From Guest Blogger Dana: Earth-friendly Living

Living in harmony with our surroundings was once the only way of surviving on this planet for the human race. We had to know our environment in order to defend from numerous predators and tame the nature around us in order to make it hospitable to the best of our ability. Unfortunately, we’ve got a bit carried away a couple of centuries ago, as it seems. We started changing the world around us almost uncontrollably, intoxicated with everything we could do, always wanting more, bigger and cheaper. Now the time had come for us to reduce our impact on the environment before we find ourselves once again fighting for survival, this time with no one but us to blame. The only way to do so is that we all pitch in and contribute to make the world we live in healthier. Here are some ways you can do so on a daily basis.

1. Precycle. Think about your habits regarding packaging. Do not take a plastic bag unless you absolutely have to and try to always buy everything you can without packaging, including meat, vegetables etc.

2. Use reusable coffee mugs. When you can, bring your reusable coffee mug and avoid paper and/or plastic cups.

3. Drink local. Smaller breweries offer many advantages in terms of ecological benefits. On a more personal note, they also generally offer better and healthier drinks, whatever your poison of choice may be, than almost any industrial alternative.

4. Cut down on meat. First of all, contrary to popular belief, it is not healthy. Until relatively recently, people simply didn’t have the means to eat nearly as much meat as it is done in many parts of the world today and our bodies are not used to it. Secondly, the methane emissions from cows have around 20 times bigger warming potential than all of the vehicles in the world combined and entire forests are turn into pastures daily in order to keep up with our daily meat-eating habits.

5. Use natural skin-care products. There are many alternatives from which to choose from and more of them are becoming available every day. Keep in mind that almost all substances forbidden today were once all the rage and read the declarations religiously. If you cannot pronounce it, don’t buy it. You will only have to adapt your habits in this aspect once, but that is once more than many people are ready to try.

6. Mind your trash. It is obvious, but also worth repeating, considering how many people have ill-advised habits when it comes to garbage disposal. Never leave anything behind and clean after yourself, so no one else has to.

7. Switch to paperless bills. Not only will it reduce the impact of the environment, but it is incomparably cheaper, as well. Be sure to also advise others to do so, as many people cannot be bothered to do it or such a possibility hadn’t cross their mind.

8. Use vegetable oil instead of petrol. We all have to travel and the world cannot operate without internal combustion engine. It is just the way it is, but it is at least our duty to use alternative fuel, especially considering you can grow your petrol yourself, so to speak.

9. Clean naturally. The current selection of cleaning products truly boggles the mind, especially considering they can be considered redundant. Baking soda, vinegar and corn starch are environmentally superior alternatives for cleaning, deodorizing, scouring, removing grease and just about everything you can think of in everyday cleaning requirements. It goes without saying you should also avoid using paper towels and disposable material, such as cleaning gloves.

10. Learn to appreciate water. Many of us have, after watching a movie set in the desert or some other dry place, thought about how precious water actually is… For about two minutes. Then we set about our business as usual. Make a habit of closing the tap when you are brushing or shaving, as around 5/6 of the total amount of water is just sent down the drain when leave the water running. Revise your habits regarding usage of water on other occasions and get used to treating it as a precious commodity it is.

There are plenty more ways for us to contribute to the transition towards a greener world. Just look around you and learn to notice everything you and people around you take for granted and all too often waste carelessly out of pure habit. The more you learn, the more you will want to contribute, and by sharing the knowledge you acquire on your micro-ecological quests will inspire others to follow your example.