It’s hard to turn on the news or pick up a newspaper without reading stories about our planet in peril. Many years of industry and irresponsible management of Earth’s resources have led to major issues with pollution, toxic waste, and climate change. How can we combat what’s happening to the globe? Sustainable living is the answer that many people are turning to in order to make the world a healthier place. But for many people, sustainable living seems like an unattainable lifestyle. Learn what you can do to live a sustainable lifestyle.
As you read through the ways to live a sustainable lifestyle, you may want to keep a pen and paper handy. Jot down the ideas that are the most appealing and fit your lifestyle best. Remember that you can make this lifestyle work fork you at any level.
Before you become overwhelmed you should know that you can work toward sustainability in small steps. It might help to really understand what sustainable living means. Let’s look at an overview of sustainable living and help you to see the big picture.
We’ll also look more in detail at specific aspects of sustainable living and what steps you can take to implement them into your lifestyle. Before you can decide what’s right for you, it helps to know the basics. Be sure to subscribe and take the quiz to find out if your lifestyle could use an eco-makeover!
Sustainable Living Basics
Sustainable living is not a set of “rules” to follow. Rather it’s a way of thinking that can help you to guide your life choices. Those who choose sustainable living are often concerned about a variety of issues including:
- Environmental toxins
- Loss of natural resources
- Saving money
- Leaving a legacy for future generations
- Humane treatment of animals
- Pesticide-free food
- Eating whole foods and avoiding chemicals in food
- Keeping landfills to a minimum
- Fresh, clean drinking water
- Reducing dependency on corporate manufacturing
- Living with little negative impact on the environment
While it’s difficult for one not to have any impact on the environment, sustainable living practices can help you to make sure you don’t leave a bigger footprint than you want to leave for future generations.
There are many benefits to sustainable living that can be felt long before you leave the Earth to future generations. Your current health and happiness can be greatly affected by living these principles. There are many elements of this lifestyle that can apply to you.
Improved Health
People who practice sustainable living often have improved health from eliminating excess toxins and processed products from their lives.
Food Production
People who practice sustainable living often produce some or all of their own food. This component includes gardening and even maintaining livestock. Producing your own food guarantees that you know the quality of your meals.
Eliminating Waste
One of the key components of sustainable living is waste management. You’ll want to completely use your resources and avoid the landfill. With sustainable living practices, you’ll find that you can reuse many of your belongings, recycle them, and reduce your waste.
This includes your consumption of energy as well. You’ll find that there are many simple steps that can help you to reduce your energy consumption and waste.
Here’s an article that discusses specific ways to reduce waste: Eight Ways to Reduce Waste
Wise Use of Resources
It’s also important that you use materials that are renewable. Sustainable living will focus on using materials that can be renewed. While some raw materials cannot be replaced once they’ve been used, there are many materials that are renewable and not limited.
Eliminating Harmful Chemicals
With sustainable living practices, you’ll want to reduce the number of harmful chemicals that you use. While there are many products that are environmentally friendly, there are still quite a few products on the market that are not good for the planet – or for you.
When you choose to live sustainably, you’ll almost always need to take a look at your chemical use and make a few changes. This can be done more easily than you might think without compromising cleanliness.
Making Sustainable Living Livable
Sustainable living is a philosophy that many people are adopting. As with anything, there are those who make extreme changes. You may be someone who wants to make a total lifestyle change and go full force.
However, many people find that they need to ease into a new lifestyle by making small, manageable choices. No matter what you desire, you can adapt sustainable lifestyle techniques to fit your lifestyle and your needs.
You may be wondering why someone would choose a sustainable lifestyle. It may seem like you have to go out of your way for these practices. But there are many reasons why it makes sense to choose sustainability.
Industry and Technology
Over the past 100 years or so, the world has undergone major changes that have been significant to the health of the planet. Technology has allowed us to do more at a faster pace. The industrial revolution and technology have led to many changes in the way we do things.
Most farms today are managed by using heavy machinery rather than the horse and plow that were used a hundred years ago. In fact, farming has moved away from the local family farm to a large corporate model.
Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are in high use and fossil fuels are used in large quantities to power the equipment that plants and harvests crops. Crops are monitored through technology such as GPS systems that monitor the harvest.
Additionally, many foods have been genetically modified to produce a higher yield or make them resistant to herbicides that control weeds. While some experts argue that this is not a problem for health or the environment, others disagree.
We have gotten so used to getting our food from supermarkets, that we take for granted how it gets there. It’s important for the sustainability of the planet’s resources that we pay attention to how products are made and transported.
Chemistry and Cleaning
While you may not remember a world where you didn’t use chemicals to clean your home or your office that time once did exist. Many of the chemicals that are on the market now are good at filing your home with lovely scents, but they have a price to pay
Many of the everyday chemicals that are used to “clean” are actually quite harmful for the body and the planet. They leave behind toxins that can be harmful for people who suffer from asthma, allergies, and other respiratory problems.
Chemicals can also cause problems with skin. If your skin is very sensitive, you may find that many commercially available soaps and detergents can irritate you. Using products free of dyes and perfumes can help to alleviate the problem.
In addition, many chemicals can actually contribute to pollution of the environment. Sustainable living practices can actually reduce the amount of chemicals that end up in the water supply and in the ground. They can also help to alleviate you from symptoms caused by chemical use.
Financial Relief
While there may seem to be a little bit of out of pocket cost as you change your lifestyle, you’ll find that sustainable living can actually save you a lot of money. Practices such as growing your own food and limiting waste can actually lower your budget.
If you’re looking for a way to pinch pennies, many of the sustainable living solutions for cleaning, managing energy waste, and repurposing objects could be the answer. You’ll find that this type of life can help you to escape the trappings of materialism.
Peace of Consciousness
Many people choose sustainability because it brings peace of mind. You may be worried about the future of the planet for your children. You may be concerned about the ethical treatment of people and animals.
If you feel the ethical pull to make choices that will result in a healthier world, sustainable living might be for you. If you want to leave a legacy of ethical practices for your children and family, this is also a way toward your goals.
Leaving Excess Behind
Many people in society have the philosophy that more is more. It’s difficult to live in the world and not constantly see things that you want or feel you have to have. We’ve become a planet where people are more concerned with what they have than what they can give.
If you’re tired of keeping up with the Jones’s and you’re ready to live a simpler life, you’re ready to move toward a sustainable lifestyle. This doesn’t mean moving into a shack or living on a commune.
It seemly means that you’ll learn to focus more on making sure your needs are met rather than collecting possessions. You’ll be able to treasure what you have and not take it for granted as one does when they have too much.
Breathe Easier
When you contribute to the sustainability of the planet, you’re literally improving the air quality. In this day and age there’s more asthma and allergies than ever before. It’s no surprise that the air quality is worse than it’s ever been globally.
Planting trees, growing your own food, reducing your dependency on fossil fuels, and reducing your energy consumption can all contribute to a healthier atmosphere. Immediately you’ll find you breathe a little easier and in the long-term, you can contribute to the reduction of global warming.
Sharing Your Example
Sometimes people worry that living sustainably as one person won’t make much of an impact. But nothing could be further from the truth. When you choose sustainable living practices, you can actually begin a chain reaction.
When your neighbor sees you harvesting your garden he or she might decide it’s time to start one, too. You might find that when riding your bicycle to work others see what you’re doing and take their bike, too.
When you make one good choice, it will inevitably lead to more good choices. Your impact becomes much greater than what you alone did for the planet. Don’t ever think that you alone can’t make change happen. True change has to start with someone.
Changing Your Lifestyle
You may feel like sustainable living requires you to change your life too much. Start small with the suggestions mentioned earlier. Don’t forget to take the quiz, “10 Signs That Your Lifestyle Could Use a Friendly Makeover”. Starting with the small steps mentioned above will help you to sustain the Earth without having to change more than you’re ready to change.