10 Small Tips to Make a Difference on Earth Day & Beyond
People are making a greater effort to take care of the earth. Earth Day, on April 22nd each year, serves as a nice reminder of little things we can do for our planet. Whether it’s planning a more sustainable home, an eco-friendly vacation, or taking small measures in our daily lives, we can make a difference.
At Car Generator we love our time with nature and want to do our part for the planet. Here are 10 things you can do on Earth Day and every day. It doesn’t hurt that a lot of these items are integral parts of off-grid and sustainable living.
Rethink How You Use Your Car
Travel responsibly. When you can, bike, walk, take public transit, or car pool. Not only will this save you money, but it’s also good for your health, your wallet, and the earth. When you need to use your car to run errands, group them together to use your time and fuel efficiently.
Stop Eating Meat & Dairy (or Cut Down)
Research by the Environmental Working Group revealed that red meat accounts for 10 to 40 times the greenhouse emissions than most veggies and grains. It takes a lot of food to feed dairy cows, and this food could go towards feeding humans. Not willing to give up dairy or meat? Not a problem. Consider picking a day or two a week, like ‘meatless Mondays’ to reduce your carbon footprint.
Fast fashion is bad for the environment. Focus your money on quality goods and capsule wardrobes to get more bang for your buck. Just 1KG of fabric used in clothing causes 23KG of greenhouse gas. Darn socks with a hole in them, turn that old shirt into a dust rag, and look to used clothing vendors to offload gear you no longer want and to buy ‘new to you’ essentials. When you need something specific for limited use (like a rain poncho), tent, or hammock, ask around to borrow. Odds are others will be happy to have their seldom used specialty items go to good use.
Real Expiration Dates
Throwing out food is wasteful. Look at your fridge and cupboards before you shop, to use up food and prevent waste. Remember that food past its expiry date isn’t always unsafe to eat. Before you throw out that yogurt that expired today, see if it’s salvageable. We’re not suggesting you eat food that’s gone bad but trust your sense of smell before tossing out perfectly good food.
Get a Green Thumb
A great skill of preppers and environmentalists alike is gardening. Learn life skills that can help provide food for you and your family. Don’t want to garden? Shop your local farmers’ markets to save energy on shipping, waste from packaging, and enjoy the best of what is in season.
Start Composting
Composting makes great soil for your garden. It also cuts down on the solid waste that your family is putting into landfills each week.
Use Refillable Everything
By purchasing yourself a refillable water bottle, coffee mug, and reusable lunch containers you can make a difference each day. Throw away packaging is wasteful.
Rethink Vacations
Vacations don’t need to be in distant lands. Consider driving instead of flying for shorter trips. One short flight can make up 10 percent of your yearly carbon emissions. Research travel by train or bus and make your trip about the journey as well as the destination.
Home Maintenance
Small changes like cleaning your air filters, getting a programmable thermostat, and turning off the lights helps the environment. Consider hanging your clothes to dry to save money and energy from your dryer. Even doing this for one load a week will make an impact.
Pack a Tote
Buy some cloth reusable grocery bags and use them each time you shop. This will save you money, and help you avoid accumulating a mountain of plastic each time you buy groceries.
Happy Earth Day Everyone!
