Green Americans are interested in green living. Many of you want to help others learn how to create a sustainable, fairer world too. To help you do that, we've put together this list of ten high-impact actions for social justice and environmental sustainability.
While these categories don’t encompass all the things you can do to help create a better future, our Green Living blog is full of more ideas and resources.
When Green Americans across the country take individual actions, they add up to a lot of change. Please share this list of sustainable living tips with your friends, family, and social networks today!
Green Living Tips:
1. Save Water
According to the EPA, the average American family typically uses over 300 gallons of water every day. With climate change causing droughts across the nation and around the world, it’s critical to save water whenever you can. And while US drinking water is safe for most people, toxic runoff from agriculture, industrial pollution, fossil fuels, and degraded lead-pipe infrastructure has put thousands of communities at risk. Take care not to toss chemicals down your drain at home, to avoid polluting local water tables, and to conserve water whenever you can.
2. Go Nontoxic at Home
You’ve probably heard the statistic from the EPA about indoor air being up to ten times more polluted than outdoor air, due to the toxic chemicals often found in conventional cleaners and other products. If you haven’t yet done anything about it, make this the year to start. When you choose eco-friendly, less-toxic cleaning products, detergents, fragrances, candles, body care, and more, you keep your indoor air cleaner and make your home healthier for yourself and your family.
3. Green Your Closet
Americans buy too much clothing, and it’s glutting landfills. In addition, donated clothing often winds up being sent to developing countries, where it’s overwhelming local economies. The prescription for all this waste? If you want to live sustainably, buy less, and when you do buy, buy organic and green clothing that lasts longer than flimsy “fast fashion” pieces.
4. Green Your Energy Use
If you really take advantage of all of the opportunities to amp up the energy efficiency of your home and office, it’s possible to shave your energy bill in half. And then, green the rest of your energy use to reduce your carbon footprint even more.
5. Bank and Invest Responsibly
Your money can do good in the world, if you put it in the right places. By choosing socially responsible bank accounts and investment products, your finances can work for you and for people and the planet. Right now, more than $8.7 trillion under professional management is invested responsibly, adding up to a lot of economic power pressuring corporations to clean up their acts.
6. Choose “Good Food”
At Green America, we work towards a world that has organic food, planted and harvested fairly in ways that don’t exploit farmworkers, and isn’t cruel and inhumane to animals. Lately, we’ve also started including food grown using regenerative farming methods, as well. Regenerative agriculture heals the soil, so it can better act as a carbon sink. Studies like those conducted by Rodale have found that a global switch to regenerative farming could actually reverse the climate crisis.
7. Build Green
Buildings—new and existing—have a huge impact on the environment. By implementing green features and using renewable or recycled and salvaged materials, home and building owners can live more sustainable and greatly reduce a building’s impact on the environment and the climate.
8. Reuse and Recycle
Reusing products instead of buying them new—whether you find innovative ways to use things you already own, or swap, buy, or barter for someone else’s items—helps save energy, curb global warming emissions, and preserve the Earth’s precious resources. Choosing reusable products instead of single-use throwaways (bottled water, anyone?) curbs waste and reduces the burden on landfills, as well.
And, whenever possible, recycle unwanted items that can’t be reused to preserve resources.
9. Green Your Transportation
Transportation is one of the world’s largest sources of global-warming pollution. Walk, bike, or take public transit instead of driving. You’ll cut down on air pollution and help reduce emissions that are contributing to the climate crisis.
10. Travel Sustainably
Air travel in particular contributes to climate change, and so do all of the vehicles on roads worldwide. Whenever you can, walk, bike, or take public transportation to curb air pollution and global warming emissions. And when it’s time to go on vacation, choosing locally owned hotels, organic restaurants, and green businesses can help minimize your travel footprint.
We hope these ten green living suggestions illustrate how you can live a sustainable life and adopt earth-friendly habits. Please share this post with friends and family!
