Living Eco-Friendly
Story, photos and video by: Jeni Swope
It often seems as if the results of an eco-friendly lifestyle are invisible, if not to say negligible. Some feel that one person’s actions cannot make an impact on the total environment. The truth is that the results are, at first glance, invisible, but each effort adds to the others to slowly create a change in a system.
The environment is not the only benefactor of eco-conscious decision-making. Local economies and even your own health and body stand to benefit by these life changes. To get started, here are five simple steps that you can take right now to bolster the ecosystem, the economy and your own health.
1. Always Recycle
The use of plastic bottles is now higher than ever, as many people are turning away from tap water in favor of bottled out of fear of health concerns. For an extreme example, look at the recent crisis in Flint, Michigan.
Take stock of the number of plastics around your house. Now imagine burying those underground, every week. It is no wonder landfills around the world are filling up.
It’s so easy these days to find a local recycling center online, which can help end the landfill dilemma. Many websites, such as www.RecyclingCenters.org, can help locate a center nearest you. Most of these centers accept a variety items such as: plastics, glass, paper, tin, metal, rubber, electronics and batteries.
2. Reduce Use
Unnecessary over-usage of energy and natural resources, as well as products and services, is a common occurrence.
The world is quickly running out of coal and natural gas, which fuel the majority of our existing power plants. Alternative energy sources are on the horizon, but humanity still needs to preserve our current resources until these alternatives are commonplace.
Conserving water is also important, as it frees up additional resources for locations and people that desperately need it, such as California’s current drought climate.
Learning to cut down on excess use not only helps the environment, but could also save you money. Consuming less electricity and water can contribute to huge savings on your monthly bill.
There many instances in life where you can reduce unnecessary waste and usage of resources.
Consider using reusable bags instead of plastic when shopping. Instead of throwing out old clothes, donate them. Similarly, when shopping for new clothes, look at thrift and vintage markets as well.
To cut down on your water use, take shorter showers and consider reusing towels instead of washing them between each use.
To reduce energy-use from your heating and cooling system, open the windows in the summer and wear additional layers of clothing in the winter.
For additional tips on conserving energy, you can visit www.Energy.gov, and to find out more information on reducing your usage of water, you can visit www.EarthEasy.com.
3. Use DIY Products
Many cleaning and beauty agents contain chemicals that are not only harmful to you, but also the environment.
The internet is full of hundreds of ideas and solutions for do-it-yourself recipes and instructions to make your own eco-friendly products. Many of these recipes contain common ingredients already found in your household.
By making your own products you are also reducing waste, by re-using containers you already own, as well as saving you money on ingredients.
Pinterest is a great resource for finding eco-friendly creations. For example, here are two sources on natural cleaning recipes. But the possibilities don’t end there! You can also create you own herb-infused shampoo as well as many other natural bath and beauty products.
4. Eat Natural and Local Food
The chemicals and preservatives in most of today’s foods make them look better and grow larger, but they aren’t as healthy for you nor the environment as natural and organic food is.
The organic farming process is healthier for the soil. This allows farms to produce a fuller crop from the same patch of land, instead of rotating their crops as fiercely as a chemically-treated farm would.
Luckily for us, many grocery stores and supermarkets are adding organic food to their shelves. Usually, this food is locally sourced, which means the profits go back to the farms and families in nearby communities.
As an example, John Goode and Json Myers were inspired to open their organic food market, Goode Food Delivered in St. Joseph, Missouri, after suffering from health complications related to the chemicals in processed food.
Organic food can also be found at your local farmers’ market. The internet provides many websites, such as www.LocalHarvest.org and www.EatWild.com, that you can use to find growers and markets near you.
5. Plant Trees and Herbs
With the advancements in home insulation comes the unwanted side effect of trapping polluted air inside your home.
Outside the home, forests are threatened by urban advancements and the logging industry.
One easy and natural way to help with this problem is to plant more trees and herb gardens. Plants remove toxins from the air, and replace it with oxygen. You can also grow houseplants and herbs indoors.
The herbs you grow can be used as a natural method of flavoring your cooking. Rosemary and basil are common choices, but there are many other options you can consider, depending on your region and your tastebuds.
To find out more about the effect plants have on the air you breathe, you can visit www.HealthyFoodMind.com, and learn which plants would best fit your needs.
With these five steps can effortlessly begin to live a more eco-conscience lifestyle. Every one of these suggestions benefits not only the environment, but also your own well being.