There is a lot of concern regarding the pace at which human are using the planet’s natural resources, as well as the debate on the actions that we take and that are directly or indirectly doing harm to the environment. From not being able to go grocery shopping without our cars to the amount of water we waste every day; these are examples of how we put the planet at peril. Here’s where conservation comes into play.
What Is Conservation?
Conserving the environment has long been considered the dead cat thrown into the neighbor’s yard. People believed that conservation is the responsibility of the government and corporations because they are the ones truly doing the most damage, aren’t they?
Truth is that it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment surrounding us, especially since the average American produces about 2,050 pounds per trash each year. But, with a little bit of good will, we can all do our part in making the planet safer and cleaner.
Conservation is when a citizen starts acting sustainably, by recycling, reducing waste, the amount of energy and water they consume. It’s a total of all actions a person can take to make sure that the planet is safe from harm, and can still be a livable place for the generations to come.
Tips for Conservation
Conservation isn’t easy, mostly because you’d have to give up a few things and adjust that comfort zone of yours. You’ll most likely have to step out of it, and that’s never an easy thing to do. But the only way to find the will for conservation is to understand that if everyone acted irresponsibly towards the environment, pretty soon there won’t be an environment left.
Conservation at Home
While conversation can be a multi-step process, nobody expects you to completely change your habits overnight. Baby steps are the easiest way to train yourself to live green, and here are some of the measures you can take at home:
- The kitchen is the room where you consume the most resources. If you’re boiling water, for instance, put a lid on the pan, so that the water will reach its boiling point faster.
- If you don’t have any pets or small children, leave the door of the oven open after you’ve cooked. This will heat up the kitchen.
- By defrosting your fridge at regular time intervals, you will prevent it from consuming energy as ice builds up inside it.
- Instead of using a dryer for your clothes, consider installing an outdoor clothesline, and dry your clothes in natural light and fresh air.
- Showers are an efficient way of saving water, as they consume less of it compared to filling a bathtub. Heating up a lot of water also consumes additional heat/gas.
- Allow as much sunlight inside the house as possible. Natural light eliminates the need for turning on the lights during the day.
- When you’re having lots of guests over, you don’t need to have the thermostat set to a high temperature. Those agitated spirits will surely keep the house warm.
- The most important conservation tip of all: separate your trash. Recycling is one of the most important steps you can take towards saving the planet, and all it takes it three more extra trash bins and a couple of free minutes to separate your trash.
- Batteries are one of the major things that can be recycled, and which can do a lot of harm to the environment if they are not. Sadly, there are few people who actually recycle their batteries. To those people, and to everyone else, we recommend switching to rechargeable batteries.
- A very common habit is leaving the chargers plugged into the socket, even when they are not in use. Contrary to what some may think, a charger will consume electricity even when it’s not actively charging.
- When you leave for vacation, even if it’s just for a short weekend, make sure that you unplug everything in your home. Set the boiler thermostat to the lowest setting, and turn off the water supply to the house.
Naturally, there are also things that you can’t do while you’re not inside the house:
- First and most important thing: carpooling. Carpool to work, or have your children team up with other kids in the neighborhood as parents take turns in driving them to school. This will reduce emissions and save money on gas. Oh, and public transportation never hurt anybody.
- Planting trees aren’t all that complicated, and can do so much good on the long run! Trees are our primary oxygen source, and yet they are cut down at an alarming rate to make room for new buildings, or to make furniture and paper. If you took the time to plant at least three trees each month and convinced three more friends to do it, you will be doing a lot of good.
- Conservation isn’t just about what you can do at home, but also what you can do at your workplace. For instance, something as trivial as repurposing used paper can reduce the amount of waste your office creates.
- Have you ever considered growing your own vegetables? Most of the stuff you buy from the grocery store isn’t grown organically. Pesticides, herbicides, and many other toxic chemicals are used to grow the biggest, most colorful and out-of-season fruits and vegetables, but if they aren’t natural, they also aren’t good. By growing your own goods, you will be healthier, spend less money when grocery shopping, as you’ll be doing the environment some good (because you’re not intoxicating the soil).
Of course, these are just a few examples of what you can do to conserve the planet. Consider the fact that every action you perform throughout the day can take a toll on the environment. Even something as insignificant as smoking can create a lot of pollution and puts the environment at risk because of littering and potential fires caused by stubs that aren’t properly put out. What would you sacrifice for the greater good of the planet?