Global environmental problems are one of the most resonant and discussed topics of the world community in the 21st century. An ecological footprint assesses a person’s impact on ecosystems by measuring the number of people used to maintain their survival, and there are many opinions on how to reduce the ecological footprint.
So, how to reduce ecological footprint?
We have prepared 10 simple, but important for all mankind situations, the observance of which will positively affect reducing ecological footprints.
1. Spend day saving one liter of water
After picking up the water with a cup, turn off the water and brush your teeth. As long as 0.5 liters of water, if you let the faucet open for 5 minutes, you will waste 45 liters of water. The washing water of the washing machine can be used as the next batch of clothes washing water, which can save 30~40 liters of water at a time. The last washing water can be used to mop the floor, wash the mop or can be used to flush the toilet.
2. 10 office sheets of printing paper energy-saving
Copying and printing paper should be used as far as possible on the reverse side. Copy paper after single-sided use can be copied or cut into blank or scratch paper by blank surface. Use recycled paper whenever possible to reduce environmental pollution. And tell your friends how to reduce ecological footprint.
3. Ecological travel and public transportation choosing
By bicycle or walking instead of driving 100 kilometers, you can save about 9 liters of fuel. By taking a bus instead of driving our own car, we can daily save up to 20% world’s fuel consumption. According to the above method, 200 kilometers of energy-saving travel, each person can reduce gasoline consumption by 16.7 liters, corresponding to carbon dioxide emissions of 36.8 kilograms.
4. Go low carbon shopping and rejecting of plastic bags
The world’s fast-moving consumer goods retail industry consumes about 380 billion plastic bags each year, and the total amount of “white pollution” such as plastic bags and disposable tableware produced annually is nearly 1 million tons. These plastic bags are not recycled and degraded. They will cause serious pollution to the soil and the atmosphere and eventually harm humans and animals.
5. Save energy just saving electricity once
Keep track of your energy consumption and try to use as little light as possible. Refuse from an unnecessary number of lamps at home and work, do not allow the constant operation of a TV, laptop, air conditioning, and other household gadgets. Saving energy helps significantly reducing environmental footprint if each of us will limit ourselves in simple everyday processes.
6. Turn off the lights for one hour
Climate change caused by excessive carbon dioxide emissions has now greatly threatened the survival of humans on Earth. If 100 million households in the world turn off the lights for an hour, they will reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 550,000 tons. That’s why Earth Day is held everywhere on the globe when people are trying to refuse from electricity at least for an hour.
7. Use electric vehicles
Carbon dioxide has the function of heat absorption and heat insulation. And one of the biggest CO2 producers is our cars and vehicles. The good news is that most of the car producers develop and already offers cars with electric or hybrid engines looking for ways to reduce ecological footprints. You can become an EV-owner, especially considering tax incentives and government subsidy programs in a lot of countries.
8. Switch to Renewable Energy
How to decrease ecological footprint, when electricity is producing by burning coil? The good option is to switch to renewable energy sources: solar or wind. Because, precisely, the electricity sector is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions. And still many governments are welcome such a transition and helps.
9. Reduce and sort your waste
Trying to reduce ecological footprints really means you have to change your life and some habits. For example, buying less. Because this means you produce less waste. There are a lot of options on how to do it – for example, purchase products in bulk, not in a package. Or prepare some of cosmetics on your own. And of course – sort responsibly. For example, fatty plastic means to burn, with your help can become clear and to be recycled.
10. Support local business
Another way how to lower ecological footprint is to buy local products. It’s not only the way to support the community but an effective method to reduce logistical load and transportation, which means carbon dioxide. Better you to travel, not your staff.