Eat locally
Some of the most profound negative impacts on the environment are directly related to agriculture. Phillip Elden explains that mass farming practices and excessive preservation methods have depleted the nutritional value of most conventionally sourced food products. For instance, studies have found that organically-derived milk contains greater than 65% more omega-3 fatty acids than “regular” milk. Buying fresh, local foods also helps to stimulate the local economy and reduces reliance on cross country transportation, which in itself is a detriment to the environment.
Recharge your home
Phillip Elden explains that renewable, clean power is not something hiding in the shadows, it’s already available to almost everyone. Most municipal power companies offer homeowners the option to purchase renewable energy credits or utilize solar power cells. Implementing these or other alternate renewable energy sources can lower a home’s electricity consumption and reduce the costs associated with leaving a large electrical footprint.
Listen to Mother Nature
The first step in reducing the amount of wasted consumables is to take a cue from nature and simply recycle everything, says Phillip Elden. This could mean anything from buying secondhand clothing to utilizing neighborhood paper, plastic, and aluminum recycling bins. Manufacturing textiles and paper products uses huge amounts of energy, labor, pesticides, and water.
Stop water wasting
Finally, Phillip Elden says that it’s important to remember that water is not a freely-available global resource. The opposite is true. Clean, potable water is one of the Earth’s most limited resources. He suggests drinking tap or filtered water from home instead of buying plastic bottles of water which, ironically, use more water to manufacture than is bottled for consumption.
