Can you hear the eco? Prepare to be inspired.
Things to Do to Help the Environment
Gareth Gransaull
While it is easy to fault legislators and lobbyists with the impediment of progress in the fight to end climate change — (though it is true that their inability to make significant changes is at the crux of the problem) — the attitudes, and more importantly actions, of consumers are what fuels the problem. Here is what Ecoprints recommends you do to help the environment.
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Become energy efficient
As our society relies on fossil fuels for energy, we are not at liberty to use vast quantities of energy and survive unpunished. So do more to conserve energy; unplug appliances, wash clothes in cool water, hang clothes up to dry, install a programmable thermostat, use the air conditioner less, etc. Your electricity bills will be cheaper as well.
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We can make our products as eco-friendly as we want, but if we do not first reduce the amount we consume, reuse the items we can still use, and recycle the items we can not, then no progress is going to be made. We need a considerable shift in the paradigm we use to process our resources; our consumption needs to follow a cyclical pattern which recycles resources and replenishes used materials, rather than the conventional linear one that accomplishes neither. So cut back on the items you purchase, like toys and candy bars; and recycle your paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum cans whenever you have the chance.
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Convert to Renewable Power
If society cannot wean itself off of fossil fuels, and instead maintains its unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels, then climate change will certainly prevail. Modern electrical utilities often provide electricity generated from alternative sources, like solar and wind power, at only a marginal increase in the cost; you should take advantage of this.
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Purchase Organic and Locally Grown Foods
18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from meat and dairy production; believe it or not, but a cattle farm may be more harmful to the environment than a road full of SUVs. So decrease the amount of meat and dairy products you consume, and try to maintain a diet of organic and locally-produced foods which are less energy-intensive and oftentimes are higher in quality and better for you.
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Green your transportation
The transportation sector makes up a sizeable portion of carbon emissions, and they have few reasonable alternatives unlike your electrical utility; no commercial car can run on solar power just yet. So take public transportation more often, purchase a hybrid vehicle, walk and bike more frequently, carpool, and more.
The above are just a few suggestions on how you can help the environment. The fact remains that these are simply the first steps in a path that must be taken in order to ensure the sustainability of our future and the existence of generations to come.