Taking care of the environment is not a whim, but a necessity. It is a set of actions that we all must carry out to avoid the destruction of our planet, despite the fact that in recent years it seems that we have contributed more to its deterioration. With joint collaboration, we can achieve great goals, but for that, it is essential to contribute millions of grains of sand.
Only in this way can the sustainability of the Earth be guaranteed, which is currently not going through its best moment and is punishing us with environmental disasters of an enormous magnitude. That is why in this summary of how to take care of the environment of EcologíaVerde we show you the different actions to improve the care of our environment.
Turn Off The Lights
Do I take care of the environment? Although it may not seem like it, leaving the light on is a bad habit that can be difficult to get rid of. Arriving home, turning on all the lights, and starting to do the housework, neglecting the energy consumption that this entails. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that in 2019 electricity production generated 30.44% of CO 2 emissions.
Do not hesitate to read these posts on How to save electricity at home and Light pollution: definition causes and consequences to have more information on the subject.
Use Energy-Saving Light Bulbs And LED Lights
Another good measure is to change conventional light bulbs for energy-saving light bulbs. If you are more interested in LED bulbs, they are also a good option, although more expensive. Some of the benefits of energy-saving light bulbs and LEDs are:
- They have the same lighting capacity as normal light bulbs.
- LED lights consume 80/90% less than conventional ones.
- They pollute less than traditional light bulbs, although more than LED ones.
- They can last up to 10 months, so they are much more profitable and pay off more in the medium-long term.
Recycle
When we recycle we are fighting global warming. It is one of the best actions we can carry out every day. Recycling may be a big change for someone because they are not used to it, but it really is easier than it seems.
By separating paper and cardboard from plastics, glass containers, or food, we are already collaborating for a common good. Something that many people forget is how to recycle batteries, something that we must take into account since they can be very polluting.
Some actions or tips that we can offer to recycle more efficiently are:
- Choose products with smaller packages.
- Avoid buying throwaway products.
- Choose products of recycled origin.
- Avoid consuming plastic products, like straws.
- Opt for cloth bags to make our purchases.
Discover How to recycle batteries in this other EcologíaVerde article that we suggest.
Buy Certified Organic Products
Products with an organic certificate are those that are not polluting, have not used pesticides and we can be sure that they have not been genetically modified (transgenic products). In addition, they comply with a series of standards that have to do with:
- The cultivation.
- The process.
- The storage.
- The packaging.
- The distribution.
The best is that foods with an organic certificate maintain the most original flavor, which we often miss when so many substances that are not natural are added to improve their conservation or appearance. In short, there are many reasons to consume them.
We leave you this post so you can understand the difference between organic, ecological, and biological.
Avoid Taking The Car
Pollution from cars and industry has made the ozone layer a very worrying problem. Gases as harmful as carbon dioxide has taken over the sky of large cities to create an atmosphere in which it is very difficult to live.
The solution is easier than it seems. We just have to get around by bicycle, on foot or by public transport, something that is also appreciated by the pocket, since the price of fuel is through the roof. Cities like Amsterdam are a great example of this option.
What type of pollution is emitted from the exhaust pipe of a car? Discover the answer in this other post that we suggest from EcologíaVerde.
Plant Trees
If you have the opportunity to participate in tree planting, do not think twice. These are responsible for absorbing the carbon dioxide that we talked about in the previous point, so they are a relief when it comes to combating climate change.
Another of the alternatives that we offer you in this summary of how to take care of the environment is that, if you cannot plant trees because you do not have a garden at home, you always have time to finance tree planting projects or actively participate in them, something that the soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo has recently done to save the forests of Indonesia.
Do not hesitate to read the Benefits of trees in this article that we recommend.
Avoid Plastics
At this point in the article, you may be wondering “Am I taking good care of my environment?”. The answer to this question is not simple, but rather complex. At this point, we are going to talk about becoming aware of plastic.
Returning to recycling, it is important to know that plastic pollutes our cities, especially those that have a river, lake, or sea. On the water, they can resist for up to 100 years and that has caused many marine species to die of suffocation when ingesting it, believing that it was food.
Avoid consuming products that cause plastic waste as much as possible and, if necessary, try to separate and recycle them correctly to prevent them from ending up harming the environment.
To learn more about the subject, you can read this article on Plastics in the sea: causes, consequences, and solutions.
Unplug Electronics
In this summary on how to take care of the environment, we could not forget to talk about technology. Unbeknownst to many, even if we leave our devices turned off, they continue to consume energy. We could say that we are talking about a ” phantom consumption “.
Both the mobile charger, the television, and the light on the bedside table that we have, account for approximately 10 % of the monthly electricity consumption in a house. You may not have noticed, but these devices have a small pilot light or a timer that consumes electricity.
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