How you can help the environment

How You Can Help The Environment

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Arguably, world is right now experiencing it;s latest extinction level event, which is human induced. Since last thousands of years human beings caused extinction of large species of animals and plants. Now we are in self-distracting mode. In a way we are about to wipe out every living being on this planet. If we don’t stop what we are doing now. That is damage we are causing to our environment. Unless every one of us start playing our part, we are in irreversible path of self-annihilation. This is not my theory. Read about Holocene extinction event on Wiki. How can you help?

Let’s talk about how we can do our bit. Earth will still be around after thousands of years after our death. This gradual extinction will occur over a million years. But we can leave a better place for our children if we contribute towards cleaner and greener environment. Perhaps our children could learn from us and do greater things for the planet. (See Also – 101 Ways to Save Environment)

With our planet slowly being filled with waste and regularly exploited for its currently plentiful resources, few of us realise just how much rubbish we generate on a daily basis and how this waste could be put to good use to not only benefit the earth but our economy, too. Once aware, many of us want to look at the ways in which we can try to remedy and reverse the damage inflicted on our environment.

Take a look at our tips below, from opting for paperless document delivery option and see how you can reduce your impact even slightly with just a few small changes.

Watch your water

Running water is often taken for granted here and in other civilised cultures – so often we use it thoughtlessly which leads to a lot of waste. Try to take a shower instead of a bath, and never leave water running unless you need to (especially when making drinks or brushing your teeth).

If you use a sprinkler system, ensure that it only comes on for certain parts of the day and isn’t running too long. Although bad weather in summer is scarce, in the winter you can set up a rain collection system to store and make use of the rainy days in an eco-friendly way. You can even flush your toilet with this water, or use it to water your garden.

Take a hike

We rely so much on our cars these days (especially with such busy demanding lifestyles) but it’s actually wonderful to take a walk and stop to take in nature once in a while.

Try to walk where possible rather than taking the car out for short journeys (weather dependent, of course!) or even try cycling to work for an eco-friendly yet efficient alternative. Walking and cycling out in the open have been shown to be good for the brain but also of course constitute exercise – so not only does this benefit the planet – it benefits you, as well.

Dispose of electronic goods responsibly

Computer and electronic devices such as televisions are much cheaper now – and there’s always a new model on the market, meaning that we are throwing away much more than we used to. Sadly, many people still throw away electronics (such as computers, mobile phones, cameras and tablets) irresponsibly and without regard for the proper guidelines.

These items are not suitable for conventional disposal for a number of very good reasons. They contain toxic substances which are hazardous not only to human beings but to the environment as a whole. When you throw away electronics without proper consideration, they can often end up in third world countries where the pollution from the dumping grounds makes people living in surrounding areas very poorly.

By using a reputable e-disposal company or taking your electronics to a trustworthy place where they can be disposed of safely and correctly, you really are doing your bit for the environment.

Recycle everything you can

Especially electronics and toxic chemicals like cleaners, lubricants, printer cartridges. From your laptop, cell phone to your car tires. All of this can be disposed off in proper recycling centers. Your trash can can’t be a place for these items.

Especially electronics, they’re so small, they could easily be mistaken as being something insignificant. In actual fact we use over a billion electronics and printer cartridges a year in Australia alone, 18 million of which end up in landfill. When they are disposed of in this way, they can leak which leads to dangerous chemicals seeping into the ground and water supplies.

There are various ways to recycle and re-purpose things that we use every day. You reuse your clothes, your glass bottles and containers, your decorative items and utensils. Ypou can reuse your yard waste. you can reuse your furniture.

Conserve Energy

There could be numerous options to conserve energy. Also, there are ways to rely less on conventional sources of energy. If you have money and live in California, you can buy electronics cars. You can ensure your home is energy efficient. Local utility companies can come to your home for an energy audit. They recommend various cost-effective ways to install measures that can save money in the long-term, while requiring less energy.

If possible you can think of installing Solar panels or wind turbines in your yard/roof. You can car pool to save gas cost (See Also – Ways to save money on gas). You can install energy star appliances and bulbs.

While environment protection is primary responsibility of government authorities and big corporations, we can’t deny our part. We can’t just sit aside and expect others to chip in. It’s time now to act and live a legacy for the generations to come!

How Helping the Environment Can Make You Feel Better

Julia Childs Heyl is a clinical social worker who focuses on mental health disparities, the healing of generational trauma, and depth psychotherapy.

Dr. Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and a professor at Yeshiva University’s clinical psychology doctoral program.

Monty Rakusen / Getty Images

Climate change is a threat significantly impacting each of us, with the perils of our declining environment becoming more and more unsettling by the day. If you’re feeling guilt, anxiety, sadness, and anger about earth changes, you certainly aren’t alone. The answer isn’t to avoid the natural world. Rather, it is to go towards it.

Connecting to the environment can help decrease stress and increase your mental health. This article will explore why helping the environment is important, the benefits of caring for our shared land, and ways you can get involved.

Why Helping the Environment Is Important

Climate change has reached an unprecedented point of peril. We are globally experiencing rising temperatures, widespread droughts, and intense natural disasters, all signs of our overburdened environment.

Climate change isn’t an individual issue—it is a collective issue that impacts each of us. When we all do our part in helping the environment, we shift our earth’s health for the better.

Additionally, helping the environment can help us feel a sense of control and agency in the midst of a phenomenon that feels very scary and unmanageable.

Benefits of Helping the Environment

Helping the environment isn’t only beneficial to our earth—it is also very helpful for our mental and physical well-being. When we care for the environment, we are often engaged in the natural world, whether that is getting outside for a beach cleanup or growing your own food.

Through being outside and becoming active in nature, we can begin to experience both mental and physical health benefits.

Mental Health Benefits

When it comes to navigating the feelings that accompany climate change, engaging in pro-environmental behavior can be powerful in managing painful emotions.

Spending time nurturing the environment can be seen as a form of hope, which is extremely important for maintaining our mental health. Hope doesn’t suggest that we simply wish for change. Instead, hope is an active process where we maintain faith in the ability for change through engaging in pro-environmental behavior.

While it is expected to have complex and challenging feelings regarding climate change, beginning to engage in the solution can be immensely helpful.

Physical Health Benefits

Climate change is especially dismal for our physical health. Air pollution, decreased quality of food and water, and stress are all threats to our physical well-being.

Taking positive action to offset climate change can, in turn, decrease the threats environmental changes pose to our physical health.

Furthermore, exploring ways to help the environment can result in healthy behaviors. Gardening is a great physical activity and growing your own food increases your intake of fruits and veggies.

What Are the Benefits of Getting Outside?

Getting outside is incredibly important for our mental and physical health. Spending time in nature can result in less cognitive fatigue, decreased risk of mental illness, enhanced mood, and higher self-esteem.

Even simply getting some sunshine can have huge mental health benefits—sun exposure can decrease exhaustion and depressive symptoms.

When it comes to physical health, outdoor activity can lead to decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and adrenaline.

Consider how you can get outside and help the environment. For example, volunteering at a nature reserve or helping plant trees with a local organization are two ways you can get outside and engage in pro-environmental behavior.

Ways You Can Help the Environment

As previously mentioned, hope requires action. In the spirit of moving toward the healing of our globe and the well-being of our communities, finding ways to get involved in helping the environment is essential.

Below are some ideas:

A Word From Verywell

It is hard to not feel scared and hopeless when considering our rapidly changing climate. However, there are steps you can take that aren’t only good for the environment, but also for your own wellness. You’re not in this alone and we are stronger together. If you’re finding that concerns about the environment are significantly impacting your daily life, reach out to a therapist for some support.

Gladwell VF, Brown DK, Wood C, Sandercock GR, Barton JL. The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all. Extrem Physiol Med. 2013;2(1):3. doi: 10.1186/2046-7648-2-3

Bulkeley H. Cities and Climate Change. 1st ed. England, UK: Routledge; 2013.

Hayes K, Blashki G, Wiseman J, Burke S, Reifels L. Climate change and mental health: risks, impacts and priority actions. IJMHS. 2018;12(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s13033-018-0210-6

Gladwell VF, Brown DK, Wood C, Sandercock GR, Barton JL. The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all. Extrem Physiol Med. 2013;2(1):3. doi: 10.1186/2046-7648-2-3

Niinimäki K, Peters G, Dahlbo H, Perry P, Rissanen T, Gwilt A. The environmental price of fast fashion. Nat Rev Earth Environ. 2020;1(4):189-200. doi: 10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9

20 Easy Ways to Help Save the Environment Every Day

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With so much being said about climate change and how it’s affecting our planet, it can be hard to understand how a single individual can make a real impact. But the reality is that it’s much easier than you may think to incorporate eco-friendly habits into your daily life. While these actions may seem minor, the truth is that they can lead up to big consequences.

To help make a positive step in the right direction, we’ve put together a list of 20 simple actions anyone can take to help save our planet. By taking matters into our own hands, we can collectively do our part to ensure the health of our environment for future generations. Read on for these easy to execute ways to help the environment and start making an impact today.

This infographic gives you easy ways to help save the planet, one day at a time.

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Want to make an impact on the environment? Here are 20 small changes you can make to do your part.

Stock Photos from ben bryant/Shutterstock

Shorten Your Shower

While showering certainly saves more water than taking a bath, you can still make an impact here. Rather than leisurely scrubbing away, be a bit more mindful about how much time you are spending the shower. Cutting down your shower time by 2 minutes can save over 10 gallons of water. This will also save on the energy needed to heat the water. Another good technique is to simply turn off the shower while you are shaving or lathering your shampoo, as every second helps.

Turn Off Your Computer at Night

How many of us simply close our laptop or turn off the screen to our desktop each evening? Turning off your computer at night can help save energy, and also put a little bit of money back in your pocket. If you’re worried about how powering down might affect your computer’s performance, place it in hibernation mode instead. And while you’re at it, check your power strips and unplug appliances like hairdryers and TVs that suck energy even when they aren’t on.

Use Paper Wisely

For those times when you can’t get away with going paperless, make sure that you don’t let any of the paper you do use go to waste. If possible, print on both sides of the sheet and if you’re taking handwritten notes, use every inch of what’s available before moving on to the next page.

Cut Down on Junk Mail

Junk mail isn’t only a nuisance, it also accounts for a huge amount of waste. From paper phone directories to unwanted catalogs, these wasteful mailings use nearly 100 million trees a year in the U.S. alone. Luckily, there are a number of services that can help you opt-out of junk mail. Use Yellow Pages Opt-Out to stop receiving automatic phonebook deliveries and DirectMail.com to remove yourself from direct mail registries. Services like CatalogChoice.org and PaperKarma can help get your address removed from catalog listings.

Stock Photos from Andrew Ivan/Shutterstock

Stop Running the Water When Brushing Teeth

Just taking a moment to turn off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth can make an impact. In fact, it can save up to 5 gallons of water a day. This would translate to 1.5 billion gallons across the U.S. if everyone made the switch.

Go Meatless at Least One Day a Week

Many people are doing meatless at least one day a week in an effort to save money, eat healthier, and help the environment. Why? Ground beef often comes from cattle raised on deforested land. By cutting the demand for beef, you are helping save important areas like the Amazon rainforest.

Buy a Water Bottle

The demand for bottled water is on the rise, but did you know that 90% of those plastic bottles don’t end up getting recycled? Particularly if you live in a country where tap water is drinkable, there’s no reason not to invest in a refillable water bottle. Whether you’re filling it at the faucet or a water cooler, you’re making a change just by reducing the amount of plastic thrown in the bin daily.

Be Thoughtful With Your Laundry

No more half-empty wash cycles! Make sure you’re putting a full load in the wash, even if that means doubling up with a roommate or family member. By making sure the washing machine is fully loaded and running on cold, instead of a warm, cycle, you are already making a difference. Running a full cycle can save 3,400 gallons of water a year while using cold water cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions.

The type of cycle you run also matters. Researchers in the UK discovered that a delicate wash releases 800,000 more microfibers than a regular cycle. These are non-biodegradable plastic fibers that enter our waterways and are currently causing damage to our oceans and marine life.

Stock Photos from Volodymyr Tverdokhlib/Shutterstock

Recycle Cell Phones

While we all love having the newest iPhone or Android model in our pocket, the constant turnover means that 130 million cell phones are being disposed of annually. Make sure they don’t end up in a landfill—where battery leaks can spill toxins into the environment. You can recycle your cell phone. Recycling just 1 million cell phones would save enough energy to power 185 U.S. homes for an entire year. It’s fairly easy to do, as many carriers will let you trade-in or recycle your phone. You can also be on the lookout for an ecoATM, which gives rewards for turning in your tablets and phones.

Recycle Hangers

Many of us end up with more wire hangers than we know what to do with, but most local recycling programs won’t accept them. But, there’s a solution that’s easier than you may think. Most local dry cleaners will gladly accept wire hangers to reuse them or sell them to scrap metal collectors.

Buy a Reusable Grocery Bag

We all know that single-use plastic is a huge issue. And while more and more laws are being enacted to ban plastic bags in grocery stores, you don’t need to wait for that to happen to take action. There are tons of options for cool durable shoppers that will actually do a better job of getting your groceries home—just think, no more plastic bag breakage.

Stock Photos from Natalie Board/Shutterstock

Use E-tickets

Take advantage of technology and move away from paper tickets. Whether you’re going to the movies or boarding a plane, most services accept e-tickets. This can be in the form of showing an email or a virtual ticket downloaded to a smartphone app or e-wallet.

Get a Reusable Straw

In the fight against single-use plastic, a straw can seem harmless, but the reality is that they’re rarely recycled. In the UK alone, over 8 billion plastic straws are thrown out annually. More and more businesses are stocking alternatives to plastic straws, but you can get ahead of the game by purchasing your own reusable straw. There are plenty of options available, including metal straws that conveniently collapse for easy travel.

Select Paperless Banking

We all have an email these days, so why not use it to save paper? With the click of a button, you can go paperless and receive your bank, credit card, and student loan statements digitally. And while you’re at it, when at ATMs you can make the eco-friendly choice and go without a printed receipt.

Use Rechargeable Batteries

The corrosive acid found inside of batteries causes a real problem at landfills, where it can end up infiltrating the soil. If this isn’t enough of a reason to switch to rechargeable batteries, consider that in the longterm, they also help save money.

Ditch Paper Gift Wrap

The next time the holidays or a birthday rolls around, get creative with your gift wrap. Traditional wrapping paper is often laminated, which makes it difficult to recycle—and we produce 4 million pounds of it annually. Why not be more innovative and use newspaper or fabric to wrap your gifts?

Consider Cloth Diapers

Did you know that in the United States alone 27.5 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills every year? And unfortunately, they can take a mind-blowing 500 years to decompose. Aside from the incredible amount of plastic they generate, over 200,000 trees a year are cut down to manufacture just the diapers needed in the U.S. That’s why more and more parents are turning to cloth diapers for their children.

Stock Photos from Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock

Reduce Food Waste

Being more mindful about how much you purchase at the grocery store can cut down on a lot of waste. And at home, think about what you can freeze or how leftovers can be transformed into other dishes. You can also call your local food bank to learn more about how they take donations.

Start Composting

Yes, composting is great for your garden but that’s not all. Food scraps and yard waste account for 25% to 50% of what we throw away, so composting can greatly cut down on what ends up in landfills—one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gases. Compost also contributes to biodiversity by attracting all types of insects and worms and enriches soil quality. If you are in an urban setting or a small apartment, you can still compost. Purchase a countertop composter for food scraps or make your own indoor compost bin from materials you can find at any hardware store.

Shop Wisely

Even the small decisions you make when shopping can have a big impact. Typically, household cleaners contain chemicals like nitrogen, phosphorus, and ammonia that can cut grease and sanitize surfaces. But they can also create unsafe air conditions in the household and make their way into waterways, which winds up depleting oxygen levels for plants and marine life. Try switching over to non-toxic, plant-based household cleaners that do the job without the hazard. This thinking can extend to any item you purchase, from sunscreen to shampoo.

21 Practical Ways to Help the Environment

Concerned about the environment but feeling overwhelmed by all the issues out there? Feeling discouraged about how you as an individual can really make a difference? Not to worry. Here, we’ve compiled a short list of easy and practical ways that you can help the environment.

The great thing about these tips is that in most cases you really won’t have to change your lifestyle radically to have an impact on the environment. One thing we do encourage is more reliance on human power in your daily life. We hope that some of these tips will help us move one person at a time towards a society that is more responsible and less reliant on convenience.

For example, things like walking to the grocery store and using a reel mower will reduce air pollution and energy use, while also reducing the time you spend at the gym! Additionally, if you get your kids to follow your example by using human power more, you can do your part to help reduce child obesity and diabetes!

Please note that this is by no means a comprehensive list. In fact, we’re looking for help in expanding these tips with things that have worked for you that don’t appear on the list!

Have you made a simple change in your life that you feel has helped the environment? Do you know of other ways that an average person can move towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle? What are your favorite ways to help the earth? Have you used cool, eco-friendly products you’d like to recommend? Let us know! See the bottom of the page for the comment option. No spammy links please, they will be removed!

In this list are things you can implement both indoors and outdoors to help save the environment. And don’t forget, you can add to the list! Just submit a comment at the end of this page! It’s that easy to share your environmental tips with the rest of the world. Try it out!

1. Prevent energy leaks at home.

Check this out: Did you know that heating and cooling can make up to 50 percent of your energy bill each month? If you heat and cool your home more efficiently by fixing leaks, you’ll save money and reduce your impact on the environment.

Plugging up those energy leaks is simple. Insulating your home will keep your house warmer in the winter and help to cool things off in the summer. Sealing all your ducts can help as well. This Energy Star website will help with simple techniques for sealing your ducts.

Weatherizing your home is also critical. Want to learn how to weatherize to prevent energy leaks? Read more at this U.S. Department of Energy website!

2. Lower your home thermostats!

That’s right, thermostats, plural! Most people have their heater, hot water heater, and refrigerator thermostats set at unnecessary temperatures.

Try this out for a few months: Set your heater at 68 degrees F or lower in the winter and 78 degrees F or higher in the summer. Programmable home thermostats are an even better way to heat and cool your home responsibly.

Next, adjust the temperature on your hot water heater to 140-degrees F or lower if possible. Most people keep the temperature on the hot water heater much higher than they really need. Try it out!

And finally, make sure to use the energy-saving settings on your refrigerator. Better yet, try switching to a more modern, energy saving frig. Look for new refrigerators with the Energy Star label.

What’s with all this Energy Star Business? Check out the U.S. government’s Energy Star program homepage to find out more about how you could be saving money on energy costs and help the environment at the same time. It’s win-win, baby!

3. Switch as many bulbs as possible in your home to compact fluorescent bulbs, or LED bulbs.

Good news! Compact fluorescent bulbs are really going mainstream nowadays, which means they’re cheaper and easier to find than ever. That’s great, because the California Energy Commission reports that lighting can make up to 25 percent of the average home’s electricity consumption. When you switch your incandescent light bulbs to ultra efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, you’ll be making a big difference in your energy use.

4. Use a low-flow shower head.

You may associate a low-flow showerhead with one that reduces your shower to a frustrating trickle. Thankfully, technologies have improved so that you can enjoy a high pressure shower while saving water at the same time!

Another benefit is that with a low-flow showerhead, you will not only save water, you’ll also save energy! Why? The California Efficiency Partnership says that about 73 percent of the water you use in your shower is hot water, and you use a lot of energy to heat that water for you shower. They go on to say that the use of low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your water heating costs by around to 50 percent! This website has great information about low-flow showerheads and other ways to save water in the bathroom.

5. Compost!

Return your organic waste where it belongs: the soil! Rather than sending banana peels, grass clipping, etc. to the municipal dump, start a compost pile instead. The Environmental Defense Fund says that around 18 percent of the waste an average family in the U.S. produces comes from the yard and garden. If you recycle your yard and garden waste, you’ll reduce the amount of energy used to send this waste to the dump. Add your organic kitchen scraps to your yard waste and you’re significantly decreasing your waste.

Compost also makes your plants stronger and healthier, reducing the need for fertilizers and chemical pesticides. Don’t forget that many cities have municipal composting programs for your yard waste. Need more info about the benefits of compost, how to compost, and what to compost? Check out our guide to garden compost for lots of tips, or get a composter.

6. Use drip irrigation systems in your garden.

Drip irrigation systems, also known as micro-irrigation systems, are designed to deliver water directly to your plants, with minimal waste. According to Colorado State University, drip irrigation systems are around 90 percent efficient, whereas traditional sprinkle systems are only around 50-70 percent efficient. The Colorado State University Extension Service has a great website on the benefits of setting up a drip irrigation system in your garden.

7. Plant trees in your yard and community.

Everyone knows that planting trees can help the environment. Trees sequester (trap) CO2 emissions, minimizing the effects of global warming. They also have many other beneficial effects. Trees cool your home, reducing the energy used for cooling. Trees improve mental health. Trees increase property values. Trees reduce urban runoff and capture dust particles from the air. Trees reduce noise pollution. The list goes on and on!

Need more reasons to plant trees? The U.S. Forest Service has a great page about the benefits of trees. The trees to plant are those native to your area. Why plant native trees? Because native trees use less water, support native wildlife, and are better adapted to your area. You can plant native trees in your yard or if you don’t have a yard, contribute to community tree planting efforts.

8. Go “mostly organic” in your lawn and garden.

Using organic gardening products and techniques is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. You don’t necessarily have to go 100 percent organic either. Try out a few organic pesticides or fertilizers and see what works for you! By going mostly organic in your garden, you’ll help to stimulate beneficial soil organisms, reduce harmful wastewater runoff, and create a healthier place for your pets and children to play.

9. Use a reel or electric lawn mower.

If you have a small yard, consider using a manual push reel mower. Why? Here’s a testimonial from Lars Hundley, one of the writers for this blog:

“People who use gas mowers put up with ear-splitting noise, headache- and nausea-inducing fumes and mechanical problems,” says Mr. Hundley, Chief Gardening Evangelist at Clean Air Gardening. He prefers the serenity and simplicity of old-fashioned reel mowers. “There is a real element of pleasure to using a manual mower,” he says.

Today’s reel mowers are a far cry from the one your grandfather used. “Reel mowers are light, quiet, and virtually maintenance-free,” notes Hundley. The mowers are environmentally friendly, and also better for your grass. “Rotary mowers tear the grass — reel mowers cut grass like scissors, leaving a fine spray of clippings as mulch for your yard,” he explains. They do take some effort, but they aren’t any harder to push than an 80-pound gas mower that isn’t self-propelled.

Reel mowers aren’t necessarily practical for really big lawns, so think about switching that gas mower to a clean, non-polluting electric mower.

10. Replace your single-paned windows with double-pane windows.

This can be an expensive home renovation, but it will make all the difference in the world in terms of saving you energy during the cold winter months. The American Council for Energy Efficiency has a website on selecting the best energy efficient windows for your home. In addition to double panes, energy efficient features to look for on windows include tinted glass coatings, low-emissivity (low-e) coatings, and multiple layers of glazing.

11. Turn off lights and electronic devices when you’re not using them.

We all know it’s important to turn off the lights when you leave a room to save energy. How about turning off your T.V., radio, computer, etc.? We’re not talking about simply turning the off switch. Many electrical appliances continue to use a small amount of energy when turned “off.” This energy will add up over time.

So, we recommend connecting several appliances to one of those surge suppressing power outlet strips that has an on/off switch. When you leave for work in the morning, flip the switch and your devices will be completely turned off. Try that for a few months and see how much energy you save!

12. Fix water leaks in the bathroom, kitchen, landscaping, etc.

You know those tiny leaks you’ve been meaning to fix inside your house and in your landscaping? Guess what? That water loss adds up over time and can cost you big money. Not to mention all that wasted water! Protect our freshwater resources and save money by fixing those leaks! It’s another of many great ways to help the earth.

13. Consider switching to a low-flow toilet.

According to the U.S. Government’s Environmental Protection Agency, about 41% of our indoor water use in the home goes toward flushing the toilet and 33% goes to bathing! Modern low-flush toilets are designed to use water efficiently. Here’s a website that has lots of information on reducing water use with a low-flush toilet and other simples changes in the home.

Want to get extra fancy? Well, the EPA has a new WaterSense label for toilets that use even less water than a standard low-flow toilet. These models are based on extensive studies of fluid dynamics over the last several years, so they work, and they work well.

If you don’t switch to a low-flush toilet, you can also use low-tech methods like putting a brick or a small milk jug in the tank to reduce water use. You can also take this sage advice, “If you pee, leave it be, if you strain, pull the chain!”

14. Use ceiling fans to cool off in the summer.

If you use ceiling fans during hot summer days, you can create a cooling effect similar to “wind chill.” A few ceiling or regular fans strategically placed in your home can reduce the amount of time you spend with the air conditioning on. There are even Energy Star certified ceiling fans out there that use even less energy than typical ceiling fans!

15. Use solar energy to dry your clothes!

Here’s something you can do that is easy, practical, and won’t cost a penny to implement. In fact, it will save you money! No matter where you live, the sun has to come out eventually. When it does, hang your clothes out to dry. If you live where I do, in the Desert Southwest, the sun is almost always shining. Except at night. Ha ha.

So, take advantage of this natural energy to dry your clothes! It may take you 10 extra minutes out of your day to hang up your clothes, but that’s a small price to pay in the long run.

Of course, there are days where drying outdoors on the line is not practical. That’s fine. Use your drier! Don’t feel guilty! However, you should read some of the suggestions on the Energy Star website about washing and drying clothes to make more efficient use out of your drier.

16. Invest in solar energy.

There are many ways to invest in solar energy. Unfortunately, some solar energy products for the home can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and have a payback period of a decade or longer.

However, there are lots of inexpensive solar gadgets out there you can try out. For example, solar-powered landscaping lights can help you reduce how much energy you get from the grid. How about solar cell phone chargers?

If you can afford it and you’re going to be living in the same spot for many years to get the payback, outfit your home with a few solar panels. Additionally, there are many forms of passive solar energy out there as well that can help you take advantage of the sun. See this U.S. Department of Energy website for more information about solar energy, and for rebate information on your particular state.

17. Rethink transportation.

This tip encompasses several different ideas. It involves a lot of thinking, some basic planning, and finally putting your plans into action. Yes, hybrids are great. Yes, biofuels are cool. Yes, using public transportation is important. Yes, you should get out and walk and use your bicycle more often. A bike that fits is much easier to ride.

However, don’t feel bad that you don’t make enough money to buy a fancy hybrid. Don’t feel bad that public transportation sucks in your city (as it does it mine!). Don’t feel bad that you had to take a job with an hour commute to make ends meet!

Just sit and think about a few practical and environmentally friendly ways you can get from one place to another. Can you car pool to work? Can you take a bus when you go to the movie theater? Can you walk or bike to the corner store? Brainstorm and put at least a few of these ideas into action. Even if you don’t buy a hybrid car, walking instead of driving to the grocery store is a great way to help the environment!

18. Use small, efficient devices to cook food.

You love to cook and you’ve got a big fat oven that you use to cook everything. Cool. But consider that toaster ovens, pressure cookers, crock pots, microwaves, and electric grills are efficient and won’t heat up your kitchen in the summer. Less heat, less energy to cool your home. On that note, bake lots of cookies and casseroles in your big fat oven in the winter!

19. Use some Xeriscaping principles in the garden.

You may have heard about Xeriscaping from your friends who live in arid regions of the U.S. However, Xeriscaping is not just for those who live among cactus and sage brush. Xeriscaping simply means that you use water wisely in your garden and landscaping. Some concepts of Xeriscaping are: using efficient irrigation systems, using low-water use plants, reducing turfgrass, and creating thoughtful water-wise garden designs. Texas A&M has a great site about basic Xeriscaping principles.

20. Use some native plants in the garden.

Why grow native plants in your garden and landscaping? First off, native plants are better adapted to your area. This means that they require less maintenance and less water. They are also more resistant to pests and diseases. That translates to water savings and reduced use of pesticides and fertilizers. Additionally, native plants attract native wildlife and native beneficial insects. You don’t have to plant 100 percent natives to make a difference, consider just planting a few.

When you grow native plants, you help blend your landscaping with the native landscapes you find outside of your town or city.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has an excellent program that encourages the use of native plants for home landscaping called Greenacres.

21. Get involved locally!

Sometimes I just have to turn off the T.V. and forget about all the bad news concerning the Earth’s environment I see on a daily basis. It can be too much for one person to handle. When I’m feeling overwhelmed by issues like dying coral reefs, species extinction, etc., I try and look towards what’s happening in my community.

For example, I recently started volunteering at a local organic farm. This is a small operation run by some very devoted people. Agricultural land in my city is unfortunately being quickly eaten up by housing developments. There are all kinds of issues at stake here: losing aquifer recharge zones, additional urban runoff from new developments, gentrification, etc.

So, by helping this group of farmers a few hours a week, I feel like I’m making a difference in my little corner of the world. And I also get a big bag of organic veggies for my efforts! Look for small ways to help the environment in your community!

So, there’s your list of easy and practical ways that you can help the environment.

But wait. There are obviously more than 21 ways to make a difference, right? Of course there are. That’s where you come in!

We want your ideas, your creativity, and your ingenuity. Share with us what you’re doing to help create a more sustainable future!

25 Ways you Can Help Save The Environment Everyday

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There are many ways we can help the environment. Sometimes they are pretty tough to implement. When you have nothing else to cook food other than burning coal, then you can’t stop burning coal. There are certain ways you, as an average city dweller, can do. This post is about those techniques, here are 25 everyday techniques to save the environment.

Charity begins at home, you start today, your neighbor starts tomorrow and the whole city starts doing this sooner than you realize, how about that? No, I can’t be that optimistic; but what’s the harm in throwing the idea around?

Are you in it?

A baby step from all of us can make a sea change in the environment.

Let our leaders come out of environmental protection agreements, let them neglect the environment for the sake of cheap votes.

If you can help them getting voted out of power, then that will be your biggest contribution!

In a personal front, you don’t keep quiet either, do something today, whatever you can, and let’s make this planet a better one for our children.

Don’t blow it – good planets are hard to find.

Various ways you can help save our environment

Steps to limit pollutants we create

We all pollute the environment we live in, I do, and your dog does too. It’s very much in our control to reduce this pollution.

2. Stop using bottled water. This may be very hard for many, I understand. If it’s not that hard for you, start using re-usable materials and fill it up every time.

3. Stop smoking. Smoking creates pollution inside of your body and for the people around you. Even after hours of smoking, your kids can be recipients of the harmful effects of your nicotine consumption.

“The pollution caused by cigarettes does not stop in our bodies or the air around us; it also affects the land we live on and the water that we drink. Millions of cigarette butts are discarded on to the ground every day“.

4. Use less electricity. There are various options to save on electricity, I can write an entire post about this. The easiest of the ways is to use a fan instead of an AC if you can. Air drying clothes, letting sunlight come in the winter, and blocking it in the summer are other easy options to try out at your home.

5. Use less gas. Bike to work, carpooling is the easier option you can try. There are various other effective ways to save on gas.

6. Recycle. Recycle often. Don’t just throw your old electronics and batteries to trash. Make use of local free recycling facilities. Dispose of your plastic containers as well by separating them from normal trash.

7. Use reusable shopping bags. It was my wife’s idea to start using reusable bags. They are made of cloth and need cleaning once a week. We eliminated a lot of plastics from our life this way. You can do the same.

8. Buy fresh local produce. Whenever you have the option to buy from the farmer’s market or local grocers, give it a preference for buying local. Processed goods take a lot of energy, first for processing part and then, the fuel consumption in transportation.

9. Save water. Sweetwater is a scarce resource and it’s being depleted at a greater pace than earth is replenishing it. There are various ways to save water in everyday use from fixing leaky outlets to adjusting the timers on sprinklers.

10. Go paperless, save the environment. Sure you can’t stop advertisement leaflets coming into your mailbox (shouldn’t there be an environmental law to ban this practice, or at least, be made it mandatory to use recycled paper?) but, you can control the statements, updates, and notices which you get from your financial institutions.

Select paperless as the mode of communication. Mostly all of them support this. It’s high time that all govt. agencies implement this too.

11. Use ceramic cups. Instead of plastic, paper, or Styrofoam, the ceramic cups can be used over and over. This reduces the impact on the environment and your budget.

12. Print less. Unless it’s necessary to print, refrain from doing so. When you do have to print, consider printing on both sides of the paper.

13. Buy items with recycled materials. For example, you can get two types of coffee cups. One with fresh paper and one with recycled paper. You can identify by reading the label on the pack.

15. Use energy-efficient items. In the long run, these save a lot of money and energy. Bulbs, use LED bulbs, even fluorescent light bulbs consume 1/3rd (or lesser) of the energy of incandescent light bulbs. For other equipment like AC, refrigerator, washer, etc buy Energy Star appliances.

16. Use clothes more than paper. clothes are better than environment paper. Reduce paper usage by using cloths to wipe your hands or the things you normally wipe with paper towels. My home is paper towel free and I use old dresses to make wipe cloths. Do you know something called a handkerchief?

17. Use the microwave. I am not sure if you can bake cakes in a microwave. Last time I checked, my wife also didn’t know. But, she could tell me 100′s of other dishes that can be cooked in a microwave. Use microwave more often to reduce your carbon footprints.

18. Leak-proof your home. Save the environment by making your home leak proof. Ensure you are not losing warmth or cool through leakages, by having your home properly insulated and window and door seals checked. By doing so, you are saving energy and money.

19. Replace air filters. AC air filters for your home and car, if replaced regularly, can save a lot of energy which in turn can save you money.

20. Consume less. This is for your financial good as well. Live simply, use your furniture and clothes until they can’t be used anymore. If possible, check out used items on Craigslist or garage sales.

Steps to absorb pollutants already created

21. Plant trees. Your garden/patio or balcony, do you have space anywhere? Grow plants, grow flowers, and attract honey bees wherever you find a place for a pot. If you have a garden, you can go on a green mission by planting as many trees as your yard or garden permits. A good-looking home and a better place to live, for sure!

22. Donate to organizations that help to plant more trees and work towards a better planet. I am a member of Fairchild Botanical Garden, here in Miami, FL. My membership dues go to green causes.

23. Pickup and deposit pollutants. Whether at home, at work, at a local supermarket, or while running or jogging, if you find a pollutant like plastic or Styrofoam on your way, pick it up and put in a nearby trash bin.

24. Volunteer in anti-pollution drives. Many cities here in south Florida organize periodic beach cleaning events. Thousands of volunteers donate their time towards these large-scale environmental cleaning events. Check-in your local area for opportunities like this.

25. Have indoor plants. Indoor plants and aquatic plants (in aquariums) are very efficient in cleaning the inside air pollution of our homes. Think about it, by spending a little money to green up our homes we are improving our health as well. In the long run, these efforts should pay off in terms of better health.

Below points are added later on

26. Drive a clean car If a vehicle emission check is not mandatory in your state, you may still go for one. If there’s a problem it can be fixed. Another way to contribute similarly is to report smoke emitting vehicles. On searching for your local DMV or city website, you may locate to report a violation.

27. Make better use of your recycled garbage bin. If possible have two different trash cans at your home. Sometimes not all recyclable materials are put into the recycle bin. Even if you can save one piece of paper from being dumped without getting recycled, you have contributed to environmental protection.

I hope you enjoyed this article and you’ll start practicing a technique or two in your daily routine. If not all, you can easily follow a few.

I know, only a few of us practicing green living won’t change the environment around us. Still, I would like to wake up to a tomorrow where the earth is cleaner and the environment is safer to live. I dream on…