5 simple ways to help the planet, taking care of yourself
Text: Karina Sembe
Eco-friendly - new black, and it is clear why: we protect the planet, the planet protects us. Today, more than 700 million people live in conditions of daily shortage of drinking water, and only ten years later, this figure promises to grow to 3 billion - not only due to population growth, but also because of the rapid decrease in water resources and climate change, which is partly provoked by the people themselves. . Just turning off the water in the tap in time, we prolong the life of the population of the Earth. The importance of sorting garbage is also time to learn one and all: unnecessary photocopies can turn into new school notebooks and save the trees, and a plastic bottle will not lie in the ground for a hundred years and instead will be recycled.
Forms of consciousness, everyone chooses for himself: someone sees meaning in the rejection of meat, someone watches the consumption of electricity, and someone is keen on planting trees. The benefits of such steps in the long term is clear: everyone wants to breathe clean air, have plenty of water and eat healthy food. But in order to start caring for the environment, there is an even more obvious motivation - the opportunity to look and feel better after a week or a month of the “green regime”. Start with five simple steps - and your body will almost immediately thank you.
Start cycling
The whole world is changing to bicycles for a reason. According to Spanish scientists, 225 thousand people in Europe die each year from diseases caused by exhaust gases. In the Russian million-plus cities, the situation is as deplorable as in European metropolitan areas: the share of pollution by motor vehicles makes up 70-80% of the total emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere, so that city bikes can be a salvation for our lungs. Of course, for this, a noticeable part of the townspeople should move onto two wheels (driving through traffic jams does not add to health), but you need to start with something.
From one third to one half of all trips by car and ground public transport are made at a distance of less than 5 kilometers, which is easy for a person in good physical shape and without luggage to travel by bike or on foot. For an hour of cycling at an average speed, you can burn more than 200 kcal, and regular rides will significantly strengthen the muscles of the pelvis, hips and calves. In the countries of Western Europe, bicycle rental is developed at the municipal level; in Moscow, three years ago, they also launched centralized rental.
Buy Fairtrade Products
Tea, natural oils and spices, dark chocolate, peanut paste - for most health food lovers, these products have become an important part of the diet. As a rule, raw materials for them are grown in developing countries and are exported to developed ones. Fluctuations in the prices of goods do not guarantee a living wage for many producers, forcing them to take loans on extremely unfavorable conditions. Moreover, market prices do not reflect the true cost of production, which should include both environmental and social components.
The international social movement Fairtrade ("Fair Trade") offers an alternative system of trade in "ethical" products on the best conditions for producers and workers in developing countries. “Honest” products are grown on farms on a relatively small scale, which allows you to monitor the quality of the crop, with minimal interference in local ecosystems, and the use of chemical fertilizers is very limited. When buying green tea, coconut oil, or bananas with a “fair trade” mark, you support not only the economies of developing countries, but also your own health.
Use natural cleansers
In December last year, US President Barack Obama signed a ban on the production of cosmetics with plastic microgranules, which caused a lively discussion in the media and social networks. In New York State alone, about 19 tons of such microgranules are washed away into drains each year. Tiny particles contained in shower gels, scrubs and toothpastes penetrate the filters of water treatment plants and absorb toxic chemical contaminants, and then mistaken for food by aquatic organisms.
Getting into the food chain, toxic substances can poison the fish, which subsequently will be eaten by humans or other mammals, amphibians or birds. Many leading manufacturers of hygienic cosmetics (Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Colgate, Palmolive, L'Oréal) have already pledged to exclude products with plastic granules from production. We advise you to choose cleansers with natural or soluble abrasive particles - they gently and effectively peel off without causing irreparable harm to the environment.
Many of us may choose a soap or shower gel for an hour, but think for a short time before grabbing the first available dishwashing liquid from the supermarket shelf. Its composition should also be treated more carefully: most contain petroleum products (butylenes, propylene, phenols and ethers), as well as phosphates and dyes. Often, even in the composition of products that are declared as eco-friendly, there is a strong preservative, methylisothiazolinone, which is recognized as toxic and can cause an allergic reaction on regular contact. Even if you choose environmentally friendly dishwashing products, use rubber gloves - take care of your manicure and skin.
Save electricity in the evenings
Most of the energy today is produced by burning coal, oil and gas. When this occurs, the release of toxic substances that increase the risk of various diseases, including cancer. Combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in energy production is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions, the growing content of which in the atmosphere is a key factor in increasing the greenhouse effect and leads to global climate change. Therefore, in order to save life on Earth, everyone is obliged to save electricity, and special attention should be paid to the moderate use of light with the onset of the evening.
This eco-mode has an unexpected bonus: evening energy savings will bring almost instant benefit to your health. We have repeatedly reminded that scientists recommend getting ready for bed in dim light and fall asleep in complete darkness. In the evening, try to do zoned lighting, and on electronic devices to dim the brightness of the screen. When you go to bed, turn off the lights, do not forget to turn off the light in the next rooms and save yourself from the flashing of chargers or switches on the adapters. Strong, full-fledged sleep is a guarantee of a healthy appearance and well-being, and energy savings will be pleasantly reflected in the bills.
Eat seasonal vegetables and fruits
We have heard about the benefits of seasonal fruits and vegetables since childhood, but there is another important point. In conscientious farms, they are usually grown in the most natural conditions, that is, on the bed, using the minimum amount of chemical fertilizers. As for greenhouse vegetables, artificial lighting, heating and special preparations accelerate ripening, but do not allow the crop to naturally ripen and acquire a rich taste.
Imported vegetables and fruits are treated with various preservatives for long-term storage, and to make them more attractive, they are coated with special agents, for example, wax containing morpholine — substances that are used in nuclear reactor systems and the production of antibiotics. Such a thorough processing of fruits can minimize the benefits of the vitamins they contain. By limiting the consumption of non-seasonal vegetables and fruits, you reduce the demand for the use of such practices, far from "green". In addition, the path of local seasonal vegetables and fruits from the fields to the shelves is much shorter than the route of exotic fruits, which means several times less consumable fuel and exhaust emissions during transportation.
Photo: Barn Images, Wiggle, Spirit of Nature, IKEA, Frrutto, BeautyShop64