No – it’s not too late to start saving the environment. What is important is just to start. The old adage goes “a journey of a hundred miles begins with a single step.” If you have been wondering what you can do to start saving the environment, or how you can take steps to go green, you can begin now on your journey to a more eco-friendly lifestyle – the world will thank you for it.
So, if you’re ready to enjoy living an eco-friendly lifestyle, here are some dazzling ideas that I have gathered for you to get started with.
Plant More Trees
We know that thousands of trees and forests are being cleared down every day to make way for modernization, housing developments, agricultural endeavours and construction of factories. All of this demands us to plant more trees. They not only provide food, fruits, and oxygen but also a shelter for wildlife and are a huge part of naturally controlling flooding.
In the last two decades, large-scale deforestation has significantly reduced our forest areas and has affected wildlife and natural habitats. It is now time to work with environmental groups to train more people and plant more trees. Schools and community organizations are now launching tree planting campaigns in order to get young people aware of the need to save the planet.
Reduce Internet Usage
Let’s admit it – we spend more time online during the day than we seem to sleep. Did you know that the Internet is one of the biggest polluters in the world? The Internet is based on having huge data centers all over the world which house millions of massive servers stacked in racks and powered and run every day.
These servers consume a tremendous amount of energy and continually air-conditioned all day every day to ensure that they don’t overheat and crash. More energy from power grids produces more carbon that effects an eco-friendly environment enormously.
Imagine how many new websites that are created on a daily basis and how much this requires more server housing. Fortunately, you can opt to use a web-hosting company that has discovered an eco-friendly way to house its servers that cut down emissions into the atmosphere. If you are looking to house your website somewhere more green, your account with Green Geeks will have a positive energy footprint on the environment, replacing regular energy with wind power credits.
Reduce Meat Consumption
Believe it or not, taking good care of what you eat is also essential in being more environmentally conscious. Did you know that the amount of meat you consume can have an immense effect? It’s important to note that avoiding consuming meat even once or twice a week can dazzlingly reduce carbon footprint. According to a report by the Food and Agricultural Organization, over one billion livestock are responsible for eighteen percent of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The less meat you eat the less cows are needed. Something to think about.
Stop Wasting Food
Little do most people know, more than seven million tons of food are wasted in populated countries like the United States and the United Kingdom every year. This produces a strain on the agriculture industry to continue to produce the stockpiles of produce and food every year.
This is mind-boggling as it’s not only an enormous waste of food and money but adds to the amount of CO2 produced in landfills.
Try Recycling
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about going green or becoming more eco-friendly is recycling. We have been recycling cans and bottles for the past few decades. But what do you currently do in your schools and communities to advance the recycling efforts? We all can do much more than we are doing in the recycling effort. So many objects can be recycled – from cans and papers to batteries and bottles. So before you throw away that soda can or bleach bottle, check to see if it can be recycled instead. Start local recycling efforts in your schools, churches and local community organizations. This will begin to teach people, especially the youth that it is important.
Most countries now have also started to ban plastics including plastic bags, single user containers and utensils. By choosing not to use a throw-away item which adds to landfills and takes hundreds of years to decompose, you are helping the environment.
Park the Car and Start Walking
Is it possible to leave the car home one day, go on foot, bike or take public transportation? How about carpooling one day? Just try it! Driving produces emissions into the air that organizations have been trying to reduce for decades. It also adds to the carbon footprint. You may want to consider buying an electric vehicle instead or a hybrid.
Also, when driving, if you keep the speed down, and also ensure that the tires of your vehicles are fully inflated and the engine doesn’t have any problem, this will help in being more eco-friendly.
Switch to Renewables
Changing your electricity provider to a more renewable one is the perfect go-green idea for any household. Many companies are now offering solar panels to place on their homes to conserve energy. Especially countries like The Bahamas where there people are Living The Island Life and there is sunshine almost year-round. If you are looking for a place to stay in Spanish Wells, Bahamas to enjoy the sunshine, The Hilltop Hideaway is the perfect island getaway. Switching to a solar alterative is not that complicated, and many people on the islands are using their constant source of sunshine to their advantage. Although the panels do cost money, it saves money in the long run and helps the environment at the same time.
Turn Off Lights
Reducing energy in your home is one of the major things that can help to reduce your carbon footprint. When at home, turn off the lights in rooms that you are not in, switch off the water heater in the home until you need to use it and turn it on for an hour, don’t leave the television on if no one is watching it. Leaving your electricity on constantly uses up unnecessary energy – hit the switch off and there can be big changes – especially in your monthly electricity bills.
Grow Homemade Meals
Last but not the least, another great way to go green is by starting your own garden, reducing the need to consume commercially produced products. The food provided by your own back yard is organic, free of pesticides an chemicals. The joy that comes from growing your own food such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bananas and mangoes also give you a sense of pride and accomplishment. Although it takes some to plant, water and attend to, with a small amount of initial effort, it can give you fresh produce and assist the environment. Start to make organic choices from breakfast to dinner.
Very insightful article. We need to all do our part to go green