You don’t have to be a major corporation or a government to make a difference in the environment. Even the actions of an individual can have a lasting impact on the world around them. Over the past few decades, the conservation movement has grown in size, as more people realize the importance of taking care of the world around them. With just a little bit of planning and mindfulness, you, too, can bring conservation practices into your life.
Believe it or not, planting a garden is a great way to go green. The vegetable garden you plant in your backyard provides you with fresh produce, which means you have to buy less at the store. You, also, get the benefit of knowing what chemicals are in your vegetables. If you don’t want to grow vegetables, then plant a flower garden. Besides looking beautiful, these collections of flowers and other plants provide food and shelter for insects and birds during the summer months.
Conserve Water by Watering the Right Way
Now that you’ve got your garden planted, it has to be watered. To make sure your plants get the most out of the watering, do it in the morning when evaporation rates are at their lowest. This way, more water gets into the soil and to your plants’ roots. You’ll also want to use irrigation hoses or drip lines, which provide a steady drip of water to your plants without spraying it over the lawn or patio. In addition to drip lines, capturing rainwater in large buckets can give you a constant supply of free water for your gardens.
Composting is a Safe Way to Fertilize
With your garden planted and growing, you’re going to want to put some fertilizer on it. Unfortunately, chemical fertilizers can be harmful to the environment, our pets, and our families. An environmentally friendly alternative is the compost heap. Composting is a means by which we take nature’s process of breaking down organic matter and speed it up. Depending on the size of your compost pile, you can have a fresh supply of rich organic material in less than two months; of course, larger piles will take longer to turn into compost.
Help Farmers by Joining a CSA
If you don’t have the space to put in a garden, but you still want to gain the benefits of fresh produce, consider joining a CSA (community-supported agriculture). CSA’s generally involve a group of consumers who team up with a farmer. The consumers agree to fund the farmer’s crop for a season, usually through the payment of dues, and then they get to share in the produce at the end of the growing season. This concept has proven so successful that it has grown beyond single consumer-farmer arrangements to also include consumers and multiple farmers working together.
At its core, the CSA is a way for non-farmers to enjoy the health benefits of freshly grown produce without having to own a farm. It, also, provides the farmers with a guaranteed market for the crops they grow. In recent years, CSA’s have expanded beyond produce to include such things as eggs, meat, and even flowers.
Light Bulbs Are Energy Hogs
In addition to agriculture, there are many steps you can take in your day to day life to be more environmentally friendly. One of the easiest ways to do this is to change out your light bulbs. This simple act can reduce your energy consumption and make a noticeable reduction in your electric bill. Another way to reduce your energy bill is to turn off appliances, computers, and lights when you’re not using them.
Water Conservation Means Clean Drinking Water for Everyone
Water conservation makes up a large part of the conservation movement. This makes sense because, without clean drinking water, we cannot survive. People tend to think that water is an unlimited resource but, in fact, only 3 percent of the water on Earth is drinkable. To help conserve water, individuals, corporations, and governments have come up with ways to encourage people to use less. For example, the Cadiz Water Project of Southern California was created to help create a sustainable water supply for the local residents.
You can take steps around your house to conserve water, too. Simply by shutting off the faucet when you are washing your hands or shaving can cut down your water usage. In addition, there are a variety of low-flush toilets on the market for when you’re ready to stop flushing your water down the drain. Even a small step like using a timer to ensure you take shorter showers can make an impact on your water usage over time.
The Earth is a big place, and it seems like she’ll be around forever. It’s up to us, though, to keep her healthy. By making changes in our day-to-day routine, we can have a lasting positive impact on the environment and ensure future generations have a safe place to live.