EAT THOSE VEGGIES! Consume less beef, the production and consumption of food has a immense impact on our environment and overall health of our planet.
1. Food
The things we eat, from meat products to the chips we snack on and the milk we drink, affect our environment. Reducing your consumption of beef, steak and pork products to smaller animals like chicken and turkeys, really does make a difference in the way in which our planet can thrive. Embracing a more plant based diet, and just being more conscientious about what we're eating and it's impact on the environment, is a huge step in reducing the amount of green house emissions going into our atmosphere, as well as maintaining healthy soils. Livestock is a major source of green house emissions, and is in fact the third largest contributor to global green house emissions. In 2010, the total amount of green house gas emissions emitted from livestock agriculture was 4.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide. If we continue the rate of green house gases being emitted from meat and livestock production, we will completely and totally deplete the soil and groundwater sources that are the most necessary for our survival as a species.
Choosing organic and local foods, helps limit the amount of fossil fuels being emitted into the air by transportation systems that bring the food to you. Reducing your food waste, by saving excess food and freezing it for later consumption helps to not waste food. The United States produces enough food to feed the whole entire world, yet we waste 40 percent of the food we make. Changing your eating habits, and being more conscientious about the impact of what we are consuming and how we are consuming it, WILL make a difference!
2. Clothing
Fast fashion just means more trash! As consumers, it's our job to buy things. But our actions buying goods isn't helping the planet. It's hurting it. We as individuals must reverse our current course of overconsumption. The average American discards a good just bought, in about 90 days. This product adds up to the amount of waste being produced, which is again hurting our environment. In addition to the amount of waste being produced from just buying clothing, our clothes are made up of polyesters, chemicals and other synthetics that affect our health. Synthetic dyes from our clothing are ending up in our oceans and fresh water systems, polluting the environment, destroying habitats and ecosystems for the biota that live there, as well as poisoning our drinking water. Buying less stuff, and buying more durable, reusable and recycled products, limits our waste and carbon footprint on this precious planet we call home.
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia Inc. is an incredible and insightful book on the ways in which we are affecting our environment as consumers, and how we should change our ways!
Buying more = more waste! Buy less and buy goods that will last long for wear. Reuse them, recycle them, and repair them! Vintage has ALWAYS been in fashion!
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