Climate change is an issue that is growing more urgent by the day, so it’s important that we all do our part to address it. If we don’t, the planet will keep on getting worse, and we will all be responsible. If many people come together to practise sustainability, we can make a big difference in restoring our planet. This can be seen in the statistics that show that when more people turned vegan in 2016-17, the meat production reduced almost 20% around the world. This is a big change, considering meat production is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gasses. More people are becoming aware of the need to change their lifestyle in order to be more environmentally friendly. With the ‘save the turtles’ movement, people reduced their use of plastic bags, which in turn led to large companies starting to use cloth and paper bags to meet the new demand. This is proof that our actions can influence the actions of bugger industries that will be forced to reduce their harmful practices due to low demand – leading to a better and more sustainable approach. Here are some ways of being sustainable:
Rainwater storage and utilization
If you live in a location that receives a lot of rain, you can use that water for a variety of purposes, rather than letting it go to waste. The best way to use it is by watering your plants with it. You can ask a professional gutter specialist for advice on storing rainwater and keeping your gutters clean so that the water remains clean. If you are unsure how your gutter system will be able to support clean water storage, click here. You can also use rainwater to clean your vehicles or the insides of your house. This helps save a lot of clean drinking water. If more people start using rainwater, especially in areas with a lot of rainfall, we can successfully combat the problem of decreasing underground water levels. Being sustainable can save tons of fresh water.
Using Green Energy Sources for your energy needs
Renewable energy refers to energy sources that can be regenerated or refreshed over time. This is the opposite of the normalised energy usage – which is often done with non-renewable material that increases greenhouse gases in our atmosphere and contributes to pollution, both in air and water. These sources of energy can be easily identified and some of the most common ones are coal, petrol and diesel. Renewable energy sources like green energy produce no pollution, and are created in a way that balances the environment. These sources are water, wind, air and biogas.
By having your house’s electricity powered by renewable energy sources, you can not only reduce the environmental impact but also make other people aware. Solar panels are usually put up on the top of the house and can attract awareness and attention from nearby people. If you live in windy regions like northern Scotland, then you can also utilise wind energy. Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland has recently become the hub for wind energy- which means more people are understanding about the uses and need for using renewable energy sources.
Sustainable and ethical animal products
There is a lot of controversy surrounding vegetarianism and veganism, depending on the individual. However, if you want to continue consuming animal foods, you should choose ethically sourced meat and animal food products (such as dairy products). This ethical source ensures that the animals being used in our products are not being treated poorly. This is in line with consumer demand for ethical products. Often, animal farms contain vast numbers of animals who live in deplorable or even dangerous conditions.
This increases the mortality rate and the probability of getting a disease that can harm people who consume their meat. Apart from these issues, the conditions in which these animals are kept and the torture they experience because of the low cost of their production are reasons enough not to consume unethical meat. If you are not sure how you would like to proceed down this path, do your research about being sustainable and consuming meat before you make a decision.
Compost your plant waste
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides can harm your plants and also cause the soil to lose its natural fertility, making it more acidic and not good for growing organic plants. The need for fertilizer can easily be solved by having a compost bin. Composting is the process of saving food and paper scraps and turning them into natural fertilisers. These composted fertilisers help to increase the fertility of the soil, adding more nutrients than traditional fertilisers. Moreover, the process of composting recycles plant materials, reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. This helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is one of the easiest ways of being sustainable.
