In our day-to-day life, we make different kinds of choices that directly or indirectly create the effect on environment, climate and different species. Every individual is very much confused about from where they will eat or number of children you wanted to have. It is important for a person to choose wild and reduce the footprints of the environment so that it could leave more room for wild plants and animals.
The creation of sustainable lifestyle requires lifelong commitment for experimenting, learning, committing and exploring the increase in sustainable practices. There is one question beyond frightening news, frustrating policies and international agreements that how exactly don you wanted to live your life? Usually, the fear route helps the person to feel helpless, defeated and frustrating. Living by golden rule is the central tenet across all major religions. These rules include:
1. Before shopping, think twice – Before starting your shopping, every person should think twice. In today’s time, it is still important to reduce, reuse and recycle different things. Our purchasing product has some kind of environmental factors or footprint that could include materials used to create it, emitted pollution during the process of manufacturing, packaging that ends with landfills, etc. Therefore, before buying and purchasing anything, it is important to ask yourself whether you actually need it or not. In case you really want that thing, you can consider buying things gently rather than going for new and look for minimal shipping and packaging.
2. Your big purchases should have big benefits of environment – For buying latest planet-friendly hybrid car; every person does not trade in their old gas clunker. This habit of people is not bad, as the manufacturing of new cars consumes and consider huge amount of resources. But if you are looking to buy a new car, it is important to prefer fuel-efficient model. With this habit in practice, one can reduce thousands of money on gas and can reduce their carbon footprint for years. Similarly, if a person is buying a washer, dryer or new refrigerator, he/she can make use of Energy star label in the search of most efficient appliances. Also, you can upgrade your water heater to solar.
3. Avoid using plastics – In todays’ time, there are thousands of convergences that are consuming 40% of the ocean surfaces all around the world. Every year, hundreds and thousands of sea turtles, sea birds and different types of mammals gets killed with the usage of plastic by getting tangled into it. There are few simple steps that allow an individual to cut down their plastic waste that includes using reusable bags during shopping, ditching water bottles, straws and bags that have single use and avoiding products that are packaged in the plastic whenever it is possible. For instance, cutting down online shopping and shop from local or grocery stores.
4. Avoid products that endanger wildlife – It is Illegal to buy and trade products made from the endangered species in most of the countries. One can also harm other plants and animals for someone’s profit. There are some products that creates harm for the endangered species by providing some kind of threat to their habitat, cutting down old and growing forests, using water for the survival of riparian species, etc. One can avoid the contribution to the endangerment of wildlife by avoiding shopping conscientiously and start looking for products that are made from sustainable developed materials like bamboo. On can also dine at restaurants by refusing the serving of imperiled species like Bluefin tuna.
5. Focus more on labels – Whether it is coffee, clothing, fruit or any other product, it is important to focus more and pay attention on the label. There are some clear leaders that help in minimizing the impact on the planet and the wildlife. If you are a coffee lover or drinks coffee the most, you can look for shade grown coffee, which comes from forest habitats by intact of birds and other species. Companies that are dedicated to sustainable production and that pays fair wage to the laborers, you can choose fair trade certified goods whenever it is possible. Also, consuming organic foods are good as their cost are low and helps in keeping out harmful pesticides from water and land, protecting farm workers, wildlife and your family.
6. Be wise to water – There are hundreds of companies that has given bad name to the tap water. Therefore, every person should skip using bottled water. Water from your faucet are free and it has gone through the quality and taste tests and won when compared with the brand water. The water extraction and the production of plastic bottles are harmful for the communities as well as wildlife. The conservation of water has become complex and difficult, as the growing population of the country has put the demand on the water resources of the nation, due to which people are facing unprecedented droughts. There are many methods with which a person can conserve water that includes shortening showers, fixing leaky toilets and choosing options like low-water and flow appliances.
7. Drive less, Drive green – An individual can reduce their own carbon footprint to the great extent by changing their driving habits. Whenever possible, you can make use of carpool, bike, walk or any public transport. Combine all your commissions by making fewer trips. In your community, every person should participate in the car free days. Also, it is essential to keep your car in shape by regular tire inflations and tune-ups., as it can helsp you in increasing your fuel efficiency from 40 to 4%
8. Keep your home green – Similar to the fuel efficiency of car, keeping your home green helps in the improvement of energy efficiency. It is important to keep your home with adequate insulation and windows that could save energy by using programming thermostat for creating efficient cooling and heating along with the light bulbs that could save energy for efficient lighting. Different states are offering incentives so that every person could keep their home green or rental at no or low cost. You can also call your energy provider and see whether it offers free energy audits or the activities of the company.
9. Choose Wild Energy – For saving wildlife, slowing climate change and protecting water and land, the habit of kicking fuel habit is very complex. There are different states that allow you to pick and grab your electricity supplier which further helps in using green-e-certified company that mainly generates half of the power from solar, wind and other clean sources. One can also explore different options and tax credits for the installation of solar water heating and rooftop solar panels in your home. It is completely depends on the productivity of a person which allows the involvement of the clean power to the grid by offsetting your carbon footprint.
10. Take Extinction Off Your Plate – On the planet, meat industries are considered as the most environmental destructive industry which is responsible for the massive amount of water use, greenhouse gas emissions, pollutions and habitat destruction. An individual can reduce their environmental footprint by reducing the consumption of meat. There are some countries where around 40% of the edible food goes to waste which further waste all the natural resources that are required for their production. For the effective consumption of your buying things, a person can prevent their food waste with planned and smart shopping and different creative ways.
11. Prefer having smaller family – There are around 7.5 billion people in the world and the demands of people for water, food, land and fossil fuels are pushing other species to extinction. An ecological and sustainable population can be achieved in different ways that helps in the promotion of human rights by decreasing overcrowding and poverty which will further raise the standard of living and allow the animals, plants and ecosystem to thrive.
12. Use your voice and your vote – In today’s time, one of the best things you can do for the planet and wildlife is to get involved in the community politically and at the national level too. It is important for the citizen of the country to vote for candidates that has strong environmental platforms. Also, you can urge your representatives so that they can pass stronger policies for providing restrictions to the greenhouse gases, protection of public lands and wildlife, fighting climate change and supporting access to the reproductive services of the health.
The size of a family and the overall carbon footprint can be decreased with the accessibility of the family planning services and better education. It could help the children and the wildlife to thrive. You can share and sign action alerts, attend different events and talk to your friends about the protection of endangered species and the need to address the growth of the human population and overconsumption.
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