'Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual's or society's use of the Earth's natural resources and his/her own resources. Practitioners of sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon footprint by altering methods of transportation, energy consumption and diet. Proponents of sustainable living aim to conduct their lives in ways that are consistent with sustainability, in natural balance and respectful of humanity's symbiotic relationship with the Earth's natural ecology and cycles. The practice and general philosophy of ecological living is highly interrelated with the overall principles of sustainable development.'
Drink Tap Water
Bottled water might be very popular with the younger generations, but that does not mean that it is good for the environment. On the contrary รข€“ the production of bottled water is actually very harmful to the environment. The thing is, most people have access to clean drinking water from the tap and there is simply no reason for preferring bottled water over tap water. You can also buy a water filter in order to make your tap water even better. This option is much cheaper than bottled water and does not hurt the environment at all!Buy Local Products
Support your local producers by buying their products instead of imported goods, especially when it comes to fruit and vegetables. Imported goods sometimes need to be transported across the entire planet and we all know how harmful that can be to the environment. The maritime industry, which is the main type of transportation for many products, has a horrible record when it comes to environment protection!Buy Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Fluorescent light bulbs can actually save you a lot of money if used properly. Yes, they are quite expensive and they cannot be used everywhere, but they are much more efficient in the long run. And the best thing about them? You do not have to replace them very often, so they can also save you time!Unplug Appliances You Aren't Using
You can save a decent amount of energy by unplugging unused appliances from the grid. Everyone knows about this, but almost nobody actually wants to do it. The effects might seem minimal, but perhaps the final electricity bill will convince you in the end!Use Public Transportation!
Cars might be great for many purposes, but perhaps it is time to use public transportation a bit more, especially in big cities and urban areas. It does not hurt the environment as much as cars and it is much cheaper, so you can also save a lot of money by leaving your car in the garage. Finally, it can actually also be much faster when it comes to metropolitan centres. We all know how tiring and time-taking trying to find a free parking spot can be.If you want to live green the first thing you have to change is your attitude. The baby boomers were raised in a culture where everything was convenient and disposable. Generation X was raised in a time of relative plenty. The coming generation sees technology changing so fast that everything has to be replaced in a few months. These are attitudes that do not lead to the ideas of conserve, reuse and recycle. Here are some simple tips to live green every day.
Stop buying water. Plastic water bottles haven't made it into the recycling stream yet. They turn into inert objects in a landfill. Buy reusable metal bottles and fill them from a filtered tap.
Recycle Aluminum. Once you start saving those cans you will be amazed at how much recyclable metal you used to throw away. Once you take it to the scrap yard you will be amazed at how much money is back in your pocket.
Eliminate electronic "vampires." There are a lot of small electronic devices in your house that are always "on". They are in a standby mode until you use them. Some of them are in standby for months silently sucking up electricity. Turn them completely off or unplug them.
Shop at thrift stores. Our disposable society buys a lot of clothes but rarely wears them out. There are two ways you can recycle at thrift stores. Donate used clothing instead of throwing it out. Shop at thrift stores to pick up lightly used items at tremendous discounts.
Check out resale shops. Just like at the thrift stores you will find some real bargains on recycled goods at resale shops. They are a good place to pick up on refinished furniture as well as many common household items.
Start reading labels. The market is starting to offer more and more green products to consumers. Start looking at the labels as well as the price when you do you is shopping. Don't be fooled by the banner ad, look at the ingredients.
Use energy saving light bulbs. The initial price on the new light bulbs is still a bit high. The benefit is that they last longer and use less energy. In the end they do pay for themselves.
Install window film in your home. UV and heat protective window films are now widely available and easy to install. They are an excellent replacement for, or addition to, mini-blinds. Window film will pay for itself within a few months.
Check your tire pressure. Underinflated vehicle tires result in a lower gas mileage. They also wear out quicker due to uneven tread wear. It's also a safety thing.
Consider buying a motorcycle. Here's one for you guys who need to convince the wife to let you buy that new bike. Motorcycle sales are on the upswing as people look for ways to save fuel. Even the larger bikes get well over 40 mpg. Further, it makes no sense to drive just you around in a six passenger family car. Make sure you take a driver's safety course before you hit the road.
2. Do not throw away materials that can be recycled. Recycling can help make the most out of the resources that we have. Keep a trash bin exclusively for recyclable materials and properly dispose of wastes that can still be recycled like paper and soda cans.
3. Fossil fuel is still the main source of power in the world. Cut down on your power consumption through energy-saving methods and practices. You can choose to use compact fluorescent light bulbs to illuminate your home since these consume less energy compared to conventional light bulbs.
4. Cars account for more than half of the total carbon monoxide emission throughout the world. Commute to work from time to time in order to minimize carbon monoxide emission from transportations. Doing so can also help you contribute to the efficient use of fuel since commuting can serve more people given the same amount of fuel compared to driving your own car.
5. Substandard appliances can consume more energy compared to Energy Star-labeled appliances. Purchase and use appliances with the Energy Star label to cut down your utility bills and lessen energy consumption.
6. Plastic bags from supermarkets take a long time to decompose and are most likely going to end up in a landfill which can put the environment at risk. Choose an eco-friendly alternative by opting to use a cloth bag for your groceries. If the supermarket does not give one, just bring your own and help save the environment.
7. Pay your bills online to eliminate your paper trail which can do more than just saving trees but can also reduce your car's consumption of fuel when you have to drive to the nearest payment center.
8. Trees can absorb a lot of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. Plant trees that can help provide cleaner and fresher air for everyone.
9. With each puff of cigarette you are polluting the air. Save yourself and others from potential lung diseases and minimize air pollution by eliminating your smoking habit.
10. Use rechargeable batteries for devices you use frequently. Non-rechargeable batteries are environmental hazards once they are disposed.
What I think I can most take from what I've researched is that self sufficiency is incredibly important in sustainability - for example, instead of buying food from supermarkets, it is relatively easy to grow your own fruit and vegetables, or go to a local market instead of buying produce that has been imported. Although the suggestions are very obvious, it's easy to see why quite a lot of people including myself shun the idea of being eco friendly and I am worried about the tone I need to employ in this brief. It's very easy to be preachy and patronising in this kind of scenario where you are trying to suggest a different lifestyle to people who have already gotten used to a very specific way of life.
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