There’s a lot of talk about going green these days. Exactly what does that mean, and can it be done by the average person? Going green is changing your habits for the betterment of the environment. That could mean a lot of different things.
Using Renewable Products
Many of the products that we use are in short supply. Oil, wood, and minerals are just some examples.
Let’s look at oil first. We use it to fuel our cars, among other things. If you could buy a car that ran on something that was completely renewable, that would be ideal. There are hybrid cars readily available, but they’re a little pricier than cars that run on gasoline. If you are in the market for a new car, you might consider paying a little extra, especially since gas prices are so high. But what if you’re not ready for that kind of investment? There are still things you can do right now to conserve fuel. Take public transportation, carpool, combine trips, telecommute, or even walk or ride a bike. That sounds difficult, doesn’t it? You don’t have to completely change your lifestyle all at once. Just do some of these things occasionally. Every little bit helps. And maybe once some of these habits are a part of your life, you’ll do it a little bit more.
Wood is one of many materials that we use in building. But trees, especially some types of trees, take a very long time to grow. The supply is dwindling because we use more than the earth can supply. Look around for alternatives. There are different types of wood that grow more quickly, so the supply can be replenished. How about paper? Do we need to print everything out, or can we save documents in a digital format instead? Get an eReader and go digital for books too!
Minerals are mined and are finite in quantity. Supplies of copper, for example, are being depleted. In addition to the very real possibility of running out of copper and other minerals, mining is often damaging to the area around the mine. Vegetation is cleared away and waste rock, sometimes with harmful substances, must be disposed of. Again, no one person can immediately fix this problem. But everyone can use substitutes when appropriate and recycle. Again, every little bit counts.
Reducing Waste Products
So many of the things that we use today cause waste products to be put back into our environment. From a car that emits greenhouse gasses, to those individual serving containers that cause a huge amount of household trash, to plastics that find their way into the ocean and harm wildlife, whether you see it directly or not, we the consumers are causing these problems. What can we do to reduce the damage? First, substitution. Can you buy and use something that doesn’t cause so much damage? When you’re at the store, look for products with less packaging or biodegradable packaging. What about using reusable grocery bags instead of new plastic ones each time? Second, recycling. We have the opportunity to easily recycle so many products now. Many trash collectors provide separate pick up for items like newspapers, cans and bottles. And what about reusing something at home? Can you store food in those plastic containers that sliced lunchmeat came in? Pretend that you just can’t run to the store and buy something cheaply. Look around and see what you already have that could be used to satisfy a need.
So many green initiatives require a more substantial investment than any one individual or family can provide. When a business invests in these kinds of efforts, we as consumers can support them. We can also alter our everyday lives to help the environment. It doesn’t seem like much, but if everyone does a little, it turns into a lot.
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