When we think about being more eco-friendly, the first things that come to mind are things like driving less, turning off lights when we leave the room, and reusing grocery bags. However, these are not the most impactful ways to reduce your carbon footprint and be kinder to the environment. To most people, being environmentally friendly means reducing your impact on the natural world by using less energy, water, and so on. However, many of us don’t see it that way. When you ask someone if they’re eco-friendly, they’ll probably respond by saying they reuse their plastic grocery bags or drive a hybrid car instead of a gas one. But there is so much more to being eco-friendly than just using fewer resources – read on to find out why and how you can do it more often!
Go meatless on Mondays
Meat production is extremely harmful to the environment. Cows and pigs produce a ton of methane from their manure, which is a very potent greenhouse gas that causes global warming. Moreover, methane also contributes to ocean dead zones and groundwater contamination. Furthermore, meat production is also extremely water-intensive. Growing feed for livestock takes huge amounts of water, and growing meat takes even more. For example, it takes about 13,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of feed corn. Growing corn alone uses pesticides, fertilizer, and water, all of which have environmental impacts. When you go meatless on Mondays, you significantly reduce the number of greenhouse gases produced by the meat industry. And by eating less meat, you’re also likely to eat healthier and spend less money on food.
Use solar power
Solar panels are the perfect eco-friendly energy source! They don’t pollute the air like fossil fuels do, and they don’t take up space like biomass does. Solar panels are also a smart investment. You can take advantage of government tax credits, and over the long term, you’ll probably save money on your electricity bill. While solar panels can be expensive upfront, there are a bunch of ways to finance them and pay less over time. You can also get a home solar system with no money down.
Ditch the car, at least sometimes
Taking public transportation is a great way to be more eco-conscious. The only issue is that not all cities have great public transportation. If your city’s public transit is lacking, you can still help the environment by carpooling or taking a ride-sharing service like Lyft or Uber. And if your city has great public transportation, you can still reduce your carbon footprint by taking advantage of it instead of driving. If you don’t have access to a bus or train stop near your home or work, you can use a service like Car2Go or Zipcar to get around and let go of your car for a while.
Walk or bike to work and other places
Walking and biking are great ways to get around. They are low-impact forms of transportation that don’t pollute the environment. Depending on where you live, you might prefer to walk or bike to work and other places. You can also use these as ways to get exercise and reduce your carbon footprint by doing so – walking or biking to work burns more calories than driving does! Whatever form of transportation you choose, you can also reduce your carbon footprint by carpooling with coworkers if they’re on your way.
Change your light bulbs
This may seem like a small thing, but changing your light bulbs to LEDs can reduce your energy bill by 90%. It’s better for the environment, too! Traditional light bulbs produce a ton of CO2 while running, and they contain mercury, a neurotoxin that is harmful to humans and wildlife. LEDs don’t contain mercury, and they’re much more energy efficient. You’ll save money on your bill over time and reduce your carbon footprint.
Conclusion
Whatever ways you choose to become more eco-friendly, you’ll help the environment. How can you do this? Have a look at the list above. There are so many different ways to be eco-friendly. No matter who you are, there is a way to help the environment. If you want to make a difference, you can! It might take some effort, but it’s worth it in the end. Being more eco-friendly can be a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to help the planet.
