Our planet is slowly deteriorating at our own hands. In recent years, many nations officials have pledged to help prevent its further degradation. However, it should not stop there. We must do our parts as well. It may seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but if enough little people do their parts, we can make a difference. There are a few ways we can do so, which we discuss a bit more below.
Live a No Waste Lifestyle
A life that produces zero waste may seem impossible, but it’s not. It’s difficult to accomplish, but so many people have been doing it for years – showing that it can be done. It doesn’t happen overnight. Like changing your diet, it has to be eased into. You can start with something small.
In Wellington, NZ, people have stopped using single-use plastic as they are very damaging to the environment. We can take this up a notch when we start using eco bags every time we shop in NZ. Reusable straws in the form of metal or bamboo plus glass jars or bottles are also great to have for those who can’t help from buying drinks outside.
Practice Vegetarianism or Veganism
The meat industry is one of the leading causes of damage to the environment. Not only that, but many animals are mistreated throughout their lifetime. Just the thought of these poor creatures going through hardships for human consumption has encouraged people to go vegetarian or vegan.
To this day, many still confuse the two. In a nutshell, vegetarians don’t consume any meat but still eat products that come from animals like dairy or eggs. On the other hand, veganism is considered as the more extreme form of vegetarianism.
Vegans try to avoid using anything that comes from animals. This applies not only to their diet but clothing and other stuff. Diet-wise, they find plant-based alternatives to complete their meals. Some of these alternatives are almond milk, alternative cheeses, tofu, and mock meat.
In recent years, veganism has gotten a bad rep because of vegans who are particularly aggressive towards omnivores. We have to take note of the fact that not everyone can go vegan even if they wish to. Some have health restraints that require them to consume things that come from animals.
Decrease Carbon Footprint
Our carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases we produce with our activities. Both examples above are ways we can reduce our carbon footprint. Although there have been some studies that show veganism is as harmful as the meat industry.
Still, there are other ways we can go about limiting the greenhouse gases we produce. A great example would be spending less time driving. Instead, we can opt to walk, bike, or take public transportation. Another thing we can do is stop buying fast-fashion. A cheaper but still quality alternative is thrifting clothing.
These lifestyle changes can be daunting at first. After all, we’ve gotten so used to the life we’ve been leading for years. But if we want to make a difference, we need to be dedicated and commit ourselves to slowly bettering our lifestyle.
In a few years, as more and more people do it, we’ll see that the difficulty we’re going through now can be fruitful in the end.