consider printing on both sides of the paper.

Buy items with recycled materials. For an example, you can get two types of coffee cups. One with fresh paper and one with recycled paper. You can identify by reading the label on the pack.

Reuse and repurpose. Whenever possible, re-use the containers, cartons, and envelopes. Oh, your tooth-brush as well! For cleaning my sports shoes, I use old toothbrushes; it goes into the grooves perfectly. Here are 30 ways to reuse bottles and containers.

Use energy-efficient items. In the long run, these save a lot of money and energy. Bulbs, use LED bulbs, even fluorescent light bulbs consume 1/3rd (or lesser) of the energy of incandescent light bulbs. For other equipment like AC, refrigerator, washer, etc buy Energy Star appliances.

Use clothes more than paper. Reduce paper usage by using cloths to wipe your hands or the things you normally wipe with paper towels. My home is paper towel free and I use old dresses to make wipe cloths. Do you know something called handkerchief?

Use microwave.  I am not sure if you can bake cakes in a microwave. Last time I checked, my wife also didn’t know. But, she could tell me 100′s of other dishes that can be cooked in a microwave. Use microwave more often to reduce your carbon footprints.

Leak-proof your home. Ensure you are not losing warmth or cool through leakages, by having your home properly insulated and window and door seals checked.  By doing so, you are saving energy and money.

Replace air filters. AC air filters for your home and car, if replaced regularly, can save a lot of energy which in turn can save you money.

Consume less. This is for your financial good as well. Live simply, use your furniture and clothes until they can’t be used anymore. If possible, check out used items on garage sales.

Steps to absorb pollution

Donate to organizations that help to plant more trees and work towards a better planet. I am a member of #EcopeaceInitiativeSouthSudan and my membership dues go to conservation causes.

Pickup and deposit pollutants. Whether at home, at work, at a local supermarket or while running or jogging, if you find a pollutant like plastic or Styrofoam on your way, pick it up and put in a nearby trash bin.

Volunteer in anti-pollution drives. Many cities here in south Florida organize periodic beach cleaning events. Thousands of volunteers donate their time towards these large-scale environmental cleaning events. Check in your local area for opportunities like this.

Have indoor plants. Indoor plants and aquatic plants (in aquariums) are very efficient in cleaning the inside air pollution of our homes.  Think about it, by spending a little money to green up our homes we are improving our health as well. In the long run, these efforts should pay off in terms of better health.

Below points are added later on

Drive a clean car If vehicle emission check is not mandatory in your state, you may still go for one. If there’s a problem it can be fixed. Another way to contribute in a similar way is to report smoke emitting vehicles. On searching your local DMV or city website, you may locate to report a violation.

Make better use of your recycled garbage bin. If possible have two different trash cans at your home. Sometimes not all recyclable materials are put into recycle bin. Even if you can save one piece of paper from being dumped without getting recycled, you have contributed to the environmental protection.

Buy local items. Specifically, local food items require less transportation. Thus consuming food grown locally actually reduces gas usage.

Finally and very important; Plant trees. Your garden/patio or balcony, do you have space anywhere? Grow plants, grow flowers, and attract honey bees wherever you find a place for a pot. If you have a garden, you can go on a green mission by planting as many trees as your yard or garden permits. A good-looking home and better place to live, for sure!

Furthermore, planting trees is a good idea. It provides a direct solution to the problem by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, this intervention is not sustainable as the poor will cut down the trees for fuel-wood or as materials for constructing their dwellings or even for generating income.  

Addressing the problem of global warming due to carbon-dioxide emission lies on those who have means to support the poor through education and provision of skills so that this segment of society can provide for their means of livelihood from other sources rather than depending on natural resources like the trees as a source of energy, materials for building their dwellings, or income.

Finally, I hope you enjoyed this article and you’ll start practicing a technique or two in your daily routine. If not all, you can easily follow a few. I know, only a few of us practicing green living won’t change the environment around us. Still, I would like to wake up to a tomorrow where the earth is cleaner and environment is safer to live. I dream on #Environment #SDG15 #SDGS #Sustainability #Ecosystems #Biodiversity #TogetherWeCan #SavingOurPlanet #Sustainability