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Simple Tips to Make It Earth Day Every Day
Isn’t it strange that we celebrate Earth day and conservation only one day out of the year? On April 22nd this year, we’ll see children doing Eco-friendly projects in school. Communities will be recycling. People will plant trees. Corporations will donate to foundations that help decrease our cities’ carbon footprints.
But what if we could make every day Earth Day? Well, with these simple steps, you can lead a more sustainable lifestyle every day of the year.
Rethink How You Get to Work
If you live in a walkable area or your home is near public transit, why not leave the car at home and enjoy a little bit less traffic on your commute? You’ll not only save on carbon emissions by not driving, but you’ll at least partially help alleviate gridlocked traffic, which contributes to a lot more greenhouse gasses.
If you’re a little too far from work to walk or public transit isn’t just around the block on earth day, consider getting a bicycle and using it to get to work or the train station. You’ll save the environment and your wallet, too.
You can get a nice bicycle for $500, and while that may seem like a lot of money at first, think of all of the gas you won’t have to put in your car and how much healthier you’ll be when you commute and run errands on your bike. You might even be able to get rid of your gym membership with all of the active time you’ll spend riding.
Adjust Your Wardrobe, Not Your Climate Control
Next, think about the temperature in your home. Many of us are guilty of tweaking the heater or air conditioner instead of putting on a sweater.
By setting the air conditioner to 78 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the summer and 72 degrees in the winter, you’ll save on cooling and heating bills, and your home will use less energy.
That’s right; you can decrease both your utility bills and your carbon footprint at the same time. And you can stay comfortable by merely making a small wardrobe adjustment.
Who doesn’t like to lounge around in a pair of comfortable shorts on a summer afternoon? And who wouldn’t want to curl up in a big, cozy sweater on a winter evening? It sounds like an easy, sustainable fix. If you're going to go one step further, you can get an energy-efficient “smart” thermostat.
These are programmable and can turn climate control off or very far down during the day when you’re away and then turn it back up when you come home. You can even get one that syncs with your phone so that you can have your home feeling great when you get there. Even with this high-tech approach, we still recommend adjusting your clothing instead of the heat in your house, though.
Go Local on Earth Day
Finally, you can hugely decrease your carbon footprint and make it Earth Day every day just by shopping locally. When you buy fruits, vegetables, and meats that are sourced from the country or the world, it takes a lot of fuel, energy, and workforce to get them to you. When you buy local foods, you can avoid all that.
Now, this does mean giving up some foods when they’re out of season where you live. However, most places have an abundance of produce of all different kinds, all year round. By shopping locally for your meals, you might discover some great new recipes, just by sticking with foods in season.
Practice these tips, and you can enjoy a lot of benefits right away from living a greener lifestyle.
Not only that, but you’ll also be helping preserve the environment so that everyone can enjoy it on earth day and for years and years to come.
Sources:
https://www.treehugger.com/green-living-4846055
https://www.earth911.com/inspire/diy/8-ways-to-make-every-day-earth-day/