Environmental Quality

The Environment plays an important role in our lives and has a major impact on life on earth. With over 80% of our planet covered by water, forests and tropical areas, we are bound to find ways to protect them from harmful environmental effects. Our surroundings are extremely delicate but also offer immense opportunities and threats to our health and ecosystems. We have the chance to learn about nature and how it impacts us all. As human beings, we can take care of our environment in numerous ways; one such example could be the use of organic products. If used right, they can be very beneficial to both our health and our environment. Here’s a rundown of some of the most beneficial options that we as individuals can use to help our environment.

Use Organic Food

One of the biggest advantages of utilizing organic food is that they are much more environmentally friendly than its conventional counterparts. They provide many different environmental benefits due to the fact that they consist of less carbon and therefore can cause far fewer greenhouse gases. Additionally, organic foods are healthy. Many people do not realize this but eating organic leafy vegetables could contribute greatly to our overall health. This includes heart disease and diabetes. One particular area where these foods can have a serious impact on overall health is our brain, specifically Alzheimer’s. In fact, studies show that consuming organically sourced vegetables can increase the chances of getting the disorder. While it does not directly mean that consumption of organic greens is helpful for brain health, it’s definitely a good idea to consume at least some organic greens a day. Keep in mind that if you do choose to consume only organic greens, you should always check with your local government about whether or not pesticides are utilized on them. This information will assist you in making informed decisions when purchasing organic greens so that you get yourself the best possible nutrition.

Use Eco-Friendly Plastic Recyclable Containers

Eco-plastic reusable containers are great alternatives to plastic bottles because of the way they act both environmentally and economically. When compared to plastic bottles, eco bottles are approximately 18 times cheaper and they actually last twice longer as single-use plastic bottles. These recyclable single-use plastic bottles contain several dangerous substances, are highly flammable and pose certain risks, like carcinogenic toxins. Because of this, using recycled plastic bottles is recommended, however, it is wiser to purchase a reusable plastic container for personal use as well. Reusing bottles means you have plenty of fresh, unopened bottles each week of the year to create additional income.

Use Natural Personal Care Products

As mentioned above, there are numerous benefits of using natural personal care products. Most of these types of products can reduce the risk of contaminating pollute and conserve water supplies, soil and air. For instance, coconut oil has been shown to decrease the risk of lung cancer and it is now the go-to product for those who intend to drink it. Of course, this doesn’t mean drinking it all on a daily basis and as suggested below, never apply it to any other type of product you may use. But rather apply just on specific instances of use and pay attention to the health implications. You can’t utilize coconut oil when working out – unless it’s blended with honey – and it’s never advisable to drink the mixture when working out since it contains vitamin E acetate, which has been shown to interfere with thyroid function when taken in significant amounts. Another alternative is olive oil. Not only is it considered safe by federal authorities and can reduce your risk, but, it has been found to be the safest personal care product available at present. All said and done, the truth is that neither option is perfect in regard to the environment, especially when considering climate change. The main point is to try and use whatever’s available to you with the intent to make the best choice for you. Also, as previously mentioned, only drinking organic greens might seem like the only alternative you can find, but this isn’t always true. There are a variety of organic greens that can increase the quality of your diet even further. A list of the top five organic greens includes broccoli, parsley, jenny and mustard leaves.

Get Rid of Your Pesticide Residue

Although we cannot control certain environmental conditions, we can do things to prevent them. To begin with, we can recycle plastics! Just like we saw throughout the introduction, we can utilize recyclable plastic bottles to make ends meet and reduce our overall impact of plastic garbage. Secondly, we can get rid of pesticide residue from household cleaning products, particularly insecticides. Unfortunately, the best part of this sort of cleanup is that once we start this sort of clean-up, we are able to save money in the long run. Finally, we can buy low-impact laundry detergent on the market, like Tofino Laundry Detergent. Although it does have a tendency to cause some discomfort to the skin and ears after application, no long-term health concerns should be put on hold as long as this product is around.

Get Yourself Covered

One of the best methods to combat damage caused by pollution is simply by staying home as much as we can! By covering our home with graffiti art, we are actively keeping pollution away from our home! Next, when cooking and preparing meals, we can ensure that there are proper disposal methods. Lastly, we have the ability to stay hydrated throughout the duration of the meal through fruit juices. Water is a huge resource and it’s something we can use in abundance to aid our metabolism and keep ourselves hydrated all through the day and night!

For More Information & Resources

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a full website dedicated to monitoring and protecting our oceans! Visit here for a detailed overview of what is happening within the ocean and what we need to do to protect it. As it turns out, even we as individual humans can play an incredibly positive role in protecting the world we live in by participating in activities like the following.

Go Nature Walking

Go outside and walk around. It’s easy to fall into unhealthy habits like being sedentary, which can lead to downwind bacteria that can affect many systems in our bodies. Going outdoors, on the flip side of this, can also enhance your sense of adventure and take your mind off of potential threats like traffic. Even the simplest walking exercise can have profound benefits in the prevention of our environment. Like the old adage goes “we go around the world not while we sleep but while we look.” If we want to protect our environment by simply going out more, walkers and joggers can help us become better stewards of nature.

Get involved in recycling programs

One of the biggest benefits of recycling is that it helps to reduce our overall impact on resources and helps to save money. By taking advantage of these two, we can help our planet to survive. However, we must understand that there is a downside to recycling, too. Many landfill sites were built without consideration of the effect of incineration, pollution and depletion of oxygen. We have the opportunity to make a difference here by using our recycling efforts to preserve our planet and lessen our impact. Whether you are a believer in biodegradable plastics or are interested in joining a program focused on restoring trees across landfills, we can help others in minimizing our impact by helping reduce our footprint.

Support organic farming

The USDA estimates that roughly 20 per cent of farmland globally consists of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, mainly nitrates. The World Wildlife Fund reports that these chemical pollutants kill nearly 100 million birds annually. Through farming, farmers can produce less toxic plants and animals, which results in reduced consumption of synthetic N, and therefore reduces environmental burdens like those associated with fertilizer overuse! Agriculture is a proven method of mitigating our impact. Farming techniques allow us to enjoy a healthier plant life, and we even gain economic benefits; we increase yields, reduce costs and even eliminate hunger.

Get Involved in Greenpeace

One of the biggest ways Greenpeace can help our environment is by supporting boycotts of companies, businesses and other entities that support fossil fuel technology. These same companies can do their part to stop nuclear power production and can promote renewable energy technologies like solar and wind. Greenpeace does more than simply raise awareness of the dangers we face as members of the community, it has also gotten itself involved throughout North America. Since 1995, the organization has helped to organize a range of protests against companies like McDonald's and Walmart for removing animal testing procedures. Nowadays, Greenpeace takes action in the form of issuing cease-and-desist letters and public boycotts in order to fight back against the industry that threatens to harm our planet. As seen today, Greenpeace is still having an impact – albeit a limited one – thanks to organizations like Green House Society, GSDN and Greenpeace USA, among others. So what’s next? After researching this topic thoroughly, I would propose a model to address this issue. As a result of my research, I would recommend reducing deforestation by planting trees in undeveloped areas. Over a period of at least 10 years, trees planted over a large portion of existing forests in Africa and South America should be able to absorb 90–95 per cent of atmospheric CO2. That is significant, considering that most deforestation in South and Central America involves soybeans and soybean plantations.

These steps are merely a bare minimum, but I hope they can give you the inspiration to build your own eco-friendly home on your own.