The Importance Of Sustainable Living And How It Can Improve Our Lives
Sustainability is a term that gets thrown around a lot in conversation these days, but what does it actually mean? There is no perfect definition of sustainable living as it can come down to personal interpretation. However, there are lots of common actions and lifestyle changes that create a sustainable way of life. This post will explore the importance of sustainable living and how it can improve our lives.
What Is Sustainable Living?
Sustainable living means that individuals utilize renewable and natural resources as a way of minimizing waste and maintaining environmental resources for future generations to come. The lifestyle aims to reduce one’s carbon footprint and help to make a positive impact on the environment to help counteract the damage.
How Sustainable Living Can Be Achieved
There are many lifestyle tweaks and changes you can make to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. Below are the key components to living sustainably.
Reducing Individual Modes of Transportation
One way to achieve a sustainable lifestyle is to reduce individual modes of transport. For example, instead of driving to work, consider walking, taking the bus, cycling, or even carpooling. If you are someone who cannot live without a car, then consider replacing your car with a fuel-efficient hybrid or electric car.
Opting For A Plant-Based Diet
Another way people take on sustainable living is by opting for a plant-based diet or by cutting out meat. As explained by the folks at Whole People, the vegan diet is entirely plant-based and meat and dairy are removed, whereas, in a vegetarian diet, dairy can be consumed. Plant-heavy diets have been known to reduce emissions and also have been associated with lower rates of chronic illness. According to a study conducted in 2016, emissions could be reduced by 70% through opting for a vegan diet, and 63% for a vegetarian diet. Those percentages are extremely high and demonstrate just how important it is to reduce the consumption of meat. If you need inspiration for recipes, you can look online for tips and tricks to make a plant-based diet both easy and delicious. Research has shown time and time again that less meat leads to less carbon. For many, the idea of switching to a plant-rich diet can be daunting, but it does not have to be all or nothing, you can reduce your meat slowly as opposed to cutting it out instantly. The impact of being a flexitarian is far from insignificant.
Growing Your Own Food
Growing your own food is not only good for the environment, but it is also good for your mental health too. There is a strong link between improved mental health after nurturing and growing plants and foods. It can act as a type of therapy for some people. What’s more, growing your own food reduces carbon and increases biodiversity.
Local farming has surged in popularity in recent years, so why not give it a go? If gardening is a new concept to you, or perhaps you do not have an outdoor space, try growing some herbs by your window and take it from there. You will get a great sense of satisfaction when you get to incorporate your homegrown herbs into your cooking.
Minimizing Food Waste
Food waste is one of the worst problems that is facing our world. It currently makes up 8% of all emissions and this number is ridiculous as the problem can be so easily solved. Too often individuals take the stance that their behavior will not change anything, but if everyone takes this approach then nothing will ever change.
You can reduce food waste by shopping more tactically, so with better meal planning, you will be less likely to throw away food. What’s more, if you buy foods that are close to their expiration date, this will stop them from being sent to landfills.
Using Renewable Energy
Using renewable energy is a big priority when it comes to achieving a sustainable lifestyle. Not only are we depleting our fossil fuels at an alarming rate, but their extraction is highly damaging to the planet as they release excess amounts of CO2 emissions. Renewable energy relies on sources that are not limited, for example, wind, water, sun, and geothermal. The benefits of using renewable energy are profound as it positively impacts both the environment and the economy. If you want to start making a change in your life, one way to do that is to switch to using renewable energy in your home.
What Are The Benefits Of Sustainable Living?
There are plenty of benefits that come with sustainable living. The term itself tells us that it is a means of sustaining life on the planet. Climate change is a real problem facing our society and if society continues to go on the way that it is, soon the planet will become an unlivable climate. Here are a few examples of the many benefits that come with sustainable living:
- It will reduce your energy costs.
- You will live a healthier lifestyle and be less prone to experiencing chronic diseases.
- If you have a family, you will raise self-aware children.
- You will help conserve the planet’s natural resources.
- Going green will reduce your impact on environmental pollution.
- It is an economical way of living that will save you money.
The list of benefits is plentiful, and these benefits act to improve your wellbeing whilst simultaneously acting to protect the planet.
Sustainable living is a spectrum, as mentioned earlier it does not have to be a case of all or nothing. You can make small changes here and there in your life and every little tweak will make a difference. So whether that is reducing your plastic usage or only eating meat twice a week, if everyone took on these small changes the world would be in a significantly better place.
In many ways, sustainable living is a philosophy that is based on being kind to the planet. Once you get to grips with it yourself, gently encourage those around you, whether that is family, friends, partners, or colleagues, to think about the benefits of taking the steps to achieve sustainable living.
