Now that the adverse effects of climate change are being felt all over the world, from unusually warm winters to strong hurricanes, more people are becoming conscious of their everyday routines and how they affect the environment.
If you want to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, here are some habits that you need to cut from your life now.
Tossing Electronics
The production of electronic items, including your smartphone and tablet, has a major environmental impact. The materials used to create them are mined from the earth which, in itself, destroys ecosystems and pollutes the planet.
However, at the end of its life, devices are improperly discarded. According to statistics, roughly 40 million metric tons of electronic waste (or e-waste) are generated around the world every year but only 30% are recycled. Despite these facts, many choose to upgrade their devices to a new model annually or every two years.
If you want to be more conscious of your environmental impact, choose to repair your devices if they break down. You can easily find smartphone and tablet repair in Salt Lake City and across Utah.
Ordering Fast Food
Not only is fast food bad for your health, eating processed and high-calorie food regularly contributes to environmental destruction. Even if you choose to eat your food inside the restaurant, fast food chains produce a lot of garbage. Moreover, the production of meat and dairy, which goes into your burger, has a heavy impact on the planet. Over a quarter (26%) of the global greenhouse gas emissions come from food and more than half of that (58%) is from animal products alone.
It is better not just for your health but for the overall well-being of Earth to cook your meals at home more often. If you cannot give up eating fast food completely, do not forget to bring your reusable cup, utensils, and metal straw.
Taking a Cab or an Uber
Ride-hailing apps and taxi cabs provide a comfortable and convenient way to get around the city. However, there are other options that you can choose that are friendlier to the environment. An average car emits four tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, per year. Instead, take mass transportation regularly (trains or buses) or use a bicycle to go to places.
Leaving the Faucet Running When You Brush Your Teeth
About 71% of the Earth’s surface is water and, yet, it is becoming less accessible to many. That is because only 3% of the world’s water is safe to drink. As a result, 1.1 billion people globally lack access to clean drinking water and 2.7 billion experience water scarcity at least once a month every year, as revealed by the World Wildlife Fund. Turning off the tap while you brush your teeth will save up to three or four gallons of water per person per day.
Smoking
Here is another incentive for you to quit smoking: you can save the environment.
The smoke from your cigarette is adding pollutants into the air you breathe. Nearly 2.6 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide and 5.3 kilograms of methane into the atmosphere. Moreover, the cigarette butts you leave behind become litter that ends up in waterways, seas and oceans, or, worse, inside the belly of an unsuspecting animal. There is also danger that the toxic chemicals found in cigarette butts will seep into the soil and water.
Tobacco, which is the key ingredient in cigarettes, is planted on lands that have been deforested.
No human is perfect. Your daily activities will always have an impact on the environment, no matter how eco-conscious you may be. The best thing you can do to help save the planet, and the human race, from the threats of climate change is to make lifestyle changes that will decrease your carbon footprint.
