Global warming, a huge amount of household and other waste,produced by people, the destruction of forests and swamps is toovast problems of all mankind. They can only be solvedjoint efforts and in the long term. And at this timeeach of us can help nature in everyday life.
ENERGY SAVING
If you replace incandescent lamps with energy-saving or even fluorescent lamps, you can increase energy savings by 4 times. Computers, TVs, and other electrical appliances that are left idle continue to consume electricity. In order not to throw it into the wind, it is worth turning off the devices completely. You can save more heat in the house in cold weather by following a few simple rules. All cracks in window frames and doorways should be sealed. Taped windows, lowered blinds, shutters and curtains or closed shutters reduce heat loss. Do not close or block heaters and batteries. It is better to ventilate the room for a short time, but effectively. Place the refrigerator away from the window and do not leave its door open for a long time.
AIR POLLUTION
One of the most popular modes of transport, the car, can be called the enemy of nature and cleanliness. Every year, about 2 billion tons of petroleum fuel is burned in automobile internal combustion engines in the world. While 1 ton of gasoline emits 500-800 kg of harmful substances, and exhaust gases contain more than a thousand harmful components, including carbon, nitrogen, lead, soot.
In the warm season, you can ride a bike or walk, which will also be good for your health. Every Dane will confirm that a bicycle is not only convenient, environmentally friendly, but also good for health. By the way, in Denmark, nine out of ten families have a bicycle, and 45% of students ride a two-wheeled friend to class.
WASTE
Every year, the amount of household waste of Belarusians increases by 3-5%. At the same time, garbage contains many materials that can be reused. One of the priority directions of the country's environmental policy is the improvement of separate waste collection systems. Each of us can contribute to the development of this direction.
It is enough to separate recyclables from mixed waste at home and throw them into different containers. It is equally important to separate waste containing hazardous substances from the main garbage. These are medicines, batteries, fluorescent lamps.
WATER
The greatest wealth is not gold or oil at all. Very valuable (more precisely, priceless) is water. According to statistics, every third inhabitant of the planet experiences a shortage of fresh and drinking water. More than 1 billion people lack it physically. Think how lucky we are to be able to enjoy this gift of nature without limit. Still, environmentalists are concerned about the depletion of the world's fresh water reserves. There are a few simple ways save this resource. It is enough to replace bathing (an average of 140 liters of water per day) with a shower (40 liters is enough). Modern lever mixers are designed for economical water consumption. If it is not possible to replace them, it is a good idea to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and limit the flow of the jet otherwise.
How do you wash dishes? You can do this in the sink, changing the water only as needed. The repaired faucets and pipes will save more than 720 liters of water per month. In this way, more than 35 cubic meters of water can be saved per year, following the example of kings, in particular, Prince Charles, an ardent fighter for saving the environment. Children should also be taught to conserve water, as they are the ones who run the risk of running into the problem of its shortage in the future.
ECO-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
Ask grandmothers and mothers what detergents did you use before? With access to a variety of qualities and brands, we have completely forgotten about everyday products that can cope with dirt like expensive detergents. To whiten and disinfect the surface, citric acid will come to the rescue. Baking soda is an indispensable product; it can be used to wash not only fruits and vegetables, but also any surface and dishes. By mixing it with table vinegar, you can cope with fat. Mustard powder is used for the same purpose. Perhaps your mothers and grandmothers will give you more useful advice on this matter.
Saving and protecting natural resources is not a privilege or a simplethe desire to be active and responsible, this is the duty of every residentplanets. You and I are only guests on Earth, the same inhabitants of it as 150million species of animals and plants. But the gifts we consumenature is immeasurably great. Considering themselves the kings of the planet, the highestcreatures, it behooves us to behave like a king. To beresponsible, noble, progressive, able to predicttomorrow and how great chess players be one step ahead. After alltoday the question is no longer about protecting nature, weit has to be protected from the disappearance of animals, resources, excessivepollution of the atmosphere and the unlimited use of the benefits of nature.
There are things that I never thought about before, whether they can harm the environment. And then it turns out that this is a huge part of the usual actions! Can you reduce your ecofootprint? Yana Potrekiy, the best Zerowaste blogger of 2018, talks about her eco-sins.
Personal car
I am a car owner, but I rarely drive, as does my husband. He works on the other side of the city, and it's faster, cheaper and sometimes even more comfortable to take the metro than spending four hours of his life every day on the road and traffic jams. Yes, you can listen to audiobooks, but your brain and hands are still busy with the road.
I don’t really like to drive a car, because it’s difficult to find a place to park, and inadequate drivers are very common on the roads. We go on weekends for groceries for a week, we take them to the doctor, we ride to the country and we carry heavy bulky goods.
Why is a car an eco-sin?
- Harmful emissions.
- Wear products of mechanical parts and car tires. Yes, it also pollutes the air. Well, tires are often not disposed of properly.
- Noise pollution. The item is controversial, but it is included in the list of harm to the environment.
- Use of oil, a non-renewable natural resource.
- Under parking most often use the area that was previously occupied by vegetation, which could provide oxygen and clean the atmosphere from dust and gas.
Alternative:
- On foot, by bike, scooter or rollerblading. Walking 5–7 km a day is recommended to maintain health. How long are you walking?
- Public transport, especially powered by electricity: metro, electric trains, trams and trolleybuses. They can accommodate dozens of times more people with the same occupied area, and you can also get to many points much faster by metro (sometimes this is the most acceptable option for capitals).
- Cooperate with others, look for fellow travelers among friends or in car sharing and carpooling services.
- If you still need to travel long distances or carry heavy loads, reduce your footprint as much as possible. Check out the Greenpeace guide to eco-driving.
cut flowers
Before September 1, February 14 and March 8, you can hear horror stories about pesticides and biocides, plastic packaging and preservative chemicals, tons of fresh water, fuel costs for air travel, cutting down useful areas for flowers and how many of them do not live up to points sales.
But why then is it my eco-sin? Because this is my psychotherapy. For a long time I denied that I love the traditional "girl": pink, dresses and skirts, beautiful shoes and jewelry, bouquets of flowers. I used to consider bouquets to be brooms and a waste of money. Now it is a material expression of tender feelings that I need to allow myself to receive.
Only my husband, knowing my commitment to environmental friendliness, knows the following rules for buying flowers.
Wildflowers are the best cut flowers. You just need to choose so that they do not have a hotbed of aphids.
Do not buy flowers in plastic. In summer without external packaging, in winter - in paper, not for beauty, but for safety.
Local, ideally. These can be country flowers or grown in our country or in neighboring countries, so that at least they do not need to be transported by plane.
Of course, the best alternatives are:
Flowers in pots. But I'm still an agronomist, I just feel sorry for the flowers, because they will die.
Grown independently from seed or cuttings. In the conditions of living in one apartment, it will be difficult to surprise a loved one, and even a very long-term project is obtained. But for my mother, for example, I grew mint like this, and it bloomed just in time for her birthday.
Fruit and vegetable bouquets. This is the coolest option, but it's hard to find offers without tons of tape, and it's hard to make a beautiful and non-falling bouquet yourself.
Decorative cosmetics
I use decorative cosmetics very rarely, on holidays or when I need a representative look. It's mascara and (very rarely) creamy eyeliner. Although in student days she was painted like the last time: colored shadows with sparkles, doll-pink blush, several shades of lip gloss from flesh to bright cherry.
Why is decorative cosmetics an eco-sin?
- Non-recyclable packaging in 99%. Even natural ones. I have two mascaras, and when they run out, the tubes will have to be thrown away.
- Compositions of conventional cosmetics. Microplastics, petrochemicals, formaldehydes, hormonally active substances, dangerous dyes and a bunch of other unhelpful things. Many do not switch to natural, they think that they will not be able to find a replacement. But the market for natural decorative cosmetics is expanding every year, and now you can find an adequate replacement for almost any product.
- Makeup remover needed. New bottles and a mountain of cotton pads (cotton is treated with pesticides, green areas are cut down, reclamation is carried out).
- We have ceased to consider the face beautiful without makeup. These are the standards imposed by the consumer society that force us to buy what we don't really need. It's worth thinking about.
Alternative:
- Multifunctional mineral makeup. She has no expiration date, there is nothing to spoil. I am not aware of new products of different types of products, but I am sure that one jar, depending on the color, can replace 5-10 individual pieces.
- natural pigments. Cocoa powder, strawberries, beets, for example. Bea Johnson uses cocoa as a blush and burnt almonds as eyeliner - and she looks great. This option, of course, is radical, but if you don’t try, you won’t know if it’s right for you?
- Give your face a rest and lead a healthier lifestyle in general. Then you will need less foundation, powder and concealers.
Synthetic fabrics
Yes, synthetic alternatives to materials of animal origin are not environmentally friendly. For example, various studies have been carried out on eco-fur coats, and in general it turns out that things that are made from petroleum products in developing countries are transported by aircraft, and which, when washed, are sent to the sewer at a time up to 10,000 microfibers are not the most environmentally friendly replacement. Any plastic will eventually produce microplastics. The question is the rate of decay.
Synthetics are practical, they get dirty less, they need to be washed less often and less detergent is used. Even for processing, a lot can be attached. But the release of microplastics during operation causes outrage among radical supporters of Zero waste.
If you choose natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen, it is not certain that they will have a smaller footprint.
What to do?
- Buy quality textiles, regardless of the type of material that will serve you for years. So at least the spent resources will pay off. Pay attention to textile eco-labels: GOTS standard, Naturtextil, EKO Sustainable, Oeko-Tex ® Standard 100, Carbon Reduction, Cradle-to-Cradle, FairTrade.
- Choose blended fabrics if durability is important to you, but you want the leather to breathe and less microfibre separation.
- Buy a special laundry bag that won't let microplastics through.
Here I want to say about genuine leather in shoes and accessories. Yes, it's unethical, yes, it's violent, and yes, it's bad for the environment. But I have not yet met a single replacement made of eco-leather that would serve for years and would be quite comfortable.
Why did I tell you about my environmental sins?
For those who are not confident in their abilities.
For those who doubt whether to start the path to conscious consumption and how to do it in general.
To show why these actions are not good, and to get you thinking about alternatives.
In order for your consumption to be truly reasonable, you understand all the pros and cons and make an informed choice.
To relieve you of guilt if you cannot do otherwise yet.
If you perceive change not as deprivation, but as freedom from something, then everything looks completely different. We are changing and that's okay. If tomorrow you add one eco-habit and remove another, it's okay. Do not add today, but in a year - that's fine too. This is your personal choice.
The strangest myth about ethical consumption is that such a lifestyle is more expensive. The authors of a practical e-mail course on careful consumption prove that the opposite is true: it helps to rationalize regular and necessary household expenses. Especially for Sobaka.ru, “Now it’s like that” compiled instructions on how to take care of both the environment and your own budget.
Cook food at home
The best way to follow this advice is to eat at home or cook and take away. Often eating in the city, you have to choose between a restaurant (which is expensive and time consuming) and fast food (which is not very healthy and a lot of garbage) or refuse to eat at all. Cooking kills four birds with one stone: useful, budget, at hand and without garbage. Having saved in this way on weekdays, on weekends you can reward yourself with a trip to a great restaurant with family or friends and enjoy food and company to the fullest.
Plan your menu ahead of time
According to Rosstat data for 2017, about a quarter of the purchased food goes to the trash. The best way to cut down on this expense is to plan your menu for the week and stock up. Check your stock and make a list before you go to the store. This approach will allow less to throw away the spoiled and forgotten, to pay more attention to the choice - to give preference to local, goods in minimal or large packaging or without it at all. But before heading to the supermarket, cook with the leftover products (this will also help you learn new recipes) or freeze them for later. A free refrigerator is the most economical: firstly, everything is visible in it and nothing will be lost, lost in the depths, and secondly, it will spend less energy to maintain the desired temperature.
turn off the water
Water is a luxury for many countries in the world. For us, it is available, but still we should not forget that this resource is exhaustible. If you don't want to take care of nature, think about your bills. Here are five ways to reduce them: boil just the amount of water you need for tea or cooking, a pot with a lid and a pinch of salt in the water will speed up the boil, and use fewer resources. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth, wash yourself or dishes, and shave. Take a quick shower instead of a bath (two are best) and feel free to pee in it (alone is best).
Put out the light
It's time for the phrase "When leaving, turn off the light" to return to its former gloss and, most importantly, practicality. But not only the light - turn off all electrical appliances. It is easier to do this if you have an extension cord with a red button - it is quick to deal with bills. Get other useful devices to save energy in the house: LED lamps, a dimmer - it is also a voltage and light brightness regulator, walk-through switches - those at the beginning of the corridor and at the end, motion sensors - they are perfect for country houses where there are technical rooms and street lighting. Dig deeper when choosing new equipment, pay attention to the energy class - the closer to the A marking in the range from A to G, the more careful it is. But most importantly - extinguish!
Buy curtains and carpet
Create home comfort - this is another way to manage the consumption of resources and finances. Best of all, textiles will maintain the desired temperature in the house. The curtains on the windows will not let in the cold and heat, and the carpets on the floor will not let out the heat. It is worth choosing natural fabrics without impurities - they will perform the task of keeping the temperature better, and when they wear out, they can be handed over for processing. All the same textiles will help keep you warm too - if you are dressed, you will not need to heat the whole house. While individual heat meters, alas, can not be arranged in all houses, these recommendations will help you not to save on bills, but not to increase them with heaters. And if it gets too hot, then no one has come up with anything better than through ventilation - it is both more efficient and more economical than any air conditioner. Open everything you can for 10-15 minutes, and hide yourself so that it doesn’t blow, or take a walk.
Use natural cleaning products
The dishwasher will use less water than you washing it by hand. And washing - less energy at low temperature and bio-mode, and things will be in good condition longer. You can save even more on specialized cleaning products - most of them can be replaced with ordinary soda, salt, lemon or vinegar. Soda does a great job of cleaning any surface - be it a mug or a toilet bowl. If you add 1 to 5 vinegar to the water when washing windows and mirrors, then there will be no streaks left on them. Lemon juice will make your faucets and shower heads shine. There is no need to run to the store for such funds, the bottles from them will not require processing and, importantly, they will not harm your health.
It would seem that fixed household expenses consist of trifles, rarely some of them reach 1000 rubles, most are generally a penny. But if you put all the little things together, a lot accumulates for the personal wallet, and even more harm for the planet.
It would be wrong to demand that every inhabitant of the planet behave like eco-activists and fight for the cleanliness of the surrounding world. However, each person can follow a number of simple rules that will help make the world around us better and reduce their harmful impact on nature.
First. save water
One of the simplest rules that is not at all difficult to follow is water saving. First, there will never be as much fresh water in the world as it is now. In other words, the drinking resources of the planet are declining every day.
It is good that Russia does not experience problems in the lack of water, but even now in African countries, water can be called a luxury. Fresh water is only one hundredth of the total, and consumption increases by 7% annually.
To save water, you need to simply turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or washing dishes, do not use the bathroom, but give preference to the shower, and then not for long, do not leave the water open if it is not necessary. Because up to 800 liters of water can be poured through a jet as thick as a needle per day. And of course, we need to carefully treat the water bodies that surround us. Do not wash cars in them, clean up after picnics, take care of the environment.
Second. Save electricity
Oddly enough, the second point will be to save electricity, because its production also harms nature, but it is now impossible to imagine life without electricity. To save electricity, you need to monitor electrical appliances and turn them off if you are not using them, put energy-saving light bulbs, and purchase solar-powered appliances. In addition to reducing harm to nature, this will help save, including money.
Third. Sort your waste
Waste sorting and recycling is one of the most important principles of caring for nature. Sorting garbage at home is not at all difficult, it is enough to get several containers and separate food waste, paper, metal, plastic and glass. In different cities, the garbage collection infrastructure is arranged differently, but one way or another there are collection points for waste paper, glass, plastic, metal, hazardous waste and batteries. It only takes a little effort and desire, and not to store everything in one bag, so that later all this garbage, lying in a landfill, poisons the earth.
Fourth. Buy clothes in second-hand shops
In Japan, there is a philosophy of caring for nature and using things until they completely lose their consumer properties.
This item can also help reduce your ecological footprint, because the production of clothing causes significant damage to nature. Buying things, for example, in second-hand stores, you, at least a little, but minimize the harm to nature.
Fifth. Eat at home
Avoid frequent visits to fast food restaurants. The fact is that with the mass production of meat, eggs and other animal products, livestock is kept in appalling conditions.
Animals are kept immobilized in an enclosure and fed so that they are not even able to move. In addition, such farms harm the ozone layer, because manure in large quantities releases a gas that adversely affects the atmosphere and catalyzes the greenhouse effect.
A few years ago, Greenpeace experts calculated that about 40% of the energy in our country is wasted. A third of the "lost" energy is accounted for by housing and communal services. This is both a blow to the environment and huge sums that people pay out of their own pockets.
AiF.ru tells how to save nature and money at the same time (not only by saving energy).
Put out the light
- To save energy, it is ideal to use LED lamps: they are more expensive than energy-saving ones, but they last longer and consume less energy.
- Few people pull the equipment out of the socket when not using it. But in vain. Because the same unused laptop continues to consume energy. The TV will also consume electricity, and even the phone charger left in the outlet. How To Geek journalists decided to find out how much the habit of leaving chargers for gadgets in sockets costs. In a special device that measures energy, they inserted a surge protector (in other words, a pilot) with six chargers connected to it (without gadgets). The device showed an energy consumption of 0.3 watts. At American rates - 79 cents per year. Or 49 rubles. It seems to be a small amount, but at home in the sockets we leave not only chargers from smartphones, but, for example, TVs and computers, microwave ovens and so on. In order not to constantly turn off and on the appliance plugs, use extension cords with an off button: with their help, you can turn off all the equipment with one movement of your finger.
- Do not turn on the light unnecessarily. For example, an hour or at least half an hour before bedtime. Experts recommend spending this time in twilight: it’s easier to fall asleep and the dream will be deeper. And the power consumption is less.
- Even if you use LED lamps, remember to turn off the lights when you leave the room. Firstly, in any case, it’s some kind, but energy consumption. Secondly, why shorten their service life?
- Public utilities do not always turn on the heating when it gets cool outside (and in apartments). And the heating power does not always justify the residents' idea of a comfortable temperature. And then heaters come into play, which consume electricity very uneconomically. Do not rush to turn on the stove: first, check if the cold from the street penetrates through the cracks in the windows, and insulate them.
- It is better to load the washing machine and dishwasher completely. So save energy, and water, and detergent / dishwashing detergent.
Money flows away with water
- According to the UN World Water Assessment Program, by 2030, five billion people may be left without clean drinking water. That's two-thirds of the world's population. Russia is one of the few countries best provided with fresh water (together with Canada, the Scandinavian and South American states). According to the UN, by 2025, each person in the Russian Federation will have more than 20,000 cubic meters of fresh water per year. For comparison: in Egypt - 30 cubic meters per person per year, in Israel - 150 cubic meters.
The fact that in our country, according to experts, the situation with fresh water is better than in other countries, does not mean that this resource can be taken lightly. Water must be conserved. And wise use of water will save you money. For example, when brushing your teeth or shaving, turn off the faucet. So you can save up to 15 liters per day.
- On the taps you can install special nozzles: aerators. They will restrict the flow of water.
- Much less water (and to be precise - five times) is consumed when taking a shower. Of course, sometimes you really want to relax in the bath, but you should not do it too often. In addition, doctors say that a shower (especially a contrast one) is more useful: it removes dirt better and normalizes blood circulation. But taking baths is contraindicated for some people: for example, "cores" and those who suffer from varicose veins.
— By the way, you can (and should!) save water not only in the apartment, but also in the country: for watering cucumbers, potatoes, strawberries, etc., use rainwater.
To the store with your package
Few people remember, but there were times when packages in supermarkets were given out for free: take as much as you want. Now one plastic bag costs about 5 rubles. If you go to the store twice a week and put your purchases in two bags, you will get 1040 rubles per year. With this money you can once again go to the store. Not to mention that plastic bags can take 100 to 200 years to decompose.
Special rag bags will help save yourself from unnecessary expenses, and the earth from plastic bags: they take up little space (even fit in a women's clutch), but can withstand a load of up to 10-15 kilograms. These bags are made from natural materials.
For coffee - with your cup
In the European Union, in general, they take environmental issues quite seriously: in cities everywhere there are bins for separate collection of garbage, and in Germany you can get a fine of 25-30 euros (about 1800-2100 rubles) for a cigarette butt thrown on the sidewalk (or in the bushes). ).
However, 100 tons of plastic is washed into the ocean every year from the EU. Concerned about this problem, the European commissioners plan to ban disposable plastic tableware.
You don't have to live in the European Union to refuse disposable tableware, and not only plastic, but also paper: for example, cups into which hot drinks are poured. Coffee or tea can be brewed at home, poured into a thermos and taken with you.
We usually buy coffee before work. The cost of one glass is from 100 rubles. This year, 247 working days, subtract 28 vacation days from them, 219 remain. We multiply 219 by 100 rubles, we get 21,990 rubles a year for coffee in the morning. And this is on the condition that I was very lucky to work next to an institution where a glass of cappuccino / latte costs 100 rubles. If you buy a drink for 150 rubles every day, the expenses will increase to 32,850 rubles. For this money you can buy a good coffee machine for your home.
If buying a coffee machine is not in your plans yet, get a thermo mug and ask in coffee shops to pour hot drinks into it.
Use public transport
Of course, sometimes you can’t do without a car trip, but there are many situations when you can get from point “A” to point “B” by public transport (we are talking about large cities). So you save money on gas (and in some cases - on parking), and reduce the amount of exhaust gases.
Don't Forget Second Hand
In our country, you can still encounter a dismissive attitude towards second-hand clothes: they say, there are only cast-offs. In fact, second-hand stores are full of unworn items, and, most interestingly, branded clothes that are several times cheaper than analogues from boutiques.