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Environmental Awareness

By Merv Carlson


In this modern life, there are more and more people taking care of environmental issues than ever. Teaching children in early school life about how to protect the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling is a great step people has made in an effort to preserve our environment. Every effort made to live a cleaner, greener and lower impact life is important. What is there left to do to get greener when you feel like you're doing it all? Humans keep on progressing. Unsustainable energy and fuel use is one of the greatest progression people have made. We can not turn time back, but there are things we can do to change our lifestyles and protect our environment.

The Products

One of the easiest ways people can do is to cut out the products we do not use. A quick scrutiny of the products you use in your daily routine can be an easy first step to greening up. For example, consider how many products you really need for your morning activities? Does it need to be 6 shower gels, some types of shampoos and some more hair conditioners? Many body products, from cosmetics to shower gels, can contain ingredients harmful to both your body and the environment. By cutting down on the number you use, you can reduce the energy spent producing them, cut down on your exposure to less than healthy ingredients and have more money in your pocket.

When it comes to cleaning your home, it seems that there is a different product to buy for every task you need to do. Do not forget to choose the eco cleaners instead of buying the conventional cleaning products. Even still - you will have 12 different eco cleaners in your cupboard. Did your grandparents cleaning cupboard contain 12 different bottles? Don't think so. Making the cleaning products yourself is not a bad idea if you want to go greener. You can easily make your own cleaning product by combing things in your kitchen such as vinegar, baking soda and lemons. When you are purchasing fewer products you cut back on cost and packaging waste.

The larger more energy consumptive products people tend to purchase are appliances. Refrigerators, deep freezers, washing machines and dryers, dishwashers and various electronics; all have a range of variety, strength and impact. These appliances consume a huge amount of electricity every hour, so make sure you just use the needed appliances. A heavy duty dryer isn't really suitable for a one person household just as a bar fridge wouldn't be suitable for a family off five. Plan your purchase and choose wisely.

The Food Routine

There is certainly much more to food than consumption. The production, transport, purchase and preparation are all vital parts getting food onto the plate. Considering how your food gets on to your plate and making adjustments to that process can reduce the impact your eating habits may have. Production of meat is a resource intensive process. Eating out of season vegetables relies upon the transport of products over continents. Planting a garden to be able to produce your own fresh vegetables can be another choice. Eating less meat can lower the impact your eating routine have, just as eating locally grown & produced foods can.

While adjusting eating habits can be a drastic and impossible decision for some people, food market habits are a little easier to change. Bringing your own reusable bags is an excellent alternative to popular the plastic option provided in most grocery stores. Bringing your personal reusable bags for vegetables and fruits is a second way to cut back on the plastics. Sanitary, reusable plastic or glass containers could be used to pick up meat or deli products. Plastic recycling programs are getting better, but making sure any plastic that you do pick up in the food store can be re-cycled locally decreases the waste you produce. We count on food to power our bodies. We can't eliminate impact that food creates but we can try and reduce that influence.

The Waste

Disposable is never good for the environment - landfills are a commonly accepted solution to societies waste production. They are unsustainable but seemingly unavoidable solution. This problem can be solved by you buying long-lasting products, cutting down on using heavily packaged items and being aware of what you throw away. Transforming waste into soil at your own backyard is also an excellent way to go green. Wastes which are organic can be transformed, such as kitchen scraps, yard waste, pet waste and certain paper products. Vermicomposting is an in home way that depends upon the appetite of worms to absorb kitchen scraps. Carefully classifying recyclables and being a part of creating complex recycling programs in your area can be a fantastic way to divert waste from landfills.

The Carbon

One unavoidable impact that every person has is their carbon output. People need air to breathe; each time they breathe, they expel carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The creation of food, appliances, electricity and essentially every man created product has a corresponding output of greenhouse gases to the environment. In fact, carbon output is produced everywhere, even when you are driving vehicles or taking flights. You can calculate the carbon footprint you and your family produce thanks to the online carbon footprint calculators. Calculating the amount of carbon footprint you make will help you have an accurate number of carbon footprint you are responsible for. The next step is to try to reduce or entirely neutralize your footprint. Exercising outside, purchasing less and avoiding fossil fuel based modes of transportation are all options. The fact is carbon outputs are unavoidable. However, you can become carbon neutral by buying carbon credits. Purchasing carbon credits mean you are responsible for what you cause to the environment. Some of the popular carbon sinks which help absorb carbon from the atmosphere are trees, soil and oceans. There are 2 types of carbon credit market: compliance and voluntary carbon credits. Purchasing certified carbon credits is one verifiable way to offset your carbon outputs tonne for tonne. The carbon credit cost is very reasonable, only 25 dollars per tonne. A terrifically eco conscious way to spend the money saved by greening up other aspects of your life.

Purchasing the carbon credits yourself is very important. If every individual is aware of the carbon output he makes and tries to offset it, this can lead to transformation of the environmental consciousness of the whole countries. Purchasing carbon credits shows the world that you are aware of the carbon footprint you make and you are trying everyday to offset it. Thoughtful consumption, mindful purchases and earth conscious lifestyle choices all lead to getting greener than you may already be.




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