Eco Essence

What is the fuss about. Hasn’t the world evolved to make life easier. Sometimes it feels like we are moving backwards. We evolved from paper to plastic bags. Paper bags that tear easily, aren’t waterproof, cost way more whereas ta plastic bag is more durable, way easier to carry and far more useful in bad weather. But the fact of the matter is if we don’t take a step back from our situation, re-evaluate our choices towards the environment, start to preserve and conserve ourselves more, there is not going to be much left over. Of us and the environment. We should practice an environmentally friendly lifestyle. If we don’t, a list of damage will peak its head out. In fact, it has already started to show its hole face. Pollution, deforestation, flooding. The hotter temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions, causes melting of the icebergs.

Everybody needs to make a change in their lifestyle. Whether you are the most caring person or the most selfish. Caring comes easier for some people more than others. But even if all you care about is your comfort, changing your lifestyle is vital. Environmental negligence can cause health problems like respiratory disease – meaning it becomes more difficult to breathe in pure, clean oxygen. Especially when you live in a city. Heart diseases – when you breathe in this poor quality of air, it can travel deep into your bloodstream, through your lungs and to your heart. Damaging your blood vessels by making them narrower and harder.

so before we get a heart attack, here are what we can do in our daily lives to make a change:

5 Daily life changes to help the environment

1. The Power of a Shower

Not just is showering cleaner than sitting in your own dirt. But you are using less water. I am not saying never ever have a bath again, grab a hammer and take your frustrations out on the bath, screw the landlord. No, No. there is nothing like a therapeutical bath with candles, essence, some bath salt, and fair amount of bubble bath. While pretending to be Chandler for FRIENDS. “I had a very long day!” Instead of taking one every night, limit yourself form every night to every three times a week. Then two times a week and then once a week.

For those who are already showering instead of pretending to be Chandler, limit your shower time. From showering until your neighbors run out of hot water, down to a 15 min shower. Then to a 10 and then a five or until you are clean.

For those who are experts at saving water, bucket bath instead of shower. So many cities are on the brink of going dry. Even if your city is not suffering yet, using a bucket instead of a shower can help utilize water.

2. Scrap the Plastic

Every part of the plastic lifestyle cause harm to our planet

Here are the best alternatives for Plastic:

-Stainless steel: it is 100% recyclable. It’s not coated with any toxic materials. Products that you could replace.

• Razors

• Straws

• Bowls

• Kitchen appliances and cutlery

• Bottles

-Wood: 100% recyclable. Wood products are actually way more durable than plastic. Wood product don’t contain any BPA. These products are always quite unique and aesthetic. Interestingly your wood product’s beauty will increase over time. Here are a couple of products to replace with wood ones.

• Toothbrush

• Hairbrush

• Cutting board

• Disposable utensils

• Keyboard and mouse

-Paper: paper decomposes much quicker than plastic. It can be repulped 5-7 times, making new products every time. Here are a couple of products to replace with paper:

• Straws

• Styrofoam packaging

• Shopping bags

• Reusable containers

• Plates

-Glass: Glass can be reused multiple times. Even though it will take very long to decompose, if we reduce it can be a product as many times as we could imagine. The glass itself looks aesthetic and unique look. Here are a couple of products to replace with glass:

• Bowls

• Plates

• Glasses or cups

• Cutting board

• Bottles

-Natural fiber cloth: sustainable clothing made from organic cotton, wool, hemp or bamboo can replace the partly plastic products

3. Bike more Drive less

A car burns so much gasoline and diesel fuel that creates a harmful byproduct such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide. When we are exposed to this toxic area our health deteriorates rapidly. As I mentioned earlier, this causes respiratory disease, cardiovascular and heart diseases. Whereas cycling improves our health. Instead of having a heart attack cycling increases your heart health. You don’t only burn calories, leaving you feeling physically good, your mental health also increases.

Biking saves so much money. Unlike cards, bikes don’t burn fuel and they certainly don’t burn a hole in your wallet either. Even when you must take your bike for repairs or a service, they don’t cost nearly as much as the expensive that would come with serving you vehicle Riding your bicycle doesn’t mean you can’t ride in style either. ‘Pimping your ride’ is much more cost effective and easier than with a car.

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Cut back on trash. Find new ways to use products or waste that would otherwise been thrown out. Turn something old, something useless into something new that can be beneficial.

-Reducing : Reducing the amount of waste that we are all so very guilty of, is a great way to benefit the environment. By reducing you stop the problem at the source. By buying less waste you are helping the clean up to become easier. Watch wat you buy. Pay attention to the products you select at the supermarket. Sometimes buying food in bulk can help because you are using less waste packaging. Look for items that can be reused and only buy products that you need. I know this one is a toughie. I have a little retail therapy problem and definitely an OCS organizing problem. So, for me, instead of buying plastic drawer organizers, I would invest in wood ones. If the time comes when they cannot be used in my house anymore, they will look perfect and aesthetic in the garden.

-Reuse : To reuse an item means that you use it again and again and again. Taking old unwanted items that you would otherwise have thrown out and finding a different purpose for them.

Start by cleaning your closet. Some clothes might be old or maybe your size changed. If your toddler has gone to pre school and that cute baby outfit makes him look like he Oros man, it is certainly time to let go, cut the losses, move on. This can also be a good excuse to get rid f that awful outfit aunt Merrill makes him ware every Christmas. He has grown, time to donate or use as an old cloth before your husband uses the kitchen cloth as the fish tank cloth.

Gert more mileage form your items. Those cute glass jars your husband makes your throughout might have a use.

They are great for storage. Whether it is an open packet of skittles or something that needs the fridge, you have a good excuse to use them.

-Recycle : recycle, converting, reclaiming, salvaging. Before throwing an item away consider where any or all the parts can be recycled. Using a product again to make an entirely new product or even three blueprints from the original, without using any ‘virgin’ resources.

Even if you feel that the product has reached the end of their journey at your house, separate them into categories such as: glass, cardboard, aluminum, lead batteries, paper compost, etc.

5. Gardening

Planting a couple of plant is extremely beneficial to the environment. Not just is the plants releasing oxygen but it is also absorbing our carbon dioxide. These individual species help sustain life on the planet. If not for plant that keeps the water cycle running by producing water vapours, we would be deep in a drought. When may trees that are removed, erosion is created along with extreme drought.Trees and plants cool down our environment. It is our natural air conditioning. They cool the streets with their leaves creating shade and releasing water from the leaves.

Plants provide us with food. But it is nor just us that want a bite. Herbivores, such as a moo cow, loves to chow down a good patch of grass and later that day, I will be thankful for lovely milkies the moo cow gave.

On the next post I will elaborate on different environmental essentials for plants.