Sustainable Living

What is Sustainable Living?

Sustainable living is a lifestyle that seeks to reduce our impact on the environment and to live more in harmony with nature. It encompasses a wide range of practices, from recycling and composting to using energy-efficient appliances and choosing sustainable products.

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Sustainable living lifestyle

The goal of sustainable living is to create a more sustainable future for ourselves and for generations to come. By living more sustainably, we can help to conserve natural resources, reduce pollution, and protect the environment.

There are many different ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Some simple things you can do include:

• Reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your environmental impact. When you reduce, you consume less stuff in the first place. When you reuse, you give old items a new life. And when you recycle, you turn waste materials into new products.

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Reduce, reuse, and recycle

• Choose energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs. Energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs use less energy, which can save you money on your utility bills and help to reduce pollution.

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Energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs

• Drive less and walk, bike, or take public transportation more often. Transportation is a major source of pollution, so reducing your driving can make a big difference. If you can, walk, bike, or take public transportation whenever possible.

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Drive less and walk, bike, or take public transportation

• Eat less meat and more plant-based foods. The production of meat requires a lot of land, water, and energy, so eating less meat can help to conserve resources and reduce pollution.

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Eat less meat and more plant-based foods

• Shop locally and sustainably. When you shop locally, you support businesses in your community and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. When you buy sustainable products, you choose items that are made with recycled materials or that are produced in an environmentally friendly way.

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Shop local and sustainable

• Compost food scraps and yard waste. Composting is a great way to reduce your food waste and to create nutrient-rich soil for your plants.

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Compost food scraps and yard waste

• Save water. Water is a precious resource, so it’s important to use it wisely. Take shorter showers, fix leaky faucets, and water your lawn less often.

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Save water

These are just a few of the many things you can do to live a more sustainable lifestyle. By making small changes in your everyday life, you can make a big difference for the environment.

Here are some additional benefits of sustainable living:

• Reduced costs: Sustainable living can save you money on your utility bills, transportation costs, and food costs.

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Reduced costs

• Improved health: Living a more sustainable lifestyle can improve your health by reducing your exposure to pollution and by increasing your physical activity.

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Improved Health

• Increased peace of mind: Knowing that you are living in a way that is better for the environment can give you peace of mind.

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Increased peace of mind

• Stronger community: Getting involved in sustainable living can help you to connect with your community and to make a difference in the world.

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Stronger community

If you are interested in learning more about sustainable living, there are many resources available online and in libraries. You can also find sustainable living groups and organizations in your community.

By living a more sustainable lifestyle, you can help to create a better future for yourself, for your children, and for the planet.

8 Ways to Live a Sustainable Lifestyle

Sustainable living is about making choices that reduce our impact on the environment and help to create a more sustainable future for ourselves and future generations. There are many different ways to live a sustainable lifestyle, and even small changes can make a big difference. Here are 8 simple ways to get started:

1. Reduce, reuse, and recycle. This is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your environmental impact. When you reduce, you consume less stuff in the first place. When you reuse, you give old items a new life. And when you recycle, you turn waste materials into new products.

Opens in a new windowSolar Schools

Reduce, reuse, and recycle

2. Choose energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs. Energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs use less energy, which can save you money on your utility bills and help to reduce pollution.

Opens in a new windowHighTower Electric LLC

Energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs

3. Drive less and walk, bike, or take public transportation more often. Transportation is a major source of pollution, so reducing your driving can make a big difference. If you can, walk, bike, or take public transportation whenever possible.

Opens in a new windowEnvironment America

Drive less and walk, bike, or take public transportation

4. Eat less meat and more plant-based foods. The production of meat requires a lot of land, water, and energy, so eating less meat can help to conserve resources and reduce pollution.

Opens in a new windowCivil Eats

Eat less meat and more plant-based foods

5. Shop local and sustainable. When you shop local, you support businesses in your community and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. When you buy sustainable products, you choose items that are made with recycled materials or that are produced in an environmentally friendly way.

Opens in a new windowPinterest

Shop local and sustainable

6. Compost food scraps and yard waste. Composting is a great way to reduce your food waste and to create nutrient-rich soil for your plants.

Opens in a new windowForest Grove

Compost food scraps and yard waste

7. Save water. Water is a precious resource, so it’s important to use it wisely. Take shorter showers, fix leaky faucets, and water your lawn less often.

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Save water

8. Get involved in your community. There are many ways to get involved in sustainable living in your community. You can volunteer for a local environmental organization, start a community garden, or simply talk to your neighbors about sustainable living.

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Get involved in your community

These are just a few of the many things you can do to live a more sustainable lifestyle. By making small changes in your everyday life, you can make a big difference for the environment.

Here are some additional benefits of sustainable living:

• Reduced costs: Sustainable living can save you money on your utility bills, transportation costs, and food costs.

Opens in a new windowProcurious

Reduced costs

• Improved health: Living a more sustainable lifestyle can improve your health by reducing your exposure to pollution and by increasing your physical activity.

Opens in a new windowMake It Better Magazine

Improved health

• Increased peace of mind: Knowing that you are living in a way that is better for the environment can give you peace of mind.

Opens in a new windowRamsey Solutions

Increased peace of mind

• Stronger community: Getting involved in sustainable living can help you to connect with your community and to make a difference in the world.

Opens in a new windowsocialmediaweek.org

Stronger community

If you are interested in learning more about sustainable living, there are many resources available online and in libraries. You can also find sustainable living groups and organizations in your community.

By living a more sustainable lifestyle, you can help to create a better future for yourself, for your children, and for the planet.

What is Your Family’s Carbon Footprint?

Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that your household produces each year. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. There are many different ways to calculate your carbon footprint, but a simple way is to add up the emissions from your home, transportation, and lifestyle.

• Home: Your home’s carbon footprint is mostly from the energy you use to heat and cool it, as well as the energy you use for appliances and electronics. You can reduce your home’s carbon footprint by making energy-efficient upgrades, such as installing insulation, weatherstripping, and energy-efficient appliances. You can also reduce your energy use by turning off lights when you leave a room, unplugging appliances when they’re not in use, and setting your thermostat to a higher temperature in the summer and a lower temperature in the winter.

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Home carbon footprint

• Transportation: Your transportation’s carbon footprint is mostly from the gasoline or diesel you use to fuel your car, truck, or other vehicle. You can reduce your transportation’s carbon footprint by driving less, carpooling, taking public transportation, or biking or walking whenever possible. You can also reduce your emissions by choosing a more fuel-efficient vehicle when you’re ready to buy a new one.

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Transportation carbon footprint

• Lifestyle: Your lifestyle’s carbon footprint includes the emissions from your food choices, your consumer goods, and your leisure activities. You can reduce your lifestyle’s carbon footprint by eating less meat, buying locally-produced food, recycling and composting, and choosing sustainable products. You can also reduce your emissions by spending more time outdoors and less time watching TV or playing video games.

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Lifestyle carbon footprint

Once you’ve calculated your family’s carbon footprint, you can take steps to reduce it. There are many different ways to reduce your carbon footprint, and the best way for you will depend on your lifestyle and your priorities. Some simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint include:

• Drive less. If you can, walk, bike, or take public transportation instead of driving.

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Drive less

• Use energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs. These appliances and light bulbs use less energy, which can save you money on your utility bills and reduce your emissions.

Opens in a new windowHighTower Electric LLC

Use energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs

• Eat less meat. The production of meat requires a lot of land, water, and energy, so eating less meat can help to reduce your carbon footprint.

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Eat less meat

• Shop locally and sustainably. When you shop locally, you support businesses in your community and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. When you buy sustainable products, you choose items that are made with recycled materials or that are produced in an environmentally friendly way.

Opens in a new window Pinterest

Shop local and sustainable

• Compost food scraps and yard waste. Composting is a great way to reduce your food waste and to create nutrient-rich soil for your plants.

Opens in a new windowForest Grove

Compost food scraps and yard waste

• Save water. Water is a precious resource, so it’s important to use it wisely. Take shorter showers, fix leaky faucets, and water your lawn less often.

Opens in a new windowLoveToKnow

Save water

By making small changes in your everyday life, you can make a big difference for the environment. Even if you can’t reduce your carbon footprint to zero, every little bit helps.