To combat climate change, we must cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50%, which means that we will have to find solutions to sustainability. The end goal is to create a nature-positive future to counter the threats posed by climate change and to adopt self-sustainability.
With that said, as an individual, you can do certain things to make sustainable choices and help secure an environmentally-friendly and healthy planet Earth.
Many people understand the threat to our survival - but - they look at it as an abstract problem that makes them confused about what they could do to mitigate the planetary crisis.
Understanding How Consumerism Impacts Our Planet
Firstly, we need to understand how we as consumers tend to impact the planet, which also leads us to the importance of self-sustainability. Great contributing forces of consumption are businesses and our respective governments, which impact the systems designed to meet our needs.
We have to understand the negative impact of consumerism, including the consumption of natural resources and the increase in carbon footprints on the Earth. The way the consumer society is expanding is in no way sustainable.
Consumerism has depleted up to 70% of Earth's natural resources.
The Benefits of a Sustainable Lifestyle
Sustainable living is trending nowadays. Suppose you aren't familiar with what sustainable living is. In that case, you should know that a sustainable lifestyle incorporates all positive things that you can do every day to live better and save our natural resources.
For instance, some self-sustainability habits you can adopt include growing your own veggies. This way, you can reduce grocery costs while ensuring you and your loved ones eat healthy green veggies.
If you have a small living space - you can still grow your own herbs and food on your balcony.
If you have been considering getting rid of clothes and shoes, you will want to consider upcycling by repurposing items you already own. You might as well ditch your car and reduce your contribution to the emission of contaminating air pollutants.
An ideal way to get to work would be riding a bicycle. You can even walk to your college, school, or work if the distance isn't much. This way, you won't only be reducing the climate impact but also keeping yourself healthy.
The use of solar panels is another great way to ensure a green future by using non-pollutant and renewable energy. Of course, you will want to be mindful of the use of home appliances. You will want to monitor your energy consumption by incorporating sustainable habits every day.
Where to Start with Self-Sustainability
At this point, you might wonder how and where to start living more sustainably. You will want to understand the simple aspect that everything comes down to the five domains of food, fun, money, things, and mobility.
You might want to start with any three of the above-mentioned categories and see how you can control your consumption of natural resources while aiming for self-sustainability. While aiming for self-sustainability, you will also want to encourage your friends and family to diminish their carbon footprint.
