With all that is going on around us, sometimes we ignore our impact on the planet and only think of ourselves now, instead of the future generations that have to live with our choices. Our choices impact climate, the natural environment, pollution and sustainability. I believe in the future, we shall have more environmental crises and I hope we are able to solve them sooner rather than later.
Here are a few tips so that we can do our part to save our planet.
Tip 1 - Use less water in the household. Take shorter showers especially if you are not leading an active lifestyle. In cooler weather and for a sedentary lifestyle, we do not need such frequent and long showers to clean ourselves. Some parts of the world will have a shortage of water certain times of the year. Water shortages affect around 2.8 billion people worldwide. So, be thankful if you live in areas where freshwater is plentiful!
Tip 2 - Be a vegetarian or eat less meat, eggs and dairy. For every burger that you eat, 55 square feet of tropical rainforest is cleared, and 660 gallons of water is required. It is much more economical to grow crops for our food than to raise livestock. If everyone reduced their meat consumption by 10%, enough resources would be freed to feed every starving person on earth!
Tip 3 - Use public transport whenever possible. I am guilty of using private transport too often. It is so easy to go into the car or your ride, straight to the destination. However, public transport can save money and time driving during peak periods. The public transport system just improved in Malaysia so I will be taking the MRT pretty soon.
Tip 4 - Use fewer plastic bags. The plastic bags we use daily are often not thought about enough. They should display signs in shops asking if you really need that bag. Some people use their own carrier bags. I carry a foldable bag with me wherever I go. So if I buy anything, I just take it out and use it as my bag. For groceries my parents will still use plastic bags, however so that they can use the bags for trash. But for other smaller items I usually put them in my handbag or carrier bag.
Tip 5 - Less shopping for things like clothes. Clothing has a high carbon footprint. Do you really need that many clothes? If you have a wardrobe full and have nothing to wear, try Project 333. It really works for me. I have bought less and less clothes after starting that. Then, buy 2nd hand or used clothes. I bought 2 t-shirts at a thrift shop recently. They are just lightly used and saves them from going to waste or worse, factories producing more brand new t-shirts.
Tip 6 - Spend on experiences, not stuff. Buying stuff I need is fine but stuff and collecting stuff should not be what life is about. It is not about accumulation. Because then, your home will just get cluttered up and you can't enjoy the stuff you actually do like. Curate the things that bring you joy in your home. Also, you don't remember the 10th shirt you bought last year, but you will remember movies, restaurants you ate at and outdoor activities you did. So spend on experiences.
Tip 7 - Save energy at home. Air conditioning eats up the bulk of our electricity bill as we live in a tropical country. Sometimes it is just too hot here. One big tip is to put the thermostat on air conditioning at 24℃ or 25℃ and use a fan with air conditioning while sleeping.
Tip 8 - Opt for a green energy provider if available. Support green energy where you can. Where I live we just have the government energy provider. But if you live in an area where you can choose the energy provider, opt for the one with green energy sources. Wind, solar, geothermal, tidal... all these are renewable resources. They don't pollute, and they will always be there. More jobs should be created for these types of energy so we can have a clean planet and a good economy.
So there you have it, my 8 tips for a greener you. I hope this helps if anyone is thinking about ways to cut back and be more environmentally friendly! It saves money too! Thanks for reading!
Labels: environment, future
Tip 1 - Use less water in the household. Take shorter showers especially if you are not leading an active lifestyle. In cooler weather and for a sedentary lifestyle, we do not need such frequent and long showers to clean ourselves. Some parts of the world will have a shortage of water certain times of the year. Water shortages affect around 2.8 billion people worldwide. So, be thankful if you live in areas where freshwater is plentiful!
Tip 4 - Use fewer plastic bags. The plastic bags we use daily are often not thought about enough. They should display signs in shops asking if you really need that bag. Some people use their own carrier bags. I carry a foldable bag with me wherever I go. So if I buy anything, I just take it out and use it as my bag. For groceries my parents will still use plastic bags, however so that they can use the bags for trash. But for other smaller items I usually put them in my handbag or carrier bag.
Tip 7 - Save energy at home. Air conditioning eats up the bulk of our electricity bill as we live in a tropical country. Sometimes it is just too hot here. One big tip is to put the thermostat on air conditioning at 24℃ or 25℃ and use a fan with air conditioning while sleeping.