How Do I Teach My Friends About Sustainable Living?

“Go green, go green!” Just by repeating and repeating this motto to your friends is not enough to spread and make them understand the message of sustainable living. And, remember your friends are not like your parents or teachers, so nothing is stopping you from having some fun while teaching them about going green!

  1. Use Instagram

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Did you know that, according to the Instagram statistics for 2021, there are approximately 1.074 billion Instagram users around the world? So, why not use Instagram to spread the message about sustainability?

I believe that the social media platforms can be used to promote our environment. For instance, you could start an Instagram account about eco-sustainability and invite all your friends to follow. You can then post eco-friendly practices and knowledge that inspire them and encourage them to start composting or using all-natural and green products.

Now, you don’t have to limit yourself to your friends only. You can also go beyond and encourage relatives or even complete strangers to be more eco-friendly.

  1. Create a Zoom Book Club

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During the pandemic, it is indeed true that Zoom was a huge help to many business, organizations and even educational institutions. Unless you are a kid and did not like fact that you had to see your teacher’s face even during the lockdown, many of us appreciate Zoom’s efficiency as a video conferencing software program.

But did you also know that you can start an online book club through Zoom? And, let me tell you that virtual book clubs can be really rewarding. Besides, you can even connect with friends who don’t live in your city.

So, if you want to get your green message out, why not start a book club on Zoom dedicated to sustainable living. It would be an excellent way to socialize at a distance with your friends and at the same time learn more about your environment. There will be an abundance of good books to read on the topic and in an online book club, you will also be able to help your friends to find new books, opening them up to new authors and new experiences. In addition, you can also engage in chats about sustainability as long as you like and due to the online natures of these types of book clubs, you will be able to use tools and technology to track and chart your reading.

  1. Start a Community Garden

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Another great way to teach your friends about sustainable living: create a community garden!

Now, what is a community garden? It refers to a piece of land that is garden by a group of people. A community garden contributes to a cleaner environment and can also create social ties and a sense of community spirit. In this case, it will not help you to accomplish your objective but will also bring you closer to your friends.

So, get started by either choosing a barren patch of earth in your neighborhood or a container garden in the common area of an apartment building and ask your friends to give you a hand.

  1. Challenge Friends to Sign up for Community Clean-Ups

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Having friends are all about fun and doing crazy stuff together. One way to have fun and still teach your friends about sustainability is by challenging them to sign up for community clean-ups.

For all those who don’t know, community clean-ups are when volunteers come together to clean, repair and improve public spaces that have been polluted and misused. Moreover, by helping the environment, you will also have some outdoor fun. And, if you want to, you can take some pictures or videos of your friends picking up trash, planting or delivering water to other volunteers.

  1. Organize a Joint Garage Sale

Garage Sale In Monroe | Despite the rain, this Monroe garage… | Flickr

Why do you think it’s good to organize a joint garage sale and invite your friends to add their unwanted stuff to the inventory? Because it will be an excellent way to keep stuff out the landfill. And, let’s not forget that in the process, you can also make a little pocket money. It will also help to free up space in your home.

Will you use these tips to raise awareness? Please share your comments!

 

 

8 Ways You Can Help Protect Coral Reefs

Coral reefs play an essential role in the health of the oceans and the economy of coastal countries. Some of them even serve those who live far from the sea. Unfortunately, they are threatened by overfishing, global warming, ocean acidification, and pollution produced on the continents. Here are some tips that you can use to help preserve coral reefs:

1) Choose Sustainable Fisheries

Sustainable fishing takes into account rules that include the conservation of fish stocks and the ecosystems that conserve them. However, in most countries, sustainable consumption is still in its infancy. For instance, most of the more than 500,000 tons of seafood extracted in Brazil are produced unsustainably. The positive point is that some initiatives have built fish tracking systems that can inform consumers via smartphone about the purchased fish’s origin. In other places, the answer is to ask the sellers where the fish comes from.

2) Do Not Gift People Corals

Corals are often used as decoration or ornaments. However, they are living animals that eat, grow, and reproduce, and it takes many decades to form a reef structure. Every time someone gives a coral as a gift, they create the demand to collect these animals illegally. When a coral is taken from a reef, the corals around it often don’t resist and die.

3) Educate Yourself About Coral Reefs

Look for information about corals and understand why reefs are so valuable to people, fish, plants, and animals. Reefs have as much biodiversity as tropical forests and are home to more species than any other marine environment. Know the different threats to corals, and you can help others understand their vulnerability and importance.

4) Do Not Touch Corals When Diving

Coral reefs are beautiful and should be appreciated, but you should not touch them. They are living creatures, and when touched, the sediments that are lifted can suffocate them. Corals are sessile animals; they are attached to the seabed and “root,” as plants do. So it is no wonder that many people believe that these animals are plants.

5) Volunteer in Cleaning Program

Keep an eye on coral cleaning campaigns and join in. Cleaning the beach is also essential because the dumped ashore waste eventually ends up on the reefs. If you live far from the beaches, you can help with campaigns to protect the watershed: the pollution of the rivers also reaches the sea and damages the health of the corals.

6) Save Water

The less water used, the less sewage water ends up in the sea. Moreover, all the water flows from each continent to the sea carries sediments and pollutants that contribute to the spread of algae, making the seawater cloudy and reducing the corals’ light.

7) Be a ‘’Marine Waste Inspector’’

When you go to the beach, try to bring your garbage and the garbage left by other people in the sand and water as well. The waste on the beach is unpleasant and a threat to the survival of various marine organisms, including corals. The oceans are already full of plastic; for instance, 8 million tons of plastic waste was thrown into the sea in 2010 alone. This is equivalent to about 15 shopping bags filled with plastic debris.

8) Do Not Throw Chemicals Into Rivers or the Sea

No matter how far they are from the coast, hydrographic basins end up dumping their water into the ocean. When this freshwater is polluted with chemicals, they reach the oceans and eventually end up in the corals. Products such as fertilizers, for example, have nutrients that accelerate the growth of algae, causing the seawater to become cloudy. This prevents the passage of light, which damages the corals.

What else do you think people can do to help protect coral reefs? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

9 Tips for a Waste-Free Party

Your birthday or someone very special is coming, and you’re going to throw a party? Yay! But have you thought about how to minimize waste in the organization of the event? You can plan a super party without garbage and debris! Check out the tips here!

1) Forget the Balloons!

Use colored ribbons that can be reused over the years. They are beautiful and give a lot of life to the environment. A decoration made with handmade or reusable items gives a special touch to the party.

ribbons decoration ceiling - Google Search | Wedding table decorations  pink, Ceiling design, Ceiling decor

2) Do Not Exaggerate the Feast

Calculate the number of people coming and the amount of food needed. When in doubt, it is better to estimate a little down than a pile-up because the leftovers are often lost in the end and result in waste. Don’t forget that many children start eating a dish, but don’t finish it. The good idea is to make small amounts of varied dishes. Finally, if you have to buy ingredients in supermarkets, choose ingredients with recyclable packaging and preferably with the I-recycling seal.

3) Choose Reusable Cups, Plates, and Cutlery

Ask family and friends to lend you some extras if necessary. This way, you save money and don’t generate a pile of garbage at the party’s end. When it comes to napkins, fabric napkins are always the best option! A small and seemingly insignificant object, like a napkin, can have a considerable impact on the environment. For instance, if 50% of the American population used one paper napkin three times a day per meal, over one year only, 164,250,000 (yes billion) napkins would be used!

4) Reuse Candles From Previous Parties

The candles on a cake are the center of attention for a few seconds. After they are lit, they still have a lot of life left in them. Reuse them on other occasions!

5) Make Confetti From Leaves

Did you know that confetti is a super polluter? Confetti is often made of paper, but it is also regularly made of plastic. This plastic can end up in the environment after being discarded. A sustainable and festive alternative is to make confetti from leaves yourself. Collect a pile of sturdy leaves and start (with the children) with a punch. Don’t forget the Christmas lights. This ensures a festive and welcoming atmosphere, even if it’s not Christmas.

6) Ask Guests to Reduce the Packaging and the Cards They Buy

The amount of waste the guests produce is surprising. To wrap a gift, only a sheet and a bow, preferably cellophane (since it is recyclable), are enough.

7) Avoid Outdoor Parties

Yes, there won’t be any waste for you, but the amount of waste generated by an out-of-home party is massive. If for some reason you want to do it anyway, a picnic in a park is better. It’s a fun option, and with good planning, it can also be waste-free!

8)Buy or Make Games That Can Be Reused

Reuse toys, milk cartons, boxes, and other things to make games and treasure hunts. The kids will love it! Moreover, you can save them from being used in a new game next year!

9) Don’t Waste Time and Money on Souvenir Bags

Most “souvenirs” are plastic garbage that ends up in a landfill, such as candy, lollipops, and chocolates. Instead, give your guests a piece of cake to take home with them. If you want something more elaborate, give seed and a vase for your guests to plant at home. It will be much more original!

With these tips, you can keep festive waste to a minimum and have more fun!

The 6 Greenest Cities in the World

With a mass of people, a lot of fumes, and piles of rubbish, big cities are not precisely known for their positive contribution to environmental protection. However, many cities also contribute well to ecological protection compared to the large polluters. Here are 6 of the greenest cities of the world:

1) Freiburg, Germany

Perhaps not for every city globally, but certainly for Freiburg: this city is entirely car-free. The city has been creating a more sustainable environment since 1970, and this process is bearing fruit. Waste disposal in Freiburg has been reduced by 90,000 tonnes in just 12 years. The German city has set several targets: in 2007, it was agreed that CO2 emissions must be reduced by 40% by 2030, and in 2014 the target will be increased to 50%. The city now wants 100% renewable energy.

2) Reykjavik, Iceland

The Icelandic city is determined to live entirely without fossil fuels by 2050. That will probably be the case. Geothermal heat, also known as geothermal energy, already supplies power to all buildings in the city. Around 0.01% of electricity in Iceland is produced from fossil fuels. According to The Huffington Post, Reykjavik takes the dough for green life, being the first city to live almost entirely on green energy.

3) Oslo, Norway

Last year the Oslo Government announced that it wants to ban all cars in the city within four years, and with this plan, it intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eighty percent of Oslo’s heating system is based on renewable energy, and the city’s objective is to increase this percentage to 100 percent. Besides, the Norwegian town has a system that converts household waste into recyclable energy. Norway wants to be fully CO2-neutral by 2030, the chances of success are reasonable, given the successful adaptations of recent times.

4) Curitiba, Brazil

Curitiba is an excellent example of how a large, growing city can be and remain sustainable. Although Curitiba has almost two million inhabitants, the government works hard to create green areas such as parks and gardens. Besides, public transport in the Brazilian city is called a real revolution in transportation: buses run the same system like the metro, with fixed prices, lanes, and buses departing several times an hour. Around 72% of the city’s inhabitants use buses instead of their transport, which means much less air pollution. More than 1.5 million trees have recently been planted in the town, and more than 50 percent of paper, metal, glass, and plastic are recycled. The government stimulates this by rewarding residents who give away waste with vegetables or bus tickets.

 

5) Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen wants to be entirely CO2-neutral by 2025, with its dedicated inhabitants, clean water, and plenty of greenery, which certainly seems feasible. The city has an offshore wind farm along the coast and began building a new metro system in 2000, which improves public transport. In addition, Copenhagen is known for making bicycles available free of charge to the city’s residents, so only 25% of Copenhagen’s households have a car.

6) Vienna, Austria

Vienna is an example of being the greenest city in the world. Moreover, it ranks first in the ranking of the “greenest” metropolises. Vienna is a leader in the following disciplines:

  • Parks and local recreational areas at every turn – half of the city is green.
  • Public transport in Vienna will take you everywhere. This is why every second inhabitant of Vienna uses it.
  • The recycling and composting programs are top-notch: 30% of the city’s energy needs come from renewable sources.
  • Sorting waste can also be stylish: In Vienna, energy is also an art.
  • Local agricultural markets provide the city with the best groceries.

What are your thoughts about these cities? Share it with us in the comments below!

Is Living Off-Grid Truly Sustainable?

Are you worried about rising global temperatures and climate change? You’re not the only one. With a growing frustration towards the fact fossil fuels still account for over 80% of the world’s energy consumption, more and more households are switching to the combination of solar-battery storage systems. However, the question still remains: Is going off-grid truly sustainable in the long-run?

As renewable energy becomes more prevalent and affordable, a vast majority of people are disconnecting from the grid and adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle – particularly in rural areas where the cost to connect to the grid is high. Nevertheless, this trend doesn’t seem to have taken off with the city-dwelling crowd, where the home-field advantage the grid has over emerging technologies in terms of affordability and reliability greatly outweighs the satisfaction of being green. After all, if you were told to choose between your TV, fridge and washing machine or going green, how many people would give up their comforts? Also, solar batteries these days last about 10 years before needing to be replaced (and more often than not are discarded rather than recycled). With the carbon impact of manufacturing, supplying and disposing of these batteries – how environmentally friendly is this process really?

This is not to say that those living on the grid are not concerned with climate change, and that they are not taking steps to reduce their carbon footprints. Households all over the world are switching to energy-efficient appliances and home designs to prevent resource wastage, which has resulted in utility companies having to change their strategies or perish.

Speaking of energy companies themselves, the smartest amongst them have gone back to the drawing board in an attempt to move with the times. After all, it is common knowledge that if they continue down the same path, their assets risk becoming white elephants – worthless and redundant. After all, people are likely to continue installing solar cells, even as government subsidies reduce, until such time as the grid is completely emissions-free, or at least as close to it as possible. Therefore, it is in the companies’ best interests to stop using fossil fuels, thereby limiting the incentive for people to switch away from the grid.

If you’re looking for examples of companies that have learnt from the current market trends and subscribe to the idea that household renewable assets needn’t always be consumer-owned, consider SolarCity, who provide solar panels that you can lease rather than buy. They have given a clear answer to the question of whether energy utilities should focus on looking for ways to work with start-ups to facilitate the roll-out of solar and storage at scale with an empathic yes.

And who said that the renewable energy generated by each household can’t be shared? Imagine subscribing to energy via a sharing platform and using an app to trade energy with other people and businesses. To make this future smart city scenario possible, we need to continue to invest in emerging technologies, to commercialize the ones that show promise, and to optimize the ones we already know work well. Tesla’s PowerWall is today’s high-profile home battery storage product, but there’s no shortage of players lining up to compete, ultimately putting downward pressure on costs, which will drive further mass-market appeal and adoption of these smart solutions.

And let’s not forget the power of joint effort. We need only look at today’s smartest cities for inspiration. The successful citizen solar power plants initiative, a joint effort between Wien Energy and the city of Vienna, Austria, has offered locals the opportunity to invest in the city’s solar plants to help achieve its renewable energy objectives.

The switch to renewable energy has already been flicked. Smart utilities that are willing to drive change toward a cleaner future will prosper – but it’s going to take breaking a lot of old habits to sustain.

Want to share your views on sustainable issues and living off-grid? Drop us a line in the comments below.

Is Veganism Truly Sustainable?

Go vegan, they said. Save the world, they said. But is the plant-based diet as good for the environment as we’ve been told? A group of researchers has recently published a study in which they describe various biophysical simulation models that compare 10 eating patterns: the vegan diet, two vegetarian diets (one that includes dairy, the other dairy and eggs), four omnivorous diets (with varying degrees of vegetarian influence), one low in fats and sugars, and one similar to modern American dietary patterns.

What they found was that the carrying capacity—the size of the population that can be supported indefinitely by the resources of an ecosystem—of the vegan diet is actually less substantial than two of the vegetarian diets and two out of the four omnivorous diets they studied.

The Price of Veganism

The number of vegans has increased 160 per cent over the past 10 years, but people need to be asking “where has this food come from” as they fill their shopping baskets with the fruits of the world: pomegranates and mangos from India, lentils from Canada, beans from Brazil, blueberries from the US and goji berries from China. Eating lamb chops that come from a farm a few miles down the road is much better for the environment than eating an avocado that has travelled from the other side of the world.

As we greedily plunder the world’s bread basket, it’s the consumer who benefits, while those at the source can be left high and dry. Take avocados and quinoa, whose prices have been pushed up so much by Western demand that they’ve become unaffordable to those who depend on them in their country of origin.

Rather than being seduced by exhortations to eat more products made from industrially grown soya, maize and grains, we should be encouraging sustainable forms of meat and dairy production based on traditional rotational systems, permanent pasture and conservation grazing. We should, at the very least, question the ethics of driving up demand for crops that require high inputs of fertilizer, fungicides, pesticides and herbicides, while demonizing sustainable forms of livestock farming that can restore soils and biodiversity, and sequester carbon.

Not only does this system of natural grazing aid the environment in terms of soil restoration, biodiversity, pollinating insects, water quality and flood mitigation – but it also guarantees healthy lives for the animals, and they in turn produce meat that is healthy for us. In direct contrast to grain-fed and grain-finished meat from intensive systems, wholly pasture-fed meat is high in beta carotene, calcium, selenium, magnesium and potassium and vitamins E and B, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – a powerful anti-carcinogen. It is also high in the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which is vital for human brain development but extremely difficult for vegans to obtain.

Much has been made of the methane emissions of livestock, but these are lower in biodiverse pasture systems that include wild plants such as angelica, common fumitory, shepherd’s purse and bird’s-foot trefoil because they contain fumaric acid – a compound that reduces emissions of methane by 70%, according to reliable studies.

In the vegan equation, by contrast, the carbon cost of ploughing is rarely considered. Since the industrial revolution, up to 70% of the carbon in our cultivated soils has been lost to the atmosphere. So there’s a huge responsibility here: unless you’re sourcing your vegan products specifically from organic, “no-dig” systems, you are actively participating in the destruction of soil biota, promoting a system that deprives other species, including small mammals, birds and reptiles, of the conditions for life, and significantly contributing to climate change.

There’s no question we should all be eating far less meat, and calls for an end to high-carbon, polluting, unethical, intensive forms of grain-fed meat production are commendable. But if your concerns as a vegan are the environment, animal welfare and your own health, then it’s no longer possible to pretend that these are all met simply by giving up meat and dairy. Counterintuitive as it may seem, adding the occasional organic, pasture-fed steak to your diet could be the right way to square the circle.

6 Habits to Adopt for a More Sustainable Life

Our daily life choices affect the environment, the climate, and other species. From what we choose to consume to our family size, we can do a lot to “choose nature” and help decrease our footprint’s negative impacts and leave room for a more sustainable life.

1) Think Twice Before You Shop

“Reduce, reuse, recycle” may sound archaic, but it’s just as relevant today as it was when the term was coined. Each product we purchase has an enviromental footprint, from the materials we use to make it to the pollution released when the packaging goes to landfill. So before you buy, ask yourself if the product is necessary. If it is, consider buying a used product rather than a new one, and aim for minimal packaging and transportation.

2) Go Plastic Free

Billions of pounds of plastics are now found in the swirling convergences that make up about 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces. Annually, thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine mammals are killed after being entangled in plastic. You can begin reducing your plastic waste by following these simple steps: use reusable bags when shopping, avoid single-use water bottles, bags, and straws, and avoid products made or packaged in plastic as much as possible (for example, choose unpackaged products at the grocery store, shop locally, reduce online shopping).

3) Grow Your Own Products

By growing your own fruits and vegetables, you can ensure that no pesticides or other harmful substances that contribute to water and air pollution are utilized. This will also cut down on the quantity of fossil fuels used to move products to supermarkets.

4) Don’t Waste Water

Avoid drinking bottled water. Bottled water companies try to sell tap water, even if it usually be free. Many city water products have won quality and taste tests compared to branded water. The extraction of water and the manufacturing of all these plastic bottles is a known detriment to communities and wildlife. Conserving water is also vital, primarily because our growing population is placing an increasing demands on the country’s water sources, and we are experiencing more droughts than ever before. You can save water by taking shorter showers, repairing leaky toilets, and choosing low-flow, water-efficient appliances. You can also consider xeriscaping your yard, a landscaping technique that uses native plants adapted to drought conditions, require less water and maintenance over time, and provide habitat and food for birds and bees.

5) Choose to Have a Small Family

Now is the time to talk about the rapid increase in the human population, the species extinction crisis, and the type of future we need for wildlife, the planet, and ourselves. With more than 7.5 billion people globally, and more every day, our need for food, water, land, and fossil fuels drives other species to extinction. Thus, having fewer children would be a wise choice. We can achieve an environmentally sustainable population in a way that promotes human rights; reduce poverty and overpopulation; raise our standard of living; and allow plants, animals, and the protected to thrive.

6) Drive Less

By altering your driving habits, you have the power to lower your carbon footprint. Walk, bike, carpool or use public transit whenever possible. Combine classes to make fewer trips. Participate in car-free days or organize car-free days in your neighbourhood. Keeping your car in good condition through regular tune-ups and tire inflation is also crucial. Regular tune-ups can improve your fuel efficiency by 4-40%, and if people keep their tires inflated, fuel consumption can be reduced by 2% across a country.

By following these simple habits, you can make a big difference!

Tips in Green Living

Moving towards an environmentally friendly lifestyle can help improve your health and your life in general, and it is also a major asset for the world around you. Eliminating unnecessary chemicals, unhealthy foods, earth-unfriendly practices and bad habits can add up to make you healthier, while at the same time boosting the environment and the ecosystem. Wherever you are in the world, the following 8 tips are all achievable. Some of them are even great fun! Treat yourself, as we all fight for a greener future.

1. Get a high efficiency shower-head A high efficiency shower-head can save up to 3,000 gallons of water per person per year. You will also save $50 in energy costs and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per person per year. Shower-heads are specially designed to conserve resources while providing a luxurious shower. Accessories for sinks and aerators also save large amounts of water and are very inexpensive.

2. Recycle water in your bathroom Use devices that allow you to reuse water from the sink to flush your toilet. You can also keep a bucket near the shower or bathtub and fill it with cold water from the sink before the hot water kicks in. Then take the bucket outside and use it to water your plants.

3. Compost Use a compost bin to turn your food and lawn waste into a rich mulch. It’s a great way to reduce your waste production, and next year you’ll have a rich compost ready to be planted in the spring.

4. Buy green power from your utility Most utilities charge less than $5 per month extra. Not only will your energy come from a renewable source, but you will use your spending control to show utility executives and government officials that we need more investment in renewable energy projects.

5. Improving the efficiency of your tankless and solar water heaters is all well and good, but simple modifications to your existing installation can reduce your energy bills and carbon emissions by 25% or more. Reduce the temperature of your water heater to 120 degrees, wrap it in an insulating water heater blanket and insulate the first 3 to 6 feet of hot and cold water piping. These inexpensive changes should take less than an hour.

6. Use high-efficiency outdoor lighting A typical 100-watt spotlight, if used six hours a day, can use up to $40 worth of electricity over a year and produce more than 400 pounds of carbon dioxide, depending on where you live. To get started, replace these projectors with compact fluorescent versions, which are just as bright and consume a quarter of the energy. Next, replace the low-energy halogen landscape bulbs with LED versions. They reduce energy consumption by more than 80% and can last for ten years or more. Finally, install motion detectors on non-essential lights. The new versions screw directly into the socket of your existing luminary.

7. 7. Replace heavy-duty indoor lights with compact fluorescent or LEDs With high-quality light, sizes to fit almost any luminary and dimmable versions, compact fluorescent have it all. They are more expensive than standard light bulbs, but between the energy savings and their much longer service life, they pay for themselves in less than two years. And think about LED bulbs for non-dimmable circuits (especially for vacation lighting). They are real energy wasters and will last as long as you live in your home.

8. Load the washing machines Make sure to run the dishwasher and washing machines only when they are full. Clothes washers consume a lot of energy and water, so be sure to do full loads (or adjust the water setting) whenever possible. And most of us use much more water (and soap) than we need to wash dishes by hand, especially when compared to high-efficiency Energy Star dishwashers. So save your time, water and energy by putting these dishes directly in the dishwasher after a meal.