From pollution to solution....

In the last post, we were enlightened about a few hard-hitting facts on how pollution is killing us, here are some sustainable solutions which most of us haven't really given a deep thought:

1.  Make Sustainable transport choices: 

• Walk or ride your bike whenever possible. One of the best things you can do to help stop pollution is to stop using your car for short trips! Bonus on health and fresh air!
• Use public transportation. Riding the bus, or train is another great way to avoid using your personal vehicle and reduce carbon emissions. If you have access to good public transportation where you live, take advantage of it. Since you won’t have to worry about keeping your eyes on the road, you can take advantage of the time to read, catch up on news, or just relax!
• Carpool to school or work. If walking and public transportation are not good options for you, consider joining a carpool to your school or place of work. You could take turn driving and develop good relations with your co-workers...
• Consolidate your trips. Making lots of little trips over the course of a few days contributes more pollution to the environment every time you hop in your car or bike. Try to consolidate these into one round trip, which will also save you money since starting your car when the engine is cold consumes 20% more fuel than driving your car.

2. Make Sustainable food choices:

• Choose local food whenever possible. Transporting food from across the country and around the world requires a considerable amount of fuel contributing to air pollution. Instead of purchasing food that has traveled thousands of miles to get to your table, choose food that comes from nearby farms and that has been grown using sustainable methods. 
• Choose organically grown fruits and vegetables. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown by farmers who use sustainable farming practices. For example, they avoid using chemical pesticides, which contribute to pollution of ground water. By choosing organic fruits and vegetables you will be contributing to farming practices that are better for the environment.
• Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Starting a garden in your own backyard is another great way to help stop pollution. Plants and trees turn carbon into oxygen, which automatically means less pollution! Even a small space on the terrace or balcony can be converted into a small garden. 

3. Make Sustainable energy choices:

• Turn off lights and electronics when you are not in the room. Plugging electronics into a power strip is also a good strategy because you can easily turn off the power strip and turn off all of the electronics at the same time. 
• Look for small changes that can lead to big energy savings. There are lots of little things that you can do to make sure that you are conserving as much energy as possible. 
  The simplest you can start with is to choose energy efficient light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can save up to 75% of the energy that goes toward lighting your home. These bulbs also produce less heat than normal light bulbs. LED bulbs are even more efficient. 

4. Recycling, reducing and re-using your waste:

• Buy reusable items. Lots of waste is generated by disposable cups, plates, utensils and storage containers for food. Instead of contributing to the waste in landfills by using disposable dinnerware, only use reusable items.
• Avoid buying products packaged with styrofoam. Styrofoam is a common packaging material, but it contributes to much of the waste in landfills because it is difficult to recycle. Styrofoam production also contributes to pollution.
• Recycle everything that you can. Almost everything that you buy can be recycled. Try to avoid products that do not have a recycle symbol on the package or that are made of mixed materials that may not be easy to recycle.
• Purchase items made from recycled materials. By purchasing items that have been made from recycled materials, you will be helping to reduce the amount of new materials that need to be produced.

5. Getting involved in educating others:

• Learn about the major polluters in your area.  In order to protect the water and air where you live, it's important to find out what's putting them in danger.
• Tell people about what you know. Even though a lot of people are concerned about stopping pollution, many don't understand the severity of the problem or aren't sure what to do about it. You may use your knowledge to make a difference by talking about it with other people. The more people know about pollution, the more likely we will collectively find a way to stop it.

#BeModernBeResponsibleBeRespectful

    Samuchit Enviro Tech.     samuchit@samuchit.com     www.samuchit.com