Find out how making small sustainable changes in your lifestyle, you can really save the Planet!
Global warming, Air, Water, and Land Pollution are the few terms we all are familiar with but irrespective of the gravity of its negative impact on our present and future generations, we are prone to behave like an ostrich that buries its head in the sand and believes that nobody is watching. The time has come for all of us to sensitize ourselves towards the deleterious aftermath of destroying the same habitat that we all are residing in.
Stop Passing The Buck and Push your Luck
The crisis of global warming can only be tackled with the collective effort of all of us.
We cannot afford as a society, to put this onus on the government and administration only.
You will be surprised to know that by making small changes in our lifestyle, making it more sustainable, we can save our planet.
Less Plastic is Fantastic
More than billions of single-use plastic bottles, bags, and other plastic waste are being created across the world and are filling up the oceans. How you can make a difference with a more sustainable lifestyle?
- A simple habit of carrying a reusable water bottle whenever we move out of our house will help in reducing the use of plastic bottles.
- Start using cloth bags while shopping for food, vegetables, and other household items.
- As per 2018 data, the US alone was producing 8.5 million plastic straws. Now just imagine the world usage. Stop using plastic straws at the restaurant and eateries and start drinking from the glass.
Lets’ Save Energy
Coal, Gas, Diesel, and Natural gas are the fuels that are used in thermal plants to generate 71% of electricity in India. Furthermore, let’s not forget the use of the large quantity of water that is consumed to run these colossal units. To be more sustainable in your lifestyle, you can decide to produce your own energy from renewable sources or to buy clean energy.
Also, consider following these little steps every day:
- Switch off lights and fans when leaving the room.
- Don’t leave the TV and other appliances on standby mode.
- A regular refrigerator consumes 13.7% of the energy that can be easily regulated by setting your fridge at 37 degrees Fahrenheit and freezer at 3 degrees.
- The use of LED bulbs at homes and offices will help in saving 75% of energy usage.
Save Every Drop or Forget the Crop
Out of the 70% water on earth, only 3% is fresh water and most of it is inaccessible to humans.
According to the data by (World Atlas, 2018), only 0.4% of water is usable and drinkable which is available for more than 7.5 billion of the population.
The only solution is to save and conserve every drop by following these simple steps:
- Use a bucket for the shower and save water.
- Reuse the water used for washing vegetables/ fruits in watering the plants.
- Please get Rainwater Harvesting done at your home/office.
- Take only as much water as you are going to drink and stop wasting drinkable water.
- For every 1 liter of filtered water, on average RO purifier, wastes 3 liters of water. This water can be used for household chores.
Manage Waste before our Planet get wasted
The world generates more than 2.01 billion of solid waste annually and this will increase to 3.4 billion metric tons by 2050 with the capacity to recycle less than 20% only.
These simple waste management practices will help in tackling this problem:
- A daily habit of separating organic and inorganic waste will create a huge difference. The use of compost bins at home will convert the organic waste to manure.
- A colony in Pune, India has been using waste food since 2017 to generate electricity and light the streetlight, park, club, and gym in their area.
- We need to stop littering in public places and throw the garbage only in the garbage bin for effective waste management by the authorities.
Your lungs are choked it’s not a Joke
As per WHO data, Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year and it’s also a cause of major other health ailments like respiratory and skin disease in all age groups from an infant to an adult.
Apart from industrial pollution, vehicular pollution is a major contributor.
We can reduce vehicular pollution by the following steps:
- Carpool – To reach One destination, instead of 5 people using 5 vehicles, only one vehicle can be used for 5 commuters that will not only lead to less air pollution but will also save commuting costs.
- Cycling or Walking– Instead of going on a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler to reach nearby places for small chores, we can easily use a cycle or just walk.
- Public Transport – Public transport has become more comfortable and economical, so start using Metro, Buses and commercial cab services.
Plant a Tree, Plant a Hope
As per an estimate, since 1990 we have lost more than 80 million hectares of forest in the name of development.
You can’t build a forest in your home, but you can plant a tree in your backyard or in the nearby park and make sure that they are being watered for the first few years and take an active part in creating a green environment.
Apart from the above, we need to sensitize our kids, families, friends, and society to be mindful of their unsustainable lifestyles and mend them for a better tomorrow.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
