The California governor signed a ban on sales of new gasoline cars starting in 2035. Living a sustainable lifestyle is becoming less of a choice and more of a necessity every day as our planet hurtles towards climate extremes.
That doesn’t mean you should postpone eco-friendly living till then. Here’s a guide that can help you on the path to a healthier, more sustainable way of living.
Watch What You Eat
We’re not talking about counting calories, we want you to know where your calories are coming from.
Organic produce is created by natural means, free of chemicals and pesticides. While washing a piece of fruit makes them OK to eat for humans, pesticides used on these foods are hazardous to the environment.
Farmer’s markets are a great start as you’ll be able to ask the seller exactly what processes they use to grow their foods.
Meats are delicious and important for getting protein. But we should eat less of them. Ten percent of all greenhouse gasses in 2018 came from agriculture, with the majority coming from cattle.
By eating less meat and more veggies, the agricultural landscape will change, replacing gas-emitting cows with vegetation that helps remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.
Use Less Electricity
This one seems like a no brainer, but here are a few practical tips to do that.
Search for better lightbulbs. LED light bulbs are superior to traditional incandescent bulbs, lasting longer, shining in a variety of colors, and use less energy than their counterpart.
Hitting the power button on TVs and computers isn’t the end of the story. Most modern devices have standby modes that they default to when you hit ‘off’. To conserve power, unplug them after use. Don’t leave chargers plugged in when they aren’t being used either.
Make ‘Smart’ Decisions
If your family consumes a lot of electricity, consider setting up a smart thermostat. These can automatically change the temperature of the house at different times of the day. If you aren’t home most of the day, keep the usage low. The same for when you’re asleep and cozy.
Installing solar is a big task, but a great way to reduce your environmental impact. An electrician can help make that process easier and can share insight on if your home is solar-capable.
If you can install solar on your home, a solar-powered vehicle could be a great next step. Electric cars are fast becoming more affordable and replacing their fossil-fuel guzzling siblings.
Having a home and car powered by solar energy is costly, but will have massive results in reducing your bills and your environmental impact.
Eco-Friendly Living for a Sustainable Life
Eco-friendly living requires effort. Taking the step is exciting and daunting, but the mission should be clear: we’re trying to reduce our personal negative-impact on the planet.
If you’re ready to pursue that mission, follow our blog. And as a next step, check out some of our other articles for specifics on how you can live a more sustainable life.
