Whether we care to admit it or not, the environment and society are rapidly changing, so there are a ton of adjustments that need to be made to not only adapt to this shift but to make sure that we are ahead of the curve. It’s a crucial step that today’s parents have to make to ensure a livable future for their kids a decade from now. There are many changes, big and small, that can be made at home. Here are some you can start doing today.
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Use solar power.
This may be one of the bigger investments among these endeavors, but it has impactful returns in the long run. For one, it comes from a source that is renewable high in the sky, and using this energy source does not harm the planet. You can use solar panels to power electricity in the home and even provide heating, depending on the set-up you go for. It’s a lot cheaper than it was a decade ago, so that makes it more accessible to have and much more maintainable. Plus, it helps lower your energy bill significantly over the years if you effectively dole out your system for the whole home.
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Switch to LED.
This one is way less costly upfront but can still make a big change throughout the home. LED lights last longer, provide a brighter light throughout the space, don’t heat up, and use up much less energy than its other more power-hungry counterparts. You can do every bit to lessen energy consumption can have a major impact on sustainability, especially when you consider that most people admit to leaving their lights on even when they’re not in use. LED bulbs are actually cheaper to buy these days, as well.
This option not only helps secure your child’s future environment, but it also serves as a safer choice in case a bulb breaks. Though CFLs are more efficient than incandescent lights, they contain mercury and can be very dangerous to people if they break.
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Dive into reusables.
If there ever were a time to really go into the whole “reuse, reduce, recycle” mantra, it would be now. Plastics, one-time-use products, and waste are produced in massive proportions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes that there are generally four and a half pounds of waste produced per person per day. With the American population, that is a pretty troubling number.
A good thing about going into reusable things is that you can instill these good habits into your kids so that the whole family can practice this together. Simple changes like using glass containers for different herbs or condiments, using re-washable laundry bags, creating a dedicated recycling pit, and the like can start making a positive change now while also paying it forward to the next generation.
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Change your toilet paper habits.
If people were to take one thing away from the recent pandemic, it would be the knowledge that people use and hoard too much toilet paper in the States. But statistics show that this practice has long been going on and that it hurts the planet significantly. Make sure everyone in the home lessens their usage, mind when it isn’t necessary, and try to incorporate alternatives. Among these alternatives are a bidet, a washing rag or towel, or using biodegradable toilet paper (which dissolves faster than the traditional options).
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Eat your greens.
It may be a simple fact, but it’s just another major reason to encourage your children to eat their good vegetables. Cooked well, you can help your kids develop a taste for veggies and see the many benefits it has to their development. Even though you don’t have to go full cold turkey (pun intended) if that’s not something that seems viable for your family, add more greens into the household diet. Adopting a more plant-based scheme can be a journey. Still, it’s a fulfilling one that provides a myriad of health benefits, uses much fewer natural resources, and produces fewer emissions than farms out there. Much research indicates the harm meat processing has on the environment, so going mostly plant-based also lowers your carbon footprint and even decreases water consumption.
You can even bring this up a notch and starting gardening your own edible resources for the whole family.
If you can start taking steps toward these changes, you can confidently walk and move forward, knowing you’ve done much on your part for the sake of tomorrow’s Earth and your children’s future.
