Garden made largely from recycled materials.[/caption]Samantha Greenbaum---We all wish we could be a little more environmentally friendly in our daily lives. Living a "green" lifestyle has become fairly trendy over the last several years, but it goes further than that. People everywhere are starting to realize the impact they have on the environment, and would like help make this world a little cleaner.
Unfortunately, modern life doesn't exactly lend itself to living green. In the United States, people purchase wasteful disposable products because they're cheaper, and they would rather throw their garbage into trash cans because it's easier than recycling. On top of all that, they need to have all their lights on, their TVs and computers running throughout the day, and they habitually use more water than they need.
When it comes to being environmentally friendly, Americans talk the talk without walking the walk. Their wasteful lifestyles are often due to habits they established years ago. In fact, most are not even aware of how wasteful they really are.
It's tough to know what your own environmental impact really is, but there are ways of learning exactly how you affect your environment. Most people will find that they are more wasteful than they thought they were, but it will open their eyes and maybe inspire them to be more environmentally conscious in the future.
Ecological Footprint
Many people have heard the term "ecological footprint" before, but they may not know exactly what it means. In the simplest terms, an ecological footprint is a measurement of the impact that a person or a group of persons has on the environment. A single person has an ecological footprint, as does an entire country. Ideally, you want to have a smaller ecological footprint because it means that you are having little negative effect on the environment.
A small ecological footprint means you don't generate too much waste, you don't use up too much water and you don't contribute too much to pollution. If you want to determine your personal ecological footprint, you can find a useful calculator at www.footprintnetwork.org. Feel free to try it out, but don't be horrified if you find that your footprint is bigger than you want it to be.
Reducing Your Footprint
Reducing your environmental footprint can be done relatively easily. Much of it comes down to being less wasteful. Take a look around your community and find out if there are any recycling programs that can take some of your trash. Most of the trash the average person generates can be recycled. Aluminum cans, newspapers, plastic bottles and even old cell phones and computers can be recycled and reused in ways that benefit the environment.
You can also cut down on your water usage by making some simple changes to your lifestyle. Take showers instead of baths. Don't run your faucets any longer than you need to when washing your hands or brushing your teeth. Fix leaks when you discover them, and don't let your toilet tank run water for longer than the typical cycle. Toilets in particular can use over 200 gallons of water a day if they are allowed to run nonstop.
There are many other things you can do minimize your environmental impact. Instead of driving a short distance, take a walk or ride a bike instead. Carpool to work if there are coworkers in your area, or take a bus or train if you can. Everything from turning off the lights in a room when nobody is there to only using a dishwasher when it can be filled will help reduce your ecological footprint.
The kind of lifestyle you live will determine how well you can minimize your environmental impact. Take stock of your life and determine how you can be less wasteful. You’ll probably find a few things you can do that will help.
