How you can Change your Lifestyle for the Greener
In the western world, we hear a lot about how our lifestyles can have quite a negative impact on the environment. We live in a time dominated by technologies and conveniences which as useful as they are, aren’t the most eco-friendly. On top of this, the USA is one of the world’s biggest consumers of oil and subsequently one of the main polluters, with other developing nations including China and India not far behind.
However, you can argue about who is doing the most damage until the cows come home, the reality is that regardless of what your home nation’s overall consumption is like, it is what you as an individual can do that can make a difference. You can change your lifestyle and live in a greener and more environmentally-friendly way, without necessarily having to do away with the conveniences you may be accustomed to.
Being ‘greener’ essentially means making changes to reduce your carbon footprint and to do things like recycling and use more organic produce. In this post, you can find some of examples of such changes that you might want to consider:
Use Organic Produce and Products
Everything from the food you eat, to the shampoo you use and even the clothes you wear can be something made and sourced from organic materials. Failing that, at least try to buy goods from the local area as they will have had to travel a much short distance to reach the stores and subsequently won’t have used as much carbon in transit.
Adapt your Home Life
You can dramatically reduce the amount of gas and electricity you use at home with a few changes. Often the most effective steps to take are the obvious ones, so avoid cranking up the thermostat in the winter and open windows in the summer instead of using the air-con. With the colder weather though, it’s worth having your home properly insulated, but you can simply layer up. Also, installing energy saving lightbulbs and being careful to turn appliances fully offer is effective at cutting your consumption.
Drive Eco-friendly Cars
Having a big gas-guzzler simply isn’t practical today; for starters your fuel costs will be sky high and so will your emissions taxes. The solution is to choose a greener electric or hybrid car which as this post on ExchangeandMart.co.uk explains, can now be just as good as any other car in terms of performance, thanks to developments in their manufacture.
Be more Vigilant with your Tech
As alluded to above, you don’t need to rid yourself of your devices just be more aware of their charge time. Don’t waste power overcharging them and if you have the capabilities change their settings to use less power and improve their battery life.
As you can see from these suggestions, to make your life a greener one it really isn’t that difficult. To return to a key point a big part of the fight to protect the planet is down to individuals to make an effort. So why not make the change now and set a positive example for others to follow?