Yesterday, on the 22nd April people around the world celebrated Earth Day and while I saw a ton of social media posts talking about the beauty of the Earth and the divinity of nature, I came across some mentally disturbing information about how fragile the condition of our Earth actually was. Even though some of us already know about the existing issues of global warming, climate change, the increase in our carbon footprint, rapid extinction rates of certain animals and many such problematic subjects, we hardly take into consideration the seriousness of the issue and how much of it is impacted by us .
Just like everyone else I myself am guilty of throwing around garbage in the streets, having a considerably high amount of plastic usage, wasting water and misusing electricity at different points of time. All this made me look back and question myself on what I could actually do in order to individually partake and fulfil my role in helping the earth and I found a few such ways.
Here are 6 simple ways we can contribute to help save the earth in our own little way -
1. Walk
Yes I know it is not geographically possible to walk everywhere but for travelling shorter distances in your neighborhood, preferably if it is safe for you, walking, cycling or using local transportations like a rickshaw are a great way to reduce some carbon emission. Moreover getting into the habit of walking can benefit your own physical fitness and commuting through rickshaws can contribute towards some extra income for the rickshaw puller.
2. Turnoff
Turnoff your lights, fans and air conditioner, unplug your electronic devices and stop running the water tap when you’re not using them. This will not only save you electricity and reduce water wastage but also help you save a lot of money. Switching to LED lights also helps with reducing 2/3rd of the energy used while lasting 10 times longer than regular bulbs.
3. Pay Your Bills Digitally
Opt for going paperless and paying your bills online whether it is through e-banking or mobile transactions. This helps you save paper and is also extremely efficient for your time.
4. Get Creative With Plants
Even if you are not able plants trees, you always have the option to fill up your house, your terrace or your balcony with smaller plants in pots. This not only helps you to purify the air around you but also stands as a great way to decorate your place with accents of green.
5. Avoid Plastic
Now I understand it is not absolutely possible to dismiss the soft drinks, packs of chips and bottles of juices we buy from supermarkets, the food we takeaway and the shopping bags, but it is also not very difficult to switch things up and start using steel or glass bottles to carry your homemade juices, refraining from using straws, using paper bags and educating the business owners around you, who are a part of your family or friend's group to take notice.
6. Opt For Sustainable Fashion
When we can reuse the same bunch of cutleries for every guest, have the same cushions on our sofa for days or live in the same house for decades, why can we not repeat and reuse old clothes instead of buying new ones for every occasion? For the fashion conscious ones, thrift stores are a great place for some discounted, second handed, stylish pieces that not only promote slow fashion which good for the environment but also save your big bucks while making you look fabulous.
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