Let’s Talk Sustainability: Saving Money & Our Earth 🌎

therawfoodie (58)in #life • 6 years ago

By August 1, 2018, we have consumed a whole year's worth of the planet's resources that it can regenerate in 1 years time. Starting August 2, we began to essentially drain the earth's savings. We can only deplete our natural resources for so long before the reserves are gone.

It would take five planet earths to support humanity for a year if everyone lived the way Americans do.
the burning of fuel generates not only carbon dioxide, but also air pollutants that are harmful to human health.

Some major causes of earth’s degradation:

Landfills pollute the environment and destroy the beauty of the city. Landfills come within the city due the large amount of waste that gets generated by households, industries, factories and hospitals. Landfills pose a great risk to the health of the environment and the people who live there. Landfills produce foul smell when burned and cause huge environmental degradation.
Pollution, in whatever form, whether it is air, water, or land are harmful for the environment. Air pollution pollutes the air that we breathe which causes health issues. Water pollution degrades the quality of water that we use for drinking purposes. Land pollution results in degradation of earth’s surface as a result of human activities.

Major effects of the earth’s degradation:

Impact on Human Health: Human health might be at the receiving end as a result of the environmental degradation. Areas exposed to toxic air pollutants can cause respiratory problems like pneumonia and asthma. Millions of people are known to have died of due to indirect effects of air pollution.
Loss of Biodiversity: Biodiversity is important for maintaining balance of the ecosystem in the form of combating pollution, restoring nutrients, protecting water sources and stabilizing climate. Deforestation, global warming, overpopulation and pollution are few of the major causes for loss of biodiversity.

(Points taken from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-and-effects-of-environmental-degradation.php)

So what can we do to stop this, and help save our home?

Here are some steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint and stop consuming so much, wasting so much be more mindful of the things we are contributing to:

Adopt a whole foods plant based diet. The biggest thing one can do to reduce their carbon footprint is to adopt a whole foods plant based diet. We eat 3 times a day, sometimes more, and this action over time makes a huge difference. Reducing the amount of meat and dairy we consume saves 401,500 gallons of water that would be used to produce meat & dairy products, 14,600lbs of grain used to feed livestock, 10,950sqft of forest that would be torn down to host & feed livestock, 7,300lbs of CO2 and the lives of 365 animals. Adopting this diet can not only reduce the amount of environmental damage done to produce animals & their products, but also the packaging that goes into all these processed foods that we consume.
Be more mindful of our purchases. Ask yourself questions when shopping, do you really need it? Will you get multiple uses out of it, and will it be something you can donate after you are done with it? Can you get the same product with less packaging/plastic elsewhere? What type of environmental damage will this cause when I throw it away? Questions like these can reduce your carbon footprint a lot over time, considering how much stuff we consume/purchase on a daily basis.
Be sure to recycle when possible. Something I see a lot when I am out in public is people throwing perfectly recyclable items in the garbage. This does not help our planet. We should be throwing away most plastic, glass, and cardboard among other materials that can be recycled in the proper bin, that way it can be repurposed.
Seek out environmentally friendly products. When searching for products that you need to buy such as a toothbrush, soap & feminine products, look for alternatives that will not be as environmentally damaging such as a bamboo toothbrush, natural organic soaps, a diva cup or reusable pads, natural bamboo hair brush, anything you need to purchase for hygiene can be found in a more environmentally friendly fashion.
Purchase less imported items, and more local. Utilize thrift shops, online buy & sell websites and places similar when you need to purchase something that you cannot find anyone local who produces it.
Drive less, walk & bike more! If you can walk (or bike or use a transportation method that is more environmentally friendly than driving) to the destination, do it! Save gas, get some exercise, breath fresh air, what’s the downside? Alternative, purchase an electric vehicle! If you’re willing to spend the $.
Reduce consumption of bottled water. Purchase your desired filter for your water and refill a reusable canister with this water instead. Whether that be a distiller, a Kangen machine, or whatever water you drink.
Shut off & unplug your appliances & electronics when not in use. You’d be surprised how much electricity is being used everyday simply by leaving something plugged in. Make sure lights are turned off when you are away from home.
Advocate for clean energy sources. Alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and others just seem more natural, free & better for our earth. Because they are! Whenever you can, be an advocate for these energy sources, and strive to adapt them yourself.
Embrace a minimalist lifestyle. For some this may be a HUGE shift, and for others it may be as easy as donating just a few things. Either way, adapting a minimalist lifestyle will ultimately add more free time to your life, likely make you happier, and help reduce stress on our home: Earth. Donate everything you can that you do not use. A general rule is that if you haven’t used it in the last year, you likely don’t need it all that much. Giving it to someone who will use it, reduces the need for them to purchase it new, so it’s a win-win.

Some of these tips may be the same thing you heard growing up. “Turn the water off when brushing your teeth”, “turn the lights off when you leave the room”, “turn the TV off before bed!”. Mom was likely more concerned about her energy bill than saving the planet though. But we can thank them for instilling that in us, because whether you’re focused on saving money, or saving our earth, you’ll be living the best of both worlds by following these few steps.

I wanted to chime in with a personal life experience with this situation, in hopes to provide some inspiration. Growing up I never really had much material items. I had what I needed and that was pretty much it. This was due to our low income status mainly, but I also wasn’t ever a person to want material items to begin with. So I feel as though I had an advantage in this aspect from my childhood. I understand that it’s not easy for others who do have a lot of belongings and have always had more than what they ever desired or needed to just give it up to adopt a minimalist lifestyle right away. It will take time, and will be a mental & emotional adjustment, but it is possible! To this day I don’t have many belongings. I have more than what I need, but it still isn’t all that much, and when the time comes that I need to get rid of some stuff, it will be very easy for me to release those items. I feel no emotional attachment to almost all of my stuff. Of course there are a few things I am attached to that I do not want to donate and that is okay. It’s only an issue. in my eyes, when it gets out of hand and you have more stuff than you can find room for. In the last couple years I’ve been donating most of my belongings, and things that I do need I will purchase from a local company, or from a company that has a sustainability goal.

I started by replacing my feminine products with a diva cup and reusable pads. I replaced my toothbrush with a bamboo toothbrush, I make my own toothpaste, I do not use mouthwash, I don’t use beauty products often but I do have a some makeup products from a cruelty free brand and a few other items, I replaced purchasing soap that is wrapped in individual bars with a bottle of Dr. Bronners which will last us 6+ months. I practice no-poo method on my hair most of the time, also I replaced my leather purse & wallet (purchased before going vegan) with a bag & coin purse, and it has been a life changer!

Rice Love is the company, and they feed a family in need 2.2lbs of rice with every purchase. The principal material that makes up most of their bags comes from a plant fiber called jute. Jute is a long, soft natural plant fiber that can be spun into strong, coarse threads and is used in a variety of ways. The fibers come from the plants Corchorus olitorius and Corchorus capsularis. India is the world’s largest producer of jute. Jute flourishes in areas with warm weather, high humidity, and tropical rainfall. Most importantly, jute is 100% biodegradable, thus it is more environmentally safe compared to synthetic fibers. Jute also has a very low carbon footprint due to the fact that as it grows, it assimilates 3 times more Carbon Dioxide than the average tree, and converts it into Oxygen. I encourage you to read more about this company, what they do, how they do it and why they do it. I personally love what they stand for, and the mission they are working on everyday. Click here to read more about how they give!

If you choose to purchase anything from this website, I have a personal discount code that you can use (platedbykay20) and you will save 20% off any order. If you do not purchase anything, please spread the word about this company because they are truly doing amazing things. 💚

I want to thank you for reading this post, and I wish you all a wonderful day. Remember, we need to BE the change we wish to see in the world! 🙏🏼

Apologies for the non-food related post, I’m taking a new direction with my blog to include more lifestyle posts, and this is the first one! I figured I’d make it a good one. I love this topic so much, it is something I’m seriously passionate about and currently doing what I can to actually live it 100%, and I just wish to inspire others to do the same 💚