Earth Day falls on the 22nd of April and this year, the theme is, quite aptly, Restore Our Earth. Sounds like quite an enormous task to take on, isn’t it?
Well, in actual fact, there are many, many ways each in which each and every one of us can make a huge difference in the recovery and wellbeing of this planet we all live in. In fact, we really should be doing as much as we can, for our planet, with all the ongoing pollution, deforestation, exploitation etc, has long been crying out for help. The way humans have treated Earth has triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water, to name a few. And what can we do to help change all of this? Well, for starters, we can begin with a promise to ourselves to take some baby steps today, and continue till we’ve ticked off all of the following suggestions, making them into lifelong habits! Are you ready? Let’s do this!
Instead of using toxic chemicals, make your own safe and natural weed killer using ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar, salt, vegetable oil, etc. Get some great DIY tips from www.thegardenlove.com
- Before you leave a room, switch off the light. This saves energy and money – check your electricity bill for the proof!
- Start using rechargeable batteries. The corrosive acid in batteries damages our soil quality wherever they end up, and this happens on a large scale worldwide. A rechargeable one may seem costly at first, but in the long run, it saves you money and you’ll always have a battery when you need one!
- Do away with straws and drink-stirrers. These throw-away items are wasteful and un-environmental friendly. Who needs them, anyway?
- Produce: Buy local, eat local whenever possible. This saves not just your money, but your conscience as well, pertaining to the costs as well as the pollution incurred by transporting goods long distance.
- Don’t look down on second-hand stuff. Buying second hand whenever you can save money and keeps the landfills from overflowing with perfectly usable things being thrown away. Shop second-hand for furniture, clothing, bags, etc and do your part for our planet.
- Shorten your shower time, or, share a shower! Either way, the main aim is to conserve as much water as possible, for it is after all, a precious resource.
- Recycle your cell phone. On average, consumers are replacing their cell phones every eighteen months, disposing their old ones for new. In landfill sites, toxins from phone batteries are heavily polluting the earth. Do your part by using a recycling programme instead of disposing of your old cell phone.
- Bring your own coffee mug. This will save on having to use take-away paper mugs. Some coffee chains will even offer a discount for filling up your own cup!
- Use energy-efficient appliances. Saving electricity wherever you can will ultimately aid in healing our environment, and using energy efficient electric appliances should be a priority in every home.
- Instead of using toxic chemicals, make your own safe and natural weed killer using ingredients such as lemon juice, vinegar, salt, vegetable oil, etc. Get some great DIY tips from www.thegardenlove.com
- Don’t throw stuff away just because you don’t want them anymore. They’ll likely end up in landfills. Instead, donate them, or list them on online free-collection sites.
- Take your car to a car wash service instead of washing it yourself. This is one task that is best left to the experts, who are pros at increasing their profits by using the least amount of water to get the job done.
- Enough with the plastic bags already! Please switch now to reusable shopping bags and help lessen the load in landfills worldwide.
- Diaper your baby responsibly. reusable/cloth diapers are kinder to the environment, to your baby’s skin, and ultimately, to your pocket too. On average, each baby will use between five and eight thousand diapers before being potty trained, contributing 3.5 million tonnes of landfill waste. Need we say more?
- Always recycle your glass items. Why? Because every ton of glass that is recycled saves nine gallons of the oil used for fuel to produce new glass.
- Stop wasting paper napkins/tissues. Take only what you need at a restaurant, or even in public loos. Remember, every little bit helps in saving our trees and conserving our forests.
- Do your laundry load and your wallet a favour by hanging out your washed clothes to dry outside under the sun. Your clothes will last longer and so will your money from saving on electricity.
- Eat less meat! 2,500 gallons of water is needed to produce a single pound of beef, where else those tasty cuts of meat from animals on ex-forestry ground is responsible for the destruction of many square feet of forest. Go vegetarian now and then, and help lessen this impact.
- Keep your vehicle in good working condition. Make sure your engine is running well, the filters are clean, the radiator and water tank are always filled up, and the tyres are in good shape. An efficient vehicle will not only be more fuel-efficient, but also be less likely to break down or require major, expensive repairs.
- What’s with all the bottled water? Yes, they’re cheap, convenient and readily available everywhere. But still, 90% of water bottles end up decomposing in landfills rather than being recycled! Carry your own refillable water bottle and in doing so, you’ll be doing your part in saving our planet.
