Climate change, air pollution, world hunger, and water scarcity are among the most pressing global problems. The toot of the problem is that most of us, unfortunately, do not live sustainably. By consuming more resources than are available in the long term, we live at the expense of the environment and less developed nations.
The carbon footprint indicates how many raw materials we use and how many pollutants we cause with our consumption. The way we buy, what we buy, how we travel, work or spend our free time – all determines the amount of our ecological footprint.
Sustainable living is a philosophy to reduce personal and societal environmental impact. So sustainability does not only mean environmentally friendly but also socially acceptable.
For example, buying products that people have produced under fair conditions. Sustainable living means keeping your carbon footprint as small as possible and acting in a socially responsible manner.
It encourages people to minimise their use of Earth’s resources and reduce the damage of human and environmental interactions. Our tips will help you to do this. Scroll down and read on!
1. Think twice before shopping.
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” may feel retro, but it’s just as important today as when the phrase was first coined. Every product we purchase has an environmental footprint, from the materials used to create it to the pollution emitted during manufacturing to the packaging that ends up in landfills.
So before you buy, ask yourself if you really need it. If you do, consider buying gently used instead of new, and look for minimal packaging and shipping.
2. Make sure your big purchases have big environmental benefits.
Not everyone can run out and trade in their old gas-guzzling clunker for the latest planet-friendly hybrid car. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing; manufacturing new cars takes a lot of resources too. But if you’re in the market for a new car, look for a fuel-efficient model — you’ll save thousands on gas money and reduce your carbon footprint over the years.
3. Go Plastic Free.
Plastic never goes away. Today billions of pounds of it can be found in swirling convergences making up about 40 per cent of the world’s ocean surfaces. Every year thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed after ingesting plastic or getting tangled up in it.
You can start cutting down on your plastic waste in a few simple steps: use reusable bags when you shop, ditch single-use water bottles, bags, and straws and avoid products made from or packaged in plastic whenever possible (e.g., select unwrapped produce at the grocery store, shop local, cut down on online shopping).
4. Drive less, Drive green.
Changing your driving habits can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation whenever possible. Combine errands to make fewer trips.
Participate in, or start, car-free days in your community. It’s also important to keep your car in shape with regular tune-ups and tire inflations. Tune-ups can increase your fuel efficiency by 4 per cent to 40 per cent, and if every American kept his or her tires inflated, gas use nationwide would decrease by 2 per cent.