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The Climate Clock in Times Square is ticking and the number of years we have left to reverse climate change is waning.
More than that, we often forget that a clean environment is a healthy one. The air pollution and damage to our ecosystem will affect us the most as we are highly reliant on the natural resources of this Earth.
Here are five ways to keep your environment clean and take action in reducing your carbon footprint.
How to keep the environment clean
1) Reduce energy consumption
Reducing energy consumption involves little steps in your day-to-day routine but has a significant impact. Shutting off extra lights, spending less time in the shower, and taking out standby cords are some ways you can reduce energy consumption. However, the benefits of reducing consumption goes beyond keeping a clean and green environment, it can lower your utility bills greatly and save you money.
Some other ways to reduce energy consumption is to use smart energy appliances which have automated systems that save extra electric consumption. However, you can automate your appliances to have a shut-off timer and also use electricity efficiently. Lastly, keep it your habit to switch off useless power supplies. If you aren’t in the room, keep the lights off. If that aimless cord isn’t being used, take it out of the outlet. Little habits like this make a big difference.
Moreover, avoiding vampire drainage devices is also recommended. Vampire energy drainage devices suck (literally)! These devices continue to consume energy even after being turned off. Some examples that might be present in your home include coffee makers, video game consoles, cables, etc.
So how do you avoid vampire drainage devices? Here are some quick tips.
- Turn off switches at the power supply for your devices to avoid using standby mode when possible.
- When you're not using your gadgets, unplug the cords from them.
- When leaving a room, turn the lights off.
- Utilize your appliances wisely. Use your washing machine's maximum capacity, for instance, rather than doing repeated loads.
2) Dial down your use of paper
The way to a clean environment is to abandon your use of paper little by little. This can be tough in the beginning but going paperless is a great way to keep our environment clean. Here are some alternative options for the paper:
- Use paperless notebooks like Rocketbook: Rocketbook is a reusable notebook that you can microwave to erase the writing. Moreover, you can digitize your notes through their app. Consider Rocketbook if you are a student who takes a lot of notes!
- Do your School or office work digitally: Going digital is becoming increasingly popular as you can access notes and work from any device. You can type notes on your computer or laptop and carry them anywhere with you in a small drive.
- Use the double-printed size of paper: If you must print then maximize the use of a sheet of paper. Adjust your printer settings to print double-sided and even, configure them to print multiple pages of the file on a single side of your sheet.
- Always take junk removal services: Junk removal services contractors know just how to discard paper so it doesn’t get wasted and instead recycled. If your office or company has a lot of paper files and waste discarded daily, set up a routine pickup with a junk removal company.
- Recycle the paper (If possible): Placing a simple recycling bin outside of your vacancy is not only simple but effective. The dumpster services in your area will do the recycling for you once you start differentiating your trash from compost, paper, and plastic.
3) Avoid using plastic products
Not only are plastic products harmful for us but they deter us from keeping a clean and safe environment. With nearly everything made of plastic these days and the fact that plastic seems to be a cheaper option when it comes to commercial purchases, you may find it difficult at first. However, we have a list of some ways you and your business can avoid plastic.
- Use Eco-Friendly packaging: If you are a small business, we recommend the use of eco-friendly packaging which comes in recyclable and biodegradable materials. With corporations being among the top contributors of waste, this is considered a great option in doing your part.
- Use Eco-Friendly Bottles: Instead of using plastic bottles, consider investing in a reusable cup or bottle that you can take with you on the go. Moreover, plastic Tupperware is also harmful as the chemicals from the plastic can seep into the food you are consuming!
- Use Eco-Friendly Pet Supplies: We know you love your pet and you want the best for them and there is still a way to provide for them without damaging the environment. Switch to non-plastic pet toys, healthy food products and biodegradable poop bags. Trust us--your pet will love you for it!
- Always enlist junk removal services: Just like paper waste, junk removal contractors know the most environmentally friendly ways to get rid of large sums of plastic. If you are considering a home renovation or have a business that is planning to trash plastic materials in great amounts, consider finding a junk removal service near you to prevent plastic waste from plaguing the environment.
4) Increase greenery in the surrounding area
Do your part by planting a tree and livening up your garden! Not only will you beautify your home but you will promote healthier air quality and ecosystem for your surrounding area and the little critters in your backyard.
5) Avoid Pollution
Did you know that air pollution is not the only contaminant on our planet? In fact, there are three other kinds. Here is how you can avoid them:
1) Air Pollution:
Air pollution comes from the smoke in our cars and the various agents that produce smog. It can invade our lungs and reduce sunlight. Moreover, air pollution causes acid rain. When sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are released into the atmosphere and carried by wind and air flows, acid rain is the outcome. Human health is also harmed by the toxins that generate acid rain. Consider public transport or biking to work rather than taking your car. If you must take a car, then consider investing in an electronic vehicle. These types of automobiles don’t post as big of a threat as fueled cars do. At home, minimize the use of AC as overtime dust and germs that have accumulated on air conditioners over time are expelled into the home and surrounding area when the air conditioner is switched on.
2) Water Pollution:
Water pollution is the next biggest threat that is prompted by our daily usage of harmful chemicals. We recommend you use natural soaps and detergents rather than store-bought ones. Not only will they boast a better clean but, this is a great way to keep your environment clean. You should also avoid discarding industrial and agricultural effluents such as pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, oils, greases, pharmaceuticals, etc. in lakes and rivers. They're not a garbage disposal but a home for the many fish and creatures that reside. This goes for dumping nuclear waste which are a byproduct from fuel processing plants, hospitals, and research facilities, in seawater too which will only lead back to our own pipes.
In more extreme cases, water pollution can be caused by flash floods. We recommend implementing displacement methods like basins and floodwalls if you live in a flood-prone area to prevent the risk of landslides.
3) Noise Pollution:
Noise pollution, usually referred to as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the presence of unwelcome or excessive sound that has a negative impact on people, wildlife, and the environment. A typical person is capable of hearing sounds between 0 dB and 140 dB. Surprisingly, noise pollution may lead to health problems including hearing problems, mental illness, increased worry and anxiety, and stress-related problems like heart conditions. Some of these include loud music or mechanical sounds like turbines, motors, compressors, steel plants, railway stations, and traffic. We advise using screens and barricades to impede the direct passage of sound in this situation if you live in a busy area.
4) Land Pollution:
The destruction of the earth's earth's surface, both above and beneath the ground, is referred to as land pollution. Groundwater and soil are contaminated by the buildup of wastewater disposal products causing the soil to be polluted. Avoiding pollutants like Carbon dioxide that generate acid rain is one way you may help, as acid rain can harm ecosystems. Both plants and animals may be harmed by the aluminium caused by acid rain. The vitamins and fertilizers that trees require to develop are also taken out of the soil by acid rain. Moreover, like water pollution, land pollution is also prompted by nuclear waste disposal on open lands or cave dwellings. Once again, pharmaceuticals and nuclear materials must be dealt with in a specific manner, or else, the impacts can be detrimental.
In your own living or working space, take your litter to the trash can, not the streets! More than the land, consider the number of animals who have gotten caught in plastic waste that comes from littering on the street!
Conclusion
Getting caught up in mundane tasks leaves us to forget that just like we humans need the Earth for our survival, our planet needs us. We are the biggest contributors to environmental deterioration and that is why it is our duty to protect the planet we call home.
Little steps can be taken to keep our environment clean but most of all--safe.
The clock is ticking…do your part.
James Cooper