Our ecological footprint is our impact on the environment, expressed as the amount of land required to sustain our use of natural resources. This post contains inspiration and suggestions of many ways to reduce our ecological/carbon footprint.
Reducing refers to minimizing the amount of stuff we buy and limiting our use of materials as much as possible. Refusing, on the other hand, is simply not accepting the status quo and refusing to continue to use and dispose of things without awareness. Be sure to check out the companion post to this article, Some of the Many Ways to Refuse.
* Think twice before you buy any product. Do you really need it? How did the production of this product impact the environment and when/how will you dispose of it? To eliminate impulse buying, wait a month after deciding you want a product to make your purchase.
* Simplify your life; only keep belongings that you use regularly. Reducing what you own naturally leads to buying less and creating less waste in the future.
* Observe an eco Sabbath. Choose one day a week to not buy anything, not use electricity, turn off your phone and avoid using a car.
* Reduce the amount of groceries you buy to avoid letting food spoil.
* Buy used products whenever possible.
* Do less online shopping and more in-person shopping. This generates less waste, since no shipping is required.
* Repair things when possible instead of buying replacements.
* Get off junk mailing lists to lessen paper and plastic waste. See Stop Junk Mail at Work and Home (and switch the rest to paperless!) for guidance.
* Reduce the usage of your heating and air conditioning system and use less electricity in general. Check out the eco-friendly thermostat in our Green Store.
* Eat less meat. Reduce your ecological footprint by enjoying vegetarian meals. Mainstream meat production is a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions that uses an incredible amount of land and water and tortures animals.
* Drive less. Vehicles pollute the air and water. When you’re able to travel without a car, take advantage!
* Reduce water usage. Transform your yard to include less grass and conserve water. Use water savings techniques like rainwater collection and stopping unnecessary faucet use.
* Shop local. Support local, transparent companies and farmer’s markets.
We challenge you to implement at least three of the practices from this list in your life.
Check out our Green Tips page for more helpful guidelines!
Sources
http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm
https://www.ilacsd.org/2017/04/27/8-ways-to-reduce-your-ecological-footprint/