Earth Day

Happy Earth Day lovelies!

Although earth day should be celebrated everyday it's still great that there is a specific day dedicated to it. 

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is something I strive to do every day, it may be hard sometimes but even the little things make a huge difference!

Here are some easy and small changes I try to do every day to live an eco friendly lifestyle and contribute to a healthier planet:

   Eating less meat- Believe it or not cutting back on meat makes a huge difference in the environment since more than 30 percent of the earth's surface is used to raise livestock and cutting back on meat reduces the overall emission of global warming potential (CO2) gases. I only eat meat maybe like three times a week but I'm working on cutting down and going for healthier alternatives. In the end you're contributing to a healthier you and healthier planet, so it's a win-win! :)

    Recycling- Whether it's plastic, paper, glass, cardboard boxes, etc. It seriously makes a difference.  Although it's hard sometimes not to take to-go plastic cups wherever, I've been trying  to sip my coffee or tea in an actual mug instead while enjoying the environment inside a cafe or restaurant. I also used to carry so many plastic water bottles around but now I opt for a glass water bottle and re-use it instead. The same goes with recycling plastic bags whenever going to the grocery store so I just bring my own bags when grocery shopping to avoid buying any bags. 

   Thrifting- Thrifting and recycling clothes/fabric makes a great difference instead of buying new fashion styles every season. Although it's tempting to check out and try every single new fashion trend (even for me!) believe it or not fast fashion also contributes to global warming. Fast fashion is the second most polluting business after oil, which is a huge impact on our environment. So cutting back on this is something I'm working on too. I've been recycling by taking old and new clothing, shoes, accessories, etc to  places like: Goodwill, Crossroads Trading Co. and Buffalo Exchange.

 Conserving Water- Having been in a drought-ridden state it's important to conserve and recycle water which makes a huge difference for our environment.  Anything from taking shorter showers,  washing less laundry loads, or using the dishwasher instead of washing dishes by hand since more water is wasted this way. 

Supporting local businesses and farmer markets- I love supporting my local farmer's market and buying organic locally grown produce and other handmade products.  Food in the U.S. travels approximately 1,500 miles to get to different grocery stores and it takes large amounts of natural resources for shipping which contributes to pollution. Industrial agriculture uses up more resources which pollutes water, land, and air than sustainable agriculture. Food and products from a farmer's market generally use less resources and are grown using methods that minimize pollution. 

x

StephC