20 Amazing Ways to Help Protect the Environment

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There is an annual Environments Day celebration. During the event, there are endless talks and suggestions on how to conserve the environment. But how often do we apply these suggestions or take practice those measures?

Most of us appreciate nature, the forest, animals, and rivers, but if you are not protecting the environment, you are harming it. Various elements such as sewage, plastics, and domestic waste pollute the environment.

We may not all be environmentalists, but there are simple steps which we can jointly take to reduce consumption of resources to avoid depletion. Also, we can limit the waste we generate. The following are 20 amazing ways to help protect the environment.

1: Plant Trees

The most significant method to preserve the environment is to plant trees. Trees may take longer to grow, but they serve the next generation. Have you ever walked under the scorching sun and wished there was a tree to offer you shade? If you have, what did you do about it? Trees provide shade and eliminate the need for air conditioning.
Trees are used in the paper industry. So, you can save the trees by maximizing the use of your paper. For example, you can print or write on both sides.

2: Conserve water

Water is life. Water conservation is vital since we cannot survive without water. A significant amount of energy is used to pump water to your home. You can minimize water wastage through;

  • Reducing the time you take to take a bath. The more time you take, the more water you are likely to use. Reducing your shower duration can save water up to 150 gallons each month. Also, you can opt for low-flow showerheads
  • As you brush your teeth or as you shave, turn off the tap
  • Using a dishwasher
  • Quickly fasten any leaking pipe
  • Plunge a water bottle, a full one, in the toilet tank. It will move water which will result in a low flow design which will save water as you flush
  • Substitute water for other cleaning elements such as vinegar or even baking soda.
  • Recycle water around your home
  • Mount aeration nozzles on taps around the house or home

3: Limit Car Use

You can substitute your car and opt for alternative methods such as biking, walking and public transport. It is a significant measure to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, which are accountable for climate change.

First, you can start cycling, which reduces 90% emission of gases to the environment. Besides, cycling saves you money, which you would have otherwise spent on fuel. Second, you can opt to walk. Third, you can consider public transport. It may not be as comfortable as a personal car, but you will have made a significant contribution to conserving the environment.

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Statistics show that if a person opts for public transport rather than using their cars to travel a 20-mile distance; they reduce carbon dioxide emission that year by 4800 pounds. It can be you who is making that difference.

Fourth, you can decide to join hands and let your friends tag along. Carpooling is also useful to reduce the gas emissions. Fifth, you can also combine errands or even shop virtually. Lastly, you can choose to telecommute. Research shows that workers are likely to use half energy if they work from home as opposed to at the workplace. Also, you can record your trips in a travel journal.

4: Minimize Food Wastage

Statistics show that in the United States, 40% of food is wasted annually. Also, research shows that annually food that gets lost globally is sufficient to feed almost a billion hungry people across the world.

Wasted food is thrown in landfills and with time decomposes to hazardous greenhouse gas, methane. Moreover, wasting food implies wastage of energy and water which was used to produce the food. Fortunately, there are measures we can take to reduce food wastage.

You can make a list of the food you are going to buy as well as the amount. It reduces impulse buying of food that we are likely not to eat and ends up in the trash. Also, you can plan the meals you will take for that week and include the ingredients for each meal.

Monitor the trash. Always note down the food you throw in the bin and keep tabs on the pattern. To make the monitoring effortless, you can download an app to help you track. Moreover, you can opt to donate the food instead of tossing it in the bin. There are needy people all over the world who need the food you throw away.

Adopt a habit of eating leftovers. Some of us don’t eat the same meal twice. Conversely, throwing away food because you don’t want to eat it isn’t constructive to the environment. Or if you don’t love leftovers, but you practice farming, you can also create a composite pit. The composite hole will recycle the nutrients to the ecosystem and enriches the soil. Always remember to check for the expiry dates on products.

5: Switch off

Change your daily habit by switching off anything that is not in use. Turn off a computer, television, printer and even lights which are not in use. You can simplify this by;

  • Put timers on lights or even lamps, which you can only use to switch them off at a specific time daily. You can find timers in many hardware stores, plug them into outlets and use them to control the power on and off of your lamps.
  • You can also choose to purchase electronics such as heaters and fans that are inclusive of timers. Therefore, whenever it gets hot or cold at night, it will automatically shut off.
  • Unplug devices whenever possible. It may seem harmless to leave charging devices plugged in. However, whenever a device is plugged in and turned off, they use phantom energy.

6: Reduce food packaging

Research in the United States shows that food packaging amounts to two-thirds of the overall packaging waste. Just like food, they end up in pits, decompose and produce methane. On the brighter side, Companies are aware of the damage of the packaging and have resulted to reusable packaging products. You can help by carrying your cups, purchasing things in bulk, invest in reusable tins.

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7: Go Green

Every time you go shopping, remember to conserve the environment. Green Purchasing implies making purchases with the situation in mind. You can go green by carrying your bag while shopping and choosing to invest in a water bottle. If you live in an area where the tap water is contaminated, consider buying a water filter system for your home. It will reduce damping of mineral water bottles which will protect the environment. Be mindful of the trees by checking to see whether the paper product was made using ecological methods.

8: Use the hanging line

Instead of using the dryer every time you wash, you go traditional and hang your clothes out to dry. Air drying is not only eco-friendly, but it gives the clothes a fresh smell. Use the dryer only when cleaning a load. Also when using the dryer, ensure that the vent is clear for efficiency and safety. If you are looking to buy a dryer, go for one that does not use a lot of water.

9: Water in the morning

If you have a lawn, ensure you water it early in the morning or late in the evening when it is cool. Watering at midday when the sun is hot leads to evaporation. However, water in the evening is not recommended by experts who say that it puts the lawn at risks of fungus.

10: Replacing light bulbs

Consider using LED bulbs or energy saving fluorescents to save electricity. Initial installation or replacement may be considerably costly, but you will enjoy fewer electricity bills monthly.

11: Do away with mercury products

Mercury is not only hazardous to the environment, but one`s health as well. Some Countries have spots which accept mercury products and substitute them will environmental friendly products. Look up if such services are available.

12: Limit meat consumption

You can set days which you will not consume meat products. Research shows that 460 gallons of water are equivalent to a quarter beef pound. Besides, whenever an animal is slaughtered, there are greenhouse emissions and the fossil fuels will produce methane during decomposition.

13: Go Second Hand

New products need resources for their manufacturing and production. Most of these productions use natural resources. Thus, you can protect the environment by choosing second-hand products. For example, trees are used to make furniture. To prevent felling of trees, consider buying a second-hand chair and restructuring it to your preferred design.

14: Minimize air conditioning

Sparingly use the air conditioner, and sometimes, consider not using it at all. If you have to use the air conditioner, set it at a temperature that is slightly lower than the environmental temperature. The lower the setting, the higher the energy the conditioner uses.

Also, instead of turning on the air conditioner at a high temperature in the winter, you can keep yourself warm by taking cold drinks and wrapping yourself in a sweater or warm blanket. Thus, you can set the air conditioner at a lower temperature than you would have set initially, which will reduce the energy consumption.

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15: Conditioning Vents

Whenever you are not at home, close the conditioning vents. When you get home, only open the vents that in the room you are in and keep those in other places shut. Developing a habit of using vents in one room saves a lot of energy which would have been squandered in unoccupied rooms.

16: Exercising

You can save the energy by exercising without electronic machines. Instead of using a treadmill, you can opt for actual running, walking, cycling, press-ups, pushups and other many manual exercises.

17: Sparely use toilet paper

Only cut the toilet paper that is sufficient for you. Don’t keep rolling for a little wipe. Also, sparingly use the paper towels. You can switch to washable clothes to clean the kitchen. Most paper comes from trees, which is why we need to be cautious with how we use them.

You can also choose eco-friendly products, for instance, you can also pick paper products which come from recycled paper. Instead of using disposable papers to clean the house, opt for washable clothes.

18: Properly inflate your tires

When your tires are properly inflated, they not only make the tires durable, but they also save on gas.

19: Cloth diapers

Cloth diapers may be a traditional method, but they are very environmentally friendly. Besides, they help you save you clean them after every use. Moreover, you can store them and use on your next child. Furthermore, there are so many diapers on the market today, and it is essential to be cautious with the one you buy Using the cloth diapers prevents hazardous chemicals from coming to contact with your baby`s skin.

20: Be a mindful customer

When going shopping, before picking a product and adding it to the basket, ask yourself what impact the outcome creates to others and the environment. You can be mindful by first, ensuring you buy what you need. It saves you resources and eliminates wastage. Second, always look to purchase durable products. Still go for products that have a long life, which you can decide on after extensive research. Third, you can rent or even borrow items which you occasionally need rather than buying. Lastly, you can recycle or reuse.

Final Words

We depend on the environment for survival, and so does the environment rely on us for survival. It is the simple things we do that go a long way to conserve the environment. We have discussed the 20 main steps you can take to preserve the environment. You can make a difference by changing your means of transport, decreasing energy consumption of electronics around your home, changing your eating habits.

Simple measures such as wrapping gifts in fabrics, keeping beehives and going to the library rather than buying books go a long way in protecting the environment. Once you change your lifestyle to an environmentally conscious one, you can involve yourself in activism to educate others and draw them to doing the same.

Photo by: pixabay

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