How can I protect the rainforest; the lungs of our planet? How can I conserve energy around the home and save money at the same time? Is nuclear power a threat to our world or the answer to its problems?
These are just some of the questions we need to be asking ourselves when it comes to looking at ways of saving the planet.
During this twenty-part series of posts, you will learn practical and different ways of making not only your life more sustainable but also easing the burden on our planet’s resources.
So how do we help save the planet!
1) Speak Up: –
Too many people make assumptions. If you see something you think might be pollution; it could be litter left on the roadside, or foamy scum frothing on the surface of a river, then notify your local authority or environmental agency. Perhaps somebody has already pointed out the problem, but you are not to know that. It is far better to report the problem twice than not at all.
2) Recycle, recycle, oh and recycle again: –
Newspaper is one of the easiest materials to recycle. It has a multitude of uses, including; insulation, composting, cleaning windows along with vinegar, papier-mache dolls, swatting flies, and so on.
Did you know that every time you recycle a pile of papers one meter high, you save a tree from the chop?
3) Water Torture: –
Heating water to near boiling point for the purpose of washing and bathing is both pointless and wasteful. Once you fill the basin with hot water, you only end up mixing it with cold water. To conserve energy and only wash in tepid water, unless you like the lobster look of course.
4) Directional Heating: –
Radiators can be quite efficient if a few tips are adopted. Firstly, make sure you are heating your rooms rather than your walls. This is achieved by fitting reflective foil behind them. Also, bleed your radiators regularly to remove any trapped air and ensure they’re working at maximum efficiency.
5) Put a brick in it: –
Toilets use about 30% of the total water used in a household. An old-style single flush toilet can use up to 13 liters of water in one flush. Newer toilets use only six liters for a full flush and four liters with a reduced flush. This seems excessive to say the least.
Why not put a brick in the cistern, this helps reduce the amount of water needed for each flush.
When using the toilet. Remember this simple motto: –If it’s brown flush it down, if it’s yellow, let it mellow.
6) Think Outside the Box: –
Our children are the generation of tomorrow. For this simple reason, we must nurture, educate, and pamper to their every need.
A bored child can be brought to life by a simple cardboard box, which a fertile imagination can turn into anything from a den to a spaceship. Before you recycle the box, let your child have endless hours of fun with a simple cardboard box and some paint. Of course, this simple concept can be used for most household items that we throw away without even thinking twice about (milk cartons, cereal boxes, etc). You get the idea.
7) Go Green, Less is More: –
It requires much more land, water, and energy to extract food from animals, than from vegetables. For example, in the USA it takes 140 liters of water to produce one kilogram of wheat, but a whopping 4,400 liters of water to produce a kilogram of beef.
If the idea of becoming a vegetarian is too unpalatable, then at least try and cut down on your meat consumption to one or two times a week.
Promote your local community and try to source locally raised, organic meat specialists. Help put a stop to the corporate rot that is the supermarket and their disgusting trade policies.
8) It’s Good to Share: –
In this dumbed-down world, we are moving towards, it is now more important than ever to keep all communication channels open. If you have a good idea which you’d like to share if you need something, or if you’ve got something to offer, then put up a notice in your local shop or your community website.
Promote togetherness and well-being for both yourself, others, and the environment.
9) Calm Down You Speed Freaks: –
Attention all speed freaks! Driving at 56mph is 25 percent more fuel-efficient and environmental than driving at 70mph. Not to mention you’re much less likely to wrap your car around a tree.
Other methods for increasing fuel efficiency include regularly checking tyre pressures, removing roof racks, extra loads when not in use, coasting (not recommended), and of course not being a speed junky and pressing down too hard on the accelerator.
10) Little But Often: –
If you try to take on too many of these ‘Save the Planet’ and environmental suggestions at once, then you may end up doing most of them only a few times before lapsing. To avoid eco-warrior burnout, try to add a few of your favorite suggestions to your routine each week and build up your portfolio of lifestyle changes gradually.
Remember to pursue your eco-journey in baby steps. Little but often is a far more effective way of producing results, than trying to save the planet in one afternoon.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any suggestions or practical tips for saving our planet?
