Lifestyle changes for a Happier Environment

The wonderful world we live in is a fascinating and awe-inspiring place. The Colours, lights, textures, and creations. Its sheer beauty and the depth of complexity beggar’s belief. But more importantly, it’s what we call home. Lately, we have not been taking good care of this place we called home. The modern lifestyle that we tend to love so much has put our planet through a massive burden of ecosystem degradation. In the past 25 years, our environment has witnessed the degradation of an unprecedented scale, and certainly, more than we like to admit. Repercussions? well, there certainly are. Never before in recent history has our environment witnessed such negative effects that too at such an accelerated rate. Global climate change, rising air pollution, deforestation and water contamination, acidification of ocean water, ozone layer depletion are just a few of them. Facts released by none other than NASA have shown an increase of 1.14 degrees in the average earth’s temperature since the late 19th century, a change driven largely by increased carbon dioxide and other human-made emissions into the atmosphere. They all have stemmed from our modern lifestyles and the unjust demands we are putting on our planet.

So how do we bring about change? You will probably be thinking the pursuit of change is beyond you and it’s a herculean task you will not be able to pull off. How far can the efforts of a single person go in bringing a sizable change? The devil is in the details they say and the answers to bring out a positive change lies in the smaller details that largely go unnoticed. Wanna make a change yourself read on through some of the changes you can make today to make a change.

1. Nothing to lose just some calories –

No surprises here on guessing the first step towards a cleaner environment is reducing the usage of motorized vehicles. Carbon emissions caused due to automobiles are by far the most significant factor in air contamination and climate change. An average car produces 2.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide that slips into our environment and initiates multiple damaging processes. We might think that abolishing vehicular movement and its usage completely is not practical and in all honesty, it’s not. Unavoidable it might be but that doesn’t mean we cannot work abound it.

Our modern cultural habits put way too much emphasis on the use of automobiles for our movement when all this time we had an option for a much more eco-friendly ride. Cycling entirely takes the damage of carbon emission away from the environment compared to automobiles. Small to medium distances can be easily covered on a cycle with ease. What more not only does it maintains the health of our environment but also keeps your health in check. A US surgeon general’s report in 1996,” physical activity and health” summarises it very well describing not only does a physical activity like cycling helps in maintaining and losing weight but also works as a catalyst for cardiovascular health, reduced chances of diabetes, maintaining healthy bones and joints. The study goes as far as suggesting that cycling on a regular basis can increase life expectancy owing to the benefits to the overall anatomy of a human.  Getting that bike out on that crisp spring day doesn’t seem like a bad idea after all.

2. Bigger not Always Better  –

We have been choosing the vehicles we drive in for all the wrong reasons lately. The notion of bigger is better is kind of applied on every choice we make. All too often many of us find ourselves driving cars with 6-8 seater capacity but we are the only one who is using that car majority of the time.  Our demand for bigger and heavier cars has even pushed the manufactures on prioritizing the larger variety of cars in their portfolio. Behind these demands, lie’s our imagination of our greater good that is not backed up with actual facts. The most common reason given behind driving bigger cars is that bigger cars tend to be safer for us. In fact none of this is true, the true standard to a car’s safety is determined by the safety rating it has been awarded after putting the car through stringent safety tests. All modern cars come with a safety rating to boast about which we might not be too aware of. The safety rating of a car has no correlation with the size of the car we drive in fact studies have shown a regular sedan in a crash is more or less as safe as a big SUV. But sometimes it’s not just about the supposed safety advantage that makes us opt for bigger cars it’s the sensitive subject of messaging our ego’s really. The “mine bigger than your” argument is an undeniable factor for our choices today. The vision of a bigger car demanding more respect on the road and having a commanding presence is a mesmerizing prospect to our ego’s. The result, we end up owning cars bigger than we actually need. Cars that take more space on the road, are less fuel-efficient and attract higher maintenance costs. Not just for us individuals the environment takes the brunt for our ego messaging as well. Not only do bigger cars use more fuel, emit a much larger quantity of emission gases but also the manufacturing of bigger cars involves a higher load on the environment in form of pollution in the manufacturing process. See how unknowingly the dots connect on environmental degradation. We might imagine changing the complete automobile landscape and our inclination towards bigger cars might not be completely changeable hence the damage to the environment by such vehicles is inevitable. The solution to this conundrum can be carpooling. It’s simple as you like solution in increasing efficiency, massively reducing the carbon emissions and reducing traffic congestion. It’s not all about changing the hardware every time to bring about sizeable change a little change in our approach can go a long way too.

3. The Meat of the Matter –

Well, now what has meat consumption got to do with environmental degradation. It’s a little known fact that farm animals that are raised for the sole purpose of future meat consumption produce an enormous quantity of climate-changing gases such as methane. The average carbon emissions per person in a year generated by meat-eating is one tonne per year which is a sizable amount considering all the vegan and vegetarian options available in the market these days. Vegan food options have little to no effect on the generation of carbon emissions in the environment. Not for a minute am I suggesting that we all can or should go vegan but a collective reduction in a weekly meat intake can go a long way in ensuring a cleaner environment with a lower carbon footprint. Opting for a vegan option meal just twice a week can take a lot of guilt away from you regarding the negative effects of meat consumption on the environment. As good as that well-done stake looks on the plate next time try that vegetarian option for a change or for the sake of our environment.

4. Organic Growth – A Back to Basics Approach

To most of us, organic food options are just those high priced deluxe food available in high-end supermarkets like whole foods. But once we look deeper into it we see an incredibly beneficial agricultural exercise that deserves a full-fleshed comeback. The Extent of tempering that has been going on with the food we eat these days is alarming, to say the least. The genetically modified food that we eat these days not only have been weakened by antibiotics and growth hormone but also have been festooned by chemical additives. The negative effects of such chemicals on the human body have been well documented but its effect on the environment goes largely unnoticed. A recent study by rodale research center suggests conventional farming techniques are directly related to significant environmental issues like soil erosion, groundwater, and soil pollution. Depleting and poisoning the very land that we are using to grow our crops will have massive implications for us and future generations as well. Organic farming delivers on all counts enriching the food we eat and also protecting our ecosystem. Well its also how farming used to be done not too long ago. Contemplating a kitchen garden never seemed more appropriate considering the current unfortunate trends that have germinated in agriculture in modern times. Enjoying fresh and organically cultivated produce every day from your kitchen garden is thought that is too good to shut one’s eyes to. The Concept of an organic kitchen garden shoots way beyond just the healthy and environmental benefits of organic food. It also connects us to the food we eat daily on a much deeper level. As we witness the produce from the point of origin to the point of consumption we appreciate the overall process more compared to just buying it from your local greengrocer. The acknowledgment for the process breeds the demand for higher quality organically grown produce.  So the next time when you hold that packet of organic food and wonder is it worth that extra buck rest assured it’s not only good for you but also the environment.

5. Recycle, Reuse and Reduce

Relatively speaking in the modern developed world we have been blessed with conveniences and comforts that our ancestors could only dream of. Honestly, there are products made for almost everything we require and beyond. This excess we live in though takes a toll on our environment. The modern-day conveniences we enjoy require resources and energy to manufacture has its own carbon footprint on the planet. Little do we know that manufacturing and collecting of new resources have its repercussions on the environment in form of pollution.  Biodegradability needs to be a byword we all live by. Recycling lends a helping hand in this process by reusing the already manufactured goods in making new ones which in turn puts fewer demands on our environment to provide essential resources. Simple yet effective aren’t it. But recycling can do even better, its proven recycling helps in reducing landfill waste as landfill contain materials that could be recycled instead. Natural oxygen levels can be retained by the recycling of paper as it leads to reduced tree cutting.  Even our Oceans can be protected from plastic contamination as a large part of the plastic waste ends up in the ocean. Biodegradability is the name of the game. A simple rule we all can follow is being mindful of everyday things we use and their biodegradability. Plus there is no shortage of products of the biodegradable variety. Recycled fabric and ballpoint pens to recycled toilet paper multiple options are just waiting to be explored and will defiantly rendering a much needed helping hand to our environment. The modern approach of going paperless is a true breakthrough in the environment enhancing activities. It’s infinitely more convenient compared to the paper-based systems we still practice these days plus it takes the use of paper out of the equation. The reduction in usage of paper will work wonders for the unfortunate deforestation that takes place every day as it’s essential in the manufacturing of paper. All the way from controlling climate to avoiding global warming vegetation plays a key part in our ecological wellbeing.   Regaining control over deforestation will be significant in maintaining our eco system as so much of it is dependent on the volume of vegetation we have in our environment. Who would have through convenience and environmental wellbeing can go hand in hand.

6. The Want for More

How much is Enough?. There is a famous quote from Mahatma Gandhi “The world has enough for everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed. This statement has stood the test especially in the modern world that’s driven by the lure of consumerism and our insatiable lust for more. Our Uncontrollable urge to shop more and more is exemplified in the number of channels we have available today for shopping be it online or traditional shopping This very wants for more proves to be as devastating as a wildfire to the environment. The increase in demand for goods elevates the demands we are putting on our ecosystem in producing all those goods. Inevitably it leads to more pollutant emissions, increased land-use, deforestation, and accelerated climate change just to name a few. Consumerism stands as one of the single most harmful elements to climate change as the demands it’s putting on the planet’s resources is unsustainable and the damage it’s causing to the essential ecosystem is irreversible. Food for thought for the next time you are scrolling through your online shopping app.

The Earth Is Our Home

We only have one planet. A place we all call home. A place that provides us with wonderful opportunities to dream, to achieve, to love, and to live. Being mindful of how our lifestyle affects the environment is the key to our ultimate good.  We might think that to bring about meaningful change the transformation needs to happen on a bigger scale and yes that might be right but charity I believe starts from home. Individual initiative is of the utmost importance. Of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day. We didn’t end up in this current situation overnight nor will we come out of it in a blink of an eye but what truly matters that each of us individually considers making small adjustments to our lifestyle for the sake of our world. After all, our home is our Responsibility.