How to Be More Environmentally Aware at Home

By Tarsun Moua & Katelyn Phan

Climate change and the environment have always been circulating in the news. Some believe that climate change is not real or that it is not a serious issue, despite these claims, our climate has been changing drastically and it needs to be given more attention. What can we do to help slow the spread of climate change you may ask? It all comes down to the little things we can do in our homes to make small steps towards making cleaner earth. 

With the pandemic going on, this is the prime opportunity to make a difference to our changes in climate. There are various ways in which we can help the area around us simply from our homes. Here are 5 tips and changes that we can make in our daily lives to slowly improve the circumstances in our surroundings and better the environment. 

1. Use less paper and start recycling more. By doing this, it can effectively reduce the amount of paper produced and more trees to be filled in forests. According to the article, Ten Easy Ways To Live A More Eco-Friendly Lifestyle, the author stated that “By recycling one short ton (0.91 t) of paper you can save 17 mature trees, according to the EPA.” This demonstrates how using less paper can have a big impact on the environment and the benefits that come with it. 
2. Prioritize choosing cloth over the paper, not only would you be saving money but you can also help our forests with the reduction of paper usage. Instead of purchasing rolls of paper towels, you could be using an old t-shirt that you could use as a rag. This demonstrates how the use of paper is slowly deteriorating our forests
3. Cut down energy usage in your home. The same article above states that unplugging appliances when they are not in use or using drying racks when you wash your clothes can be ways to lessen your electricity output. The use of electricity leads to the emissions of air pollutants which can be harmful to the environment. Not only does it help the air, but it also lessens your bill!
4. Actively look for eco-friendly materials on the things we purchase. According to the article How to be more eco-friendly in everyday life, author Imran Rahman-Jones states that one states that “Not only do they feel a lot nicer when you wear them, but they don’t contain things like microfibres that go into our water and marine life when we wash our clothes.” This represents how looking for eco-friendly items directly impacts the wildlife and environment around us. 
5. Be aware of your use of plastic. Jones recommends that people should buy unpackaged fruit and vegetables or purchase cans and cardboard instead of purchasing these items that are contained with plastic in supermarkets. Plastic is one of the biggest major threats in our environment, it is a substance that cannot biodegrade which leads to it sticking around and causing harm. 

The environment is something that must be taken care of for us to continue to survive. We must make changes in our lives to do our best to preserve and ensure that it continues to stay healthy for our future. There are various ways of helping the world in our daily lives, with everyone’s contributions, it can soon lead to the environment improving day by day that can not only help the world but for us human beings as well.