It's difficult to turn on the news or even go online in this day and age without being made aware of our current environmental crisis. From global warming to pollution, there are a number of different threats to the natural world.
Where these threats were once distant, they're starting to have an effect on our daily lives. The Australian bush fires, for example, have been linked to climate change.
It's a simple fact that no positive change can be globally affected without most of the population participating in some way. For this reason, among others, a lot of people are trying to become more environmentally friendly in their everyday lives.
However, this can be easier said than done. Only once you try to make these types of changes do you realize how much damage you may do to the environment in your everyday actions. By changing these actions, you may be making alterations that you aren't quite ready for.
Don't be down on yourself. Change is often incremental, and lots of people find making changes to be environmentally friendly quite challenging. Nonetheless, there are ways in which you can be more eco-friendly without causing yourself undue personal or financial stress.
Simple everyday life hacks can help you become more environmentally friendly, with a lot of people finding that not only are these changes easier to make. They also actually result in more enjoyable lifestyles. Let's look at some of the simple changes you can make in order to be more environmentally friendly.
1. Conserving Energy
Energy waste can have a major negative environmental impact, and many of us don't even realize how much energy we're wasting over time. Every time that you leave your lights on overnight, you're wasting energy.
Even one electronic device can drain a great deal of energy if left on. At the same time, you're not only spending money but wasting it on unnecessary energy costs.
One way in which you can be a lot more environmentally friendly is simply by thinking about how often you use electronic devices. Keep in mind that by 2021, it's expected that traffic from wireless and mobile devices will take up 63% of IP traffic.
Clearly, a lot of energy costs will be taken up by wireless and mobile devices. Rather than keeping your phone plugged in after it's been fully charged, consider unplugging it once it's charged. There's no point in keeping it charged. Save on your energy costs and let it go!
2. Use Canvas Bags
Your bags don't necessarily have to be canvas, but they should be reusable. Right now, we're so reliant upon plastic bags, in part because the development of synthetic polymers that make up plastic really blew up during the decades following 1940.
The benefit of plastic shopping bags is that they're disposable, which means that you don't have to clean them and can get rid of them easily. However, disposable plastic bags have a hugely negative effect on the environment. This is one reason why some grocery stores offer reusable shopping bags for sale.
You can go the extra mile by buying your own reusable canvas bags, or bags made of any reusable materials. This will not only result in less waste and negative environmental impact. It also potentially will make shopping a lot easier for you, and cut down on the task of throwing away and taking our disposable trash bags.
3. Reduce Your Use Of Natural Gas
A lot of people carry the misconception that natural gas is a more environmentally friendly energy source. People have in turn taken up gas. In fact, by 2026 the global specialty gas market is expected to surpass $14 billion. However, there are negatives to the use of certain gases.
In fact, natural gases can cause air pollution. Though they may produce lower levels of mercury and sulfur, as well as nitrogen oxides than typical gas and diesel fuels, natural gas does still contribute these negative components to the ecosystem.
The extraction procedures used to mine natural gas can also cause methane leakages. Indeed, the procedures used to mine natural gases can disrupt the environment, with the construction causing a good amount of issues for the surrounding plant and animal life. There is no such thing as a perfect fuel source, and you should keep that in mind when deciding on what types of fuel you want to use.
4. Eat Less Meat
A lot of people have the idea that taking on a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle is purely about concern for the well-being of the animals themselves, which can seem a little frivolous. However, there are many benefits to cutting meat from your diet. Cows are a primary source of meat worldwide, and many people incorporate beef heavily into their diets.
But cows are also a major source of methane, which can lead to a hugely negative environmental impact in the long term. Other animals like chickens and pigs can take up a good deal of land, causing a massive amount of environmental destruction in the process. If you cut down on the meat in your diet, you'll help lessen the demand for meat and hopefully create a positive environmental impact.
5. Start Composting
Compost piles or bins are certainly gaining traction in residential areas. Rather than tossing out your trash in a traditional fashion, you'll essentially take the organic garbage in your home and turn it into fertilizer.
For example, your leftover vegetable trimmings can be used rather than the typically expensive fertilizer. Not only will this be more convenient for you in the long term. It will also have a positive effect on your lawn or garden.
Nobody is expecting you to change your lifestyle dramatically all at once. However, if you change the way you approach the environment, you'll ultimately create a much more positive impact overall.
