Sustainable living means making the choice to consume the earth’s resources consciously, without harming our environment. This can be a daunting goal, as it is impossible to perfectly stamp out your carbon footprint (figure yours here). Rather than focusing on absolute perfection, sustainability-conscious people focus on reducing their impact with a variety of small changes in their day-to-day lives.
Taking an eco-friendly approach to eating is one of the easiest ways to start. Buy your food locally and avoid packaged goods. Buy organic and fair-trade products to make sure more money ends up in the hands of the producers rather than being funneled back into advertising, lobbying or shareholder dividends.
When it comes to the home, sustainable living practices can include everything from installing rooftop solar panels to using bamboo dinnerware. Many of these practices save on energy bills, reduce the need for fossil fuels and limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Water is another crucial natural resource that needs to be consumed sustainably. The average household produces around 50 gallons of water a day, and many countries are already facing a drought situation as climate change takes hold. Sustainable water use can be accomplished through a variety of easy-to-implement measures such as avoiding wasteful watering habits, reducing hot water usage, and considering indoor home appliance efficiency.
Similarly, sustainable lifestyles may also include the use of renewable or recycled materials in building construction and furnishing. Using recycled plastics and other materials in your home and office instead of new products is a great way to help save the planet. Investing in energy efficient insulation is also an easy and cost effective way to reduce heating and cooling bills.
When it comes to transportation, sustainable living can be as simple as riding a bike to work or buying a car with the right fuel economy rating. For longer trips, consider train, bus or coach travel, carpooling, or even hitchhiking to get to your destination.
Other environmental improvements can be made by shopping locally, growing a garden (even if it’s only on your windowsill), and implementing an indoor compost system to reduce food waste and recycle those nutrient rich materials into fertilizer for plants. You can also help to shrink your carbon footprint by avoiding paper towels and opting for reusable cloths such as Swedish dishcloths or old t-shirts.
As we move into the future, sustainable lifestyles will continue to become more popular as people begin to understand the damage our industrial civilization is doing to our planet and its inhabitants. Some individuals will choose to live sustainably at a higher level, but most will take the first steps towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle by embracing some of these simple changes in their daily routines. The planet will thank you. And you’ll feel better for it too!