How to live green
The Earth’s resources are being depleted faster than they can be replenished and if we want to stop that trend, we have to reduce our impact by living green. Do you know how to live green?
To start, you must understand the impact of your everyday choices. What you chose to eat, drink, wear, drive, purchase or do creates your footprint. Carbon footprint, ecological footprint, chemical footprint, call it what you want, but it is the amount of land required to grow your food, amount of power to cool and heat your home, transport your goods and services and ultimately hold your waste for eternity.
Living green has many benefits beyond just helping the planet. Some of the major ones are saving money, boosting your health, encourage sustainable business and reduce your impact for future generations. Consuming less of anything will save money but keeping your electronics longer, repairing broken items instead of replacing them and buying things second hand reduces your consumption and increases your pocket book! Consider walking, biking or using public transit to get places and you are reducing fossil fuel consumption and getting stronger muscles and lungs. Buying organic may cost a few pennies more but organic food production uses only natural substances, not synthetic to raise food and animals. Each time you purchase anything, you are voting with your wallet. When you support businesses that are doing good, you are helping them stay profitable.
Fortunately, its not too late to make a change, but you have to start with the easy, incremental changes. Otherwise, you will get overwhelmed and give up. Here are a few things I’ve done in my life to make small changes.
Recycle the items there is a market for. Plastic 1&2, corrugated cardboard and glass. Most cities have curbside pick up of these. I also recycle paper fiber, but this requires a trip to the city recycle center once a month.
Switch to cloth napkins. Don’t buy new ones. Ask someone to make them for you or buy the off Etsy. You are also supporting a small business if you do.
Wash in cold only. Or, at least only wash sheets, towels and underclothes in hot, rinse in cold. All detergents work just as well in cold water as in hot.
Buy second hand. You can even buy second hand on line at Thred-Up or PoshMark.
Buy carbon offsets. If you travel, offset your carbon using a carbon offsetting tool such as Cloverly.
There are many realistic ways to live green and create a better way of life for yourself and your family. Small changes are better than no changes.
