Being better to the environment doesn't have to be an overhaul of your life! There are super simple changes you can make to your everyday routine that will reduce the amount of harmful impact you have over the span of your life. If you have anything to add, please share in the comments!
1. First of all, let's get some facts out of the way...
1. The earth cannot digest plastic. It is not bio-degradable. That means that once it exists, plastic is never going to be gone.
2. Plastic in the ocean now outnumbers sea life six to one.
3. One in four mammals is at risk of extinction.
4. Plastic chemicals released into our water, like BPA, DDT, and PCB, are absorbed by the body. They disrupt hormones and your endocrine system. Its a big issue. The health effects of DDT include cancer, male infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight, developmental delay, nervous system and liver damage. PCBs also contribute to cancer and cause disorders of the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.
5. Oxygen-starved dead zones that cannot sustain life now cover an area roughly the size of the state of Oregon.
Read more at https://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/11/26/amazing-...
6. Only 1% of Chinas 560 million city residents breathe air that is considered safe by the European Union.
7. Less than 1% of the worlds freshwater is readily available for human use.
8. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of air pollution. Wow!
9. At least 50 million acres of rainforest are lost every year, totaling an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland combined.
10. If the entire world lived like the average American, wed need 5 planets to provide enough resources.
2. Okay, here's an easy one: straws
Some people need straws in their drinks for medical reasons (mobility issues, for example). But if this isn't you... why not ditch those pieces of plastic and sip from the cup like a boss?! Ain't no tiny tube of plastic gonna get between you and your drink.
3. While we're on the topic of unnecessary meal accessories... why not ditch napkins?
I get it. It's way easier sometimes to just rip a paper towel or grab a napkin then it is to go aaaall the way to the cupboard, grab a cloth, and go aaaaall the way back to the spill. And then you need to put the cloth in the laundry (which means you have to be willing to do laundry... ugh). But seriously... just use a damn cloth when you can.
4. Now what about plastic cutlery?
Ain't nothin' better than take-out. Well, actually, come to think about it, there are a lot of better things, like a vacation, or your loved ones, or that puppy you saw on the way home from work, but you (Continued)
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but you get the point. Anyway, when you decide to indulge, ask the restaurant to skip the plastic cutlery because NEWS FLASH: you're eating it in your own house, and I know I'm assuming but I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you have cutlery in your drawer.
5. Bike or walk to work, use public transit, arrange a carpool
For some people this is impossible. I get it. You live in the middle of nowhere and work in another remote part of town where you couldn't possibly share a ride to and it's not accessible by transit because it's at the top of a mountain and your bike got a flat tire and you've got bad knees. Sound like you? If not, maybe you've got some arranging to do.
6. Be like Sweden... no ridiculous car trips
Have you ever hopped in the car just to go to the variety store down the street? A friend's house that you could easily walk to? Or somewhere else that is ridiculously easy to get to? The city of Malm, Sweden started a whole campaign around this, to try to get their residents to quit it with the ridiculous car trips. Check out their promotional video:
No ridiculous car trips from Martin Lang on Vimeo.
7. Buy local when you can
If you can buy your food local, not only do you get fresher food, you get the benefit of knowing that you have stopped 1,300 miles of needless travel that it takes (on average) for non-local foods to travel from field to your plate. If you can't wrap your head around that, try this: it takes 435 fossil-fuel calories to fly a 5 calorie strawberry from California to New York. Check out some farmers markets if you can, or see if your township has a food box program you can join.
8. Turn the dang lights off!
I'm not going to go on about this one. You know the drill. But I will say this: if you or the people you live with are notorious for leaving the lights on, post a reminder sign in a high-traffic area or near the light switch to help them remember.
9. While we're at it with the lights, think about your... (Continued)
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9. While we're at it with the lights, think about your bulbs
Traditional lightbulbs are energy suckers. Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget. And get this: you're being ripped off. The electricity used over the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs 5 to 10 times the original price of the bulb itself. Replace them with LED bulbs and the earth and your wallet will be thanking you.
10. Okay, I get it. You don't like the gross "fluorescent glow" of an LED lightbulb.
Not so fast... you're not getting away that easy. Have you considered CFL lightbulbs? They are simply miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents. Or, you can purchase the Cree LED bulb a light that was recently invented for people who want to save energy and have the warm cozy glow of traditional bulbs.
11. Use clothing to offset your thermostat
Okay, I know how nice it is to come home in the winter to a warm, cozy house. It's tempting to crank the thermostat all the way up and bask in the pretend-tropical heat. Next time, try opting for thick socks, long johns, and a sweater before you resort to your thermostat. If you can't remember, put a note over your thermostat that says, "Have you put on a sweater yet?"
12. Print a list of the things you can recycle and put it on your fridge
It's hard to remember what can and can't be recycled. Thankfully, most cities have recycling guides that are easily google-able (ahh, the beauty of the internet!). Print it off and post it on your fridge for quick reference.
13. Drivers! Make sure your tires aren't getting tired
So for all those times when you need to use a car, make sure your tires are properly inflated. Low tire pressure wastes money and energy, and causes pollution. An informal study by students at Carnegie Mellon University found that the majority of cars on U.S. roads are operating on tires inflated to only 80 percent of capacity. The average person who drives 12,000 miles yearly on under-inflated tires uses about 144 extra gallons of gas, at a cost of $300-$500 a year.
14. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Or better yet...(Continued)
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14. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Or better yet, a backpack
If you can't remember to bring reusable bags, toss a few in your car / backpack / bike basket and keep them there for times when you swing by the grocery store. Also, if you use a backpack it's way easier to carry your groceries home (for all you "walkers out there).
15. When it comes to packaging, "the more the merrier" rule doesn't apply
You know those packaged foods where you open the package but then everything inside is individually wrapped in its own tiny package? Yeah... that's no good. Try opting for products that use less packaging and buy in bulk if you can.
16. No flyers please!
Reduce the amount of unwanted (wasteful) mail you receive by putting a "no flyers please!" sign above your mailbox. Who wants to sort through useless junk mail anyway?
17. Get some Macklemore swag
Macklemore had it right when he sang, "I wear your granddad's clothes / I look incredible / I'm in this big [cut] coat/ From that thrift shop down the road." Every garment purchased second-hand means one less new one produced, which is important because regardless of material, the production of clothing is costly to the environment. Plus, you can get your new threads on the cheap!
18. You know what I'm about to say about plastic water bottles, don't you?
Quit it. It's 2017. Did you know that making bottles to meet Americas demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year; And thats not even including the oil used for transportation? Perhaps you prefer bottled water because its filtered. But according to Dr. Gina Solomon (a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council) there is no reason to believe that (Continued)
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bottled water is safer than tap water. Often when you buy bottled water, youre simply paying Pepsi or Coke for the same Municipal water you could get for free from any drinking fountain or faucet. I love my Kishu Charcoal filter to ensure my tap water is free of nasty lead that can be in the pipes of older buildings. I simply fill my kanteen with that filtered water before heading out the door! You can get a Kishu to-go filter too if you want to be extra safe when filling up from public drinking fountains and such. Lets #TakeBackTheTap!
19. Electronic is the new paper
There are a bunch of simple ways you can start opting for the electronic (aka less wasteful) version of something compared to paper. Convert to electronic statements and bills. If someone offers you their business card, take a picture of it instead. Switch to electronic tickets for planes, trains, and venues (when you can). Yay! The world is getting happier as we speak!
20. Take a reusable mug to the coffee shop.
Most places will be very receptive to this. Starbucks will even give you 10 cents off your drink. Sure, it's not a whole lot, but it's their way of saying "thanks for caring."
21. Libraries are for more than just books
Many libraries offer services and check-out items far beyond the reaches of literature. Games, construction and gardening tools, sports equipment, and hobby supplies are just a few of the many wonders in libraries across the world. Not only is this helpful to your wallet (free!) but it's a great way to get more use out of items that are shared between members of the community. Call your local library or look on their website to get an idea of just how much you could be taking advantage of. Some cities even offer completely separate libraries for tools, like the Toronto tool library!
22. Use old clothing for rags
Instead of buying more rags or throwing out clothing that is too tattered to be donated, try cutting your clothing into squares to use as rags. With all the money you save, you'll be going from rags to riches! Okay, not exactly, but still...
23. Consider an electric razor instead of the cheap, throwaway kinds
Sure, it's an investment upfront, but the money you'll save not having to buy new razors all the time will actually help you to save in the end. Plus, it's better for the environment. I know that not everyone has the ability to buy the more expensive, reusable type of razor, but if you're reading this and (Continued)
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looking for a way to help your community, donating reusable razors to homeless shelters is a great way to help people and the earth.
24. Skip buying plastic garbage bags
Skip plastic garbage bags and simply put your trash into the can itself. This will require you to wash the can from time to time, but if you are composting well, it wont get too messy. Especially garbage cans in bedrooms, where the main waste is tissues and paper, it won't be too bad.
25. Have you heard of beeswax wrap?
Beeswax wrap is incredible. Instead of plastic wrap, you can wrap your food or whatever else you usually wrap in plastic in beeswax wrap. Not only is it eco-friendly and reusable, it breathes similar to the natural peel or rind of a fruit, so keeps your produce at its freshest.
26. Skip the receipt
This one is simple: when you don't need to keep a receipt, ask the cashier or server not to print the customer copy. The world has one less useless piece of paper with ink on it and the bottom of your bag becomes less cluttered with old crinkled up receipts.
27. Don't use plastic bags in the produce section (just wash when you get home!)
Okay, you know those clear plastic bags that you use to put your produce into at the grocery section? Most fruits have been shipped in trucks, handled by several people, and most likely put in contaminated crates by this point so a flimsy plastic sheath isn't going to do much at this point. You're going to have to wash your produce when you get home anyway, so scrap the individual bags.
28. Think about ditching Q-tips
If you can, think about ditching Q-tips, or using them with less frequency. If you use them for blotting makeup, try a re-usable sponge.
29. Set your fridge between 35 and 38 degrees and pull it a few inches away from the wall
The optimal temperature of 35 to 38 degrees will keep your perishables fresh and cold, and while setting the temperature colder seems tempting, it just increases your energy bill. If you dont have a fridge that demarcates exact degrees, you can get a fridge thermometer to find out.
It helps to pull your fridge 12 inches away from the wall because itll make it easier to keep your food cold.
30. Seal it up!
Make sure windows are properly sealed. Make sure your oven is properly insulated and updated. Make sure the hood range above your stove isn't letting in cold air.
31. Be more critical of "Best before" labels
Best before means BEST freshness before, not ROTTON after the date. If you're not sure, look up how to actually spot if a food has gone bad and do the test yourself. Don't let dates fool you, many foods are still edible well past their best before date.
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
Money Burn GIF by nog
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.