Key Factors in Green Living and Sustainability
At its heart, sustainability is simply minimizing our carbon footprint today while still making sure that we are able to develop communities and meet our needs. Most of us aren’t able to go back to nature and live off the land or live in mud huts. Yet there is so much that we can do to create a sustainability community around us. Where do we start?
Here is a list of several key points in sustainability that you can begin to integrate into your lifestyle to lessen your carbon footprint and help the earth.
1- Recycle everything that you possibly can. Participate in recycling programs so that your trash isn’t clogging up landfills.
2- Donate used items that are still in good condition to shelters or thrift shops.
3- Keep the air clean. Minimize driving whenever possible, including carpooling to work or taking alternative transportation.
4- Drive fuel-efficient cars.
5- Be cautious about burning wood stoves, burning weeds, or contributing to other air pollution.
6- Contact your city’s parks department about designating undeveloped land as a wildlife preserve.
7- Don’t buy water in bottles. Use your own reusable water containers instead, which saves hundreds of bottles per year.
8- Use reusable canvas bags to carry groceries instead of plastic bags.
9- Think before you buy things. Buying poor quality products that wear out quickly means that more items will end up in landfills. Sometimes it’s wiser to save up for higher quality items that will last longer.
10- Make sure you turn out lights, computers, appliances, and other energy-using things when you don’t need them or when you leave the house.
11- Be water wise. Even if you live in an area with abundant water, minimize the amount of water you waste by not running the faucet when you don’t need it, only washing full loads of clothes, and filling the sink with water for rinsing dishes instead of running the water continuously.
Move Beyond Green promotes conversation and idea sharing and seeks to develop a network of parties who are informed on and concerned about sustainability. Sponsored by the U.S. Army Environmental Policy Institute, Move Beyond Green provides a forum where sustainable community strategies and solutions can be approached.
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