Want a Greener World? First Green Up Your Life
We live in an age where daily destruction of our planet is occurring all around the world, from the annihilation of the rainforest to soil degradation. Thankfully, it’s become a hot topic, with environmentalists, activists, scientists and conservationists looking to educate the masses and find ways to make our world a more sustainable and greener place.
Over the last 20 years, our governments, businesses and organisations are increasingly focussed on finding ways to reduce environmental impact and combat climate change. In particular, a 2012 document by the United Nations Environment Programme titled ‘The Business Case for the Green Economy. Sustainable Return on Investment‘ states: “People, planet, profit is the mantra already adopted by many companies in the pursuit of corporate sustainability, but if we are to truly transform the economic paradigm then it needs to be adopted by many, many more.”
However, the responsibility doesn’t just lie with governments, businesses and those in high powered positions. It falls to every individual to make conscious daily choices to help create an eco-friendly population for now and future generations. David Suzuki, award-winning scientist, environmentalist and broadcaster said it best when he said: “Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social and spiritual consequences. It is time to re-examine some of our deeply held notions that underlie our lifestyles.”
It Begins at Home
One of the ways you can do this is by reviewing how and where you make your household purchases. Take stock of the places you currently shop and think about the ways you could implement changes, big or small. You should consider the level of fuel consumption, the environmental policies of stores you purchase at and longevity of the item you’re purchasing.
Certainly a great way to limit your eco footprint is to shop online. Whether you’re doing your weekly grocery shop, buying fashion, toys or new mattresses online, socially responsible businesses should provide you with details on their environmental policies and what they are doing to combat climate change, such as offsetting carbon footprints, carpooling deliveries to reduce fuel consumption and CO² emissions. This means customers can make eco-friendly purchases, as well as informed and ethical choices.
Keep it Local
When making purchases, you should also look at where you source items from. The further afield you buy your products from, the larger the carbon footprint. For many, sourcing household items or food products from faraway places is done without any consideration of environmental impact. For example, with the superfood craze, many people go out of their way to purchase exotic food products such as cacao, goji berries, chia seeds and acai from all corner of the globe. Good health intentions aside many people don’t seem to grasp that they are in fact accelerating the rate of climate change. One only needs to consider shopping distance and carbon emissions to understand this.
This is why if you want to go green, you should start looking closer to home. Your local area will no doubt surprise you with the number of products it can provide, from artisans to greengrocers, there is bound to be plenty on offer, right on your doorstep. By sourcing your products locally you will not only drastically reduce the impact of CO² emissions from transportation to your door, but you will also be helping to support your local economy and start creating a sustainable local environment.
Do It Yourself
You can also look at things you can do yourself. Move away from convenience buying and consider if there are household products you can make yourself. Why not make your own household cleaner with vinegar? How about growing your own vegetables, flowers and herbs? Or cultivate some basic sewing skills and up-cycle items to give them a new lease of life.
It doesn’t have to take inconvenient bold steps or a one man ‘all or nothing’ crusade against capitalism to adopt an eco-friendly life. By simply not opting for sheer convenience and taking the time to source suppliers closer to home that meet the right environmental policies, you can still make a difference to the world we live in.
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