4 Easy Ways to Lighten your Ecological Footprint Today!

We come face to face with hundreds of decisions a day, from the moment we wake up to the time we decide to turn in for the night.

Should I snooze for an extra five? Do I really need to take a shower? Boots or Converse? Do I have time to make coffee? The list goes on… and that’s just within the first hour of waking! From sunrise to sunset, our day is abundantly full of decision making. There is no one else making choices for ourselves except, well, ourselves. It’s truly mind boggling when you actually think about all of the decisions we make in a day! So in light of Earth Month, and this rediscovery of the impact of our personal choices, I am challenging myself to make smarter decisions that positively impact the earth.

Sometimes just trying to figure out where to start to lessen your “ecological footprint” can be overwhelming. An “ecological footprint” is defined as the measure of human demand on nature. It compares human consumption of natural resources with earth’s ecological capacity to regenerate them. A “carbon footprint” is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere as people go about their routine daily activities. We all will leave a footprint on the earth from the simple act of living, but it’s up to us how big that footprint becomes. There are simple things we can do today to lessen our impact on the earth. We might not be able to buy an eco-friendly car or purchase energy-efficient appliances right this minute, but there are many small steps that we can take each day to affect the world. Read on to see how, through the act of conscious decision-making, you can reduce the size of your ecological footprint and help the earth now:

footprint

Choose to walk, take mass transportation, carpool, or bike to get to one destination today. Whether it’s your commute to work or simply walking to grab lunch, choose to forgo your car just once today.

Choose organic and local food for one meal today. Think about how much energy was put into growing and transporting the food you eat. Seasonal, vegetarian, and local foods require much less energy.

Choose to dispose of your trash correctly. Recycling paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, as well as composting all organic waste, will help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with landfills.

Decide to stop using “throw away” items such as napkins, paper plates and cups, and plastic utensils. Unfortunately, I am a big offender of using “throw away” coffee cups (with lids and sleeves – I know, I know!) and stocking up on napkins with my to-go lunches. Eek again! But today, I am choosing to use my own coffee traveler, reusable napkins and silverware. I invite you to do the same!

footprint

I realize that the many of us do these things already and there are tons more we can do to lighten our ecological footprint on the world today. This list is short and these things may seem small but they are significant! Join me today – we all have to (re)start somewhere.

+ I would love to hear some of the ways you are going to positively impact the earth today! Please share in the comments!

Follow along with all of our #FPEarthMonth posts on BLDG 25!

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8 years ago

These are such fantastic, achievable, and realistic ways to reduce what we use! I am definitely very mindful of using disposables and recycling properly. I wish there were better plans in place for things like kcups and dunkin donuts styrofoam.

Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com

Jan
8 years ago

These are small stepping stones. As a Zero Waste Specialist I am in favor of people incorporating more sustainable practices. For more ideas on how to move towards zero waste go to sites such as CalRecyle, EPA, Earth 911, and harrisandyou.wordpress.com. Thank you FreePeople!

Bec
8 years ago

Great tips – I’m trying to eat as local as possible. I also try to remember my own bags when I go shopping. It doesn’t seem like much but…every bit counts!

8 years ago

What fabulous ideas! I love eating at least one vegetarian or even vegan meal a day, as well as walking and running everywhere!

8 years ago

Right now in Sweden the wild garlic is perfect. So yesterday I foraged some and made a pesto (with cashews, olive oil, salt, lemon juice and a hint of honey) and had it with a zucchini noodle salad. It was awesome. Other good stuff to forage in spring are delicate nettles and ground elder – make pesto, soup, put in your green smoothie or dry and make a super food powder. <3 EARTH.

8 years ago

Wonderful ideas! You’re one step closer in reducing your footprint! I hope more people see all the benefits from going waste free and, in fact, start thinking instead of just consuming.