It's very important to make changes to the way we treat the environment. We've had many generations of people come and go on earth, making their own individual impacts on the earth's health. Read on to find out 7 ways for home owners to protect the environment.
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Jump to:
- The damage being done to the ecosystem
- 7 ways homeowners help contribute to a healthier environment
- 1. Use sustainable brands and businesses.
- 2. Be wary of what's being flushed down the toilet.
- 3. Recycle and reuse.
- 4. Use less energy to reduce carbon footprint.
- 5. Grow your own fruit and vegetables.
- 6. Use homemade, natural cleaning products.
- 7. Incorporate more household plants into the home.
Now, it's come to the point where there need to be immediate contributions to being more eco-friendly and to effectively reverse the impact caused so far. According to scientists, to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, there need to be net-zero carbon emissions no later than 2050.
That isn't a lot of time, considering it's just over 25 years away before this worry becomes many future generations' realities. With that being said, the more that can be done for homeowners and businesses alike to contribute towards a healthier environment is going to make a difference.
The damage being done to the ecosystem
What damage can we visually see when it comes to damage to the ecosystem? Well according to the EPA, global sea levels have risen around 8 inches since 1880. It means that many coastal areas around the globe may no longer exist if the current trends continue. They'll be under the water.
Global warming also has an impact on temperature rises, shifts in seasons, water shortages, increased fire threats, and droughts. There's also more chance of natural disasters.
The damage that is being caused is already well underway of damaging the world we live in permanently therefore having a huge environmental impact. So what that in mind, there are some proactive attempts that can be made to slow down the damage being done to the earth, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and make small changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This will all add up to make a big impact.
7 ways homeowners help contribute to a healthier environment
What are the preventions and actions that can be taken to help future generations enjoy the earth that we all have been able to enjoy so far in our lives? While the inevitable will happen to the earth one day, there are plenty of ways to help slow down the destruction of the earth and to help keep it in good condition.
1. Use sustainable brands and businesses.
For a lot of the change to happen, it's important that more brands and businesses are proactive in their own sustainable and eco-friendly habits. Not all businesses are doing that though, which is frustrating.
In order to inspire change, it's important to try and become one of the leaders in that change. As a household, there's influence and power in changing habits and encouraging others to do the same thing.
When shopping for products and services for and within the home, think about who to shop with. There are going to be more sustainably appropriate brands that are going to be helpful in reducing carbon emissions and using renewable energy sources. There are also some very obvious ones that are more than happy to create as much waste as possible. Avoid them at all costs!
2. Be wary of what's being flushed down the toilet.
It sounds like an odd one but it's always good to be mindful of what's being flushed down the toilet within the home. Anything other than human waste and non toxic toilet paper is going to cause problems for the sewer systems below.
There has become a need to warn households to be wary of what's being flushed down the toilet in order to help prevent too much damage. You can click here to learn more about what's being done to help improve sewer systems to provide quick fixes without too much effort.
Whilst we are considering bathroom issues try to take shorter showers as this will save both energy and water. Showers are better than taking a bath for this reason too.
3. Recycle and reuse.
As a household, a lot of products, appliances, bits and bobs can find themselves cluttering up the home. While it's nice to give to one another over the years, the amount of waste that can be produced through household belongings can be substantial in itself.
However, not everything has to be thrown away after a year or two of use. Think about recycling and reusing anything that's possible to do so. Hold onto those toys that the kids had as babies and hand them down to the children's children or take them to thrift stores so they can have a new lease of life.
Reduce single-use plastics - don't buy plastic bottles, buy reusable water bottles. The same goes with sandwich bags and reusable bags etc. Small steps to reduce plastic waste in everyday life are effective ways to live in a more environmentally friendly way.
There are plenty of ways to help save what is still in good condition and can avoid being thrown in waste disposal. Shopping for second hand items is also one of the simple ways to reduce waste, and also save money at the same time. Forget fast fashion and buy quality clothing that will last.
4. Use less energy to reduce carbon footprint.
When it comes to energy usage, less energy is going to help reduce the household's carbon footprint. It's worth understanding how many parts of life will contribute to a home's carbon footprint. From the utility bills to how much usage they have out of their cars to the activities and habits they have - they all have an influence on the size of the footprint.
Within the home during our daily lives, try to use less energy, it can make a big difference to the carbon footprint as a result. Reduce the number of times the dishwasher or laundry machine is used and where possible, keep lights switched off and appliances off at the outlet. Look for energy sustainable alternatives such lower wattage bulbs or more economic and energy efficient appliances.
A good preventative measure to take when it comes to reducing the impact on the environment is the type of lighting used in the home.
While it's important to reduce the amount of energy used in the home, it's also good practice to replace all those lightbulbs that are sucking away the energy.
Replacing traditional lightbulbs with LED lights is a much more efficient way to help ensure less energy is being used as a result.
As a home, there are many appliances that have seen the household through years of productivity. However, as they get older, appliances will naturally become more inefficient and will likely use up a lot of juice just to get it to work to the same efficiency as it first was when it was purchased.
That's why it's a good idea to consider buying more eco-efficient appliances that are going to be up to speed, working in tip-top condition, and most importantly, don't use up too much power.
Take a look at what appliances are zapping up the most energy and then focus on replacing these appliances with more eco-efficient options available currently.
Whilst looking at your energy consumption it might also be useful to look at getting solar panels installed and generating your own energy. You can even sell any extra energy you produce back to the grid! Using sunlight as an energy source is a great way to reduce the use of fossil fuels as an energy source and reduce the associated production of greenhouse gases which are so bad for our environmental footprint.
5. Grow your own fruit and vegetables.
To help reduce the amount of produce bought outside of the home, why not grow more inside the home and on the property itself? From fruits, vegetables, and herbs, there are plenty of foods that can be grown right in the backyard.
This can be a great way of becoming more sustainable as a household. Not only that, but it can help massively to reduce the costs of expenditures made on the grocery shop each week. Who doesn't want to help the environment and save money while doing it?
It may take a bit of practice, to begin with, and a lot of failed attempts but once it's been mastered, sustainable living can be great. You can also use any composted organic waste and food waste on your new vegetable patch - reducing the amount of food waste having to be transported outside your home.
There can be a lot of food and waste collected in the home, which is why it's important to try and reduce the amount of product being used. A lot of households sadly generate quite a considerable amount of waste that instead of being thrown out, can be used for other things.
For example, any leftover food like vegetables, in particular, can be broken down and go into the backyard's compost. It's a great way to help reuse the waste in order to give that nutrient boost to the plants outside. Not only that but those same plants may be the future vegetables or fruit that go back onto the plate.
6. Use homemade, natural cleaning products.
Homemade products are some of the most beneficial products to use in order to keep the home clean. It's no joke! A lot of the chemical products that a household has in their home, could easily be replaced with household alternatives made from natural products found around the home.
For example, if it's a case of getting rid of a stain in the toilet bowl, a bit of bicarbonate of soda with vinegar can create a concoction that carefully and safely removes that stubborn stain with ease.
As a household, being able to clean household appliances with natural cleaning products is one of the simple steps you can take to help reduce the number of toxic chemicals being bought into the property and associated environmental issues that these chemicals can cause.
7. Incorporate more household plants into the home.
Last but most importantly, not least, consider incorporating more household plants into the home. Not only do they look good but the good news is that indoor plants are a great way of cleaning the air, reducing air pollution and they can be a great contributor to helping the world continue spinning.
Allow some more plants and nature into the home where possible. Not only are they great for the atmosphere but they're also a mood booster for the household. When indoor plants are found in the home, they can make a big difference in how people in the household feel.
Homeowners can certainly help contribute towards a healthier environment. The more improvements that can be made to the household, the better when it comes to creating a healthier planet in general.
If you only take one or two tips from this list of 7 ways to protect the environment then you will still be making a huge impact towards conservation efforts and reducing your negative impact on the world.
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