Reduce, Recycle and Reuse

We, as a society have a lot to be proud of, from past through to present

From the invention of the wheel, generating electricity and the telephone,

To the wonder of television, musical instruments and the internet

To ships that don’t sink, planes that fly and the creation of Google Chrome.

Humans, as a whole are full of wonderfully exciting ideas and inventions

But with this energetic zest for life, we are always wanting more,

Unfortunately our vigour for life comes, sadly, at an expensive cost

Which shows up as a carbon footprint we cannot ignore.

We need to put our heads together and work out some plans

To help reduce and attack, or even stop, this destructive cost,

But we fully believe that one person cannot make a difference

Whereas individually there is so much we can do before all is lost.

We can attempt to fly less or at least fly economy class

Choosing the flight that is nonstop as it is the take offs and landings that impact,

Feeling a little guilty for that flight you desperately needed to make

Purchase carbon offsets for environmental projects to counteract.

For the same reasons we should consider flying less, we should drive less

Let’s put our thinking caps on and find an alternative to commuting,

From carpooling with friends, take a walk, ride a bike or utilise public transport

All ideas that will help cut down on our car trips emissions and polluting.

Your home is a great place where you can play a huge part

As all your electrical appliances, air conditioning and heating take a toll,

So turns some lights off, replace with LED bulbs, unplug appliances when not in use

All little things to consider and all within each individual’s control.

Onto bigger issues that largely impact your home front

Increasing the efficiency of our home, replace leaky windows and doors,

Update the insulation in the roof and walls to better climatise inside

Installing a roof that reflects light will all go a ways to even the score.

Another great way to make a large improvement on reducing carbon emissions

Is being aware of your water consumption and where water can be saved,

Buy low-flow shower heads, skim 5 minutes off your shower time or even simply turning off the taps

With just a little bit of thoughtfulness, what you will save, you’ll be amazed.

If you are lucky enough to own the home you are living in

Please consider changing to sustainable energy in its purest form,

Upgrade your property to solar energy by installing solar panels

You may find you can even earn a little if you use less than you transform.

As food plays such a large part in our life, we can make a huge difference

By buying locally and seasonally grown produce,

Not only will you support the little man and the local economic community

But your carbon footprint will be greatly reduced.

Whilst on the subject of food, have you considered less meat consumption

As the bulk of the carbon emissions are coming from meat production,

So even though you may be supporting your community by buying locally

You are saving on transportation but you’re not making much of a reduction.

I know, I know, I can hear what you’ll say but going meatless just one day a week

Can have a profound impact on your carbon footprint over a year,

As red meat especially uses a huge amount of land, feed and water

Whilst also releasing a lot of methane gas into our atmosphere.

Another area you can greatly impact is to reduce your food wastage,

Plan your meals and purchase accordingly, cook just enough or freeze excess,

Use vegetable “scraps” to make delicious stock, even adding in your bones

Using these tips will not only make you more productive but you will waste less.

Where you do have some wastage or food scraps that cannot be utilised

Please do not simply throw in the trash, but consider an alternative to dispose,

Allow nature to take its course by composting into nutrient rich soil

As the food scraps and wastage decay as it naturally decompose.

Fashion, especially cheap clothes, comes at great cost contributing to extra waste

Unsustainably and unethically made, environmental and societal costs to produce,

Therefore buying sustainable and ethical brands is a better alternative

And better quality clothing can mean you can later reduce, recycle and reuse.

Once you start buying sustainable clothing, it’s just a quick jump from there

To sustainable buying of all other purchases now you know what to look for,

A great way to start is to refuse all single use packaging or plastic bags

Purchase from package free stores and carry your own reusable bags ever more.

Once the habit of responsible shopping is ingrained you’ll naturally progress to reuseability

Gone will be the thought that’s it’s okay to use single use razors, water bottles, coffee cups or takeout containers,

With more stores coming on board every day with bamboo toothbrushes, stainless steel straws and handkerchiefs

Just to name a few reusable products that are hitting the markets from stores that are leading this campaign.

While it is far better to reduce and reuse, there will still be the need to recycle

From paper and cardboard, to old computers, electronics and plastic,

Educate yourself on all the things that can be recycled and the local programs that exist

This too then starts to become second nature, if it can’t be reduced or reused then recycled is fantastic.

As I’ve mentioned before that while there is plenty we can do to shrink our carbon footprint

There is also plenty that we can do to abstain from having a carbon footprint to shrink,

It all boils down to some basic questions, do I need this and what is the cost if I buy this

As time sets all these good habits in stone, you’ll find it’ll become second nature to just stop and think.

There are things we can do to aid in lowering our carbon emissions while feeling productive

Like planting and nurturing a tree or a garden, better still growing your own vegetables,

It definitely ticks the box of supporting local producers as it doesn’t get more local than that

You’ll create your own carbon capture system to offset any carbon footprint detectable.

So you see, my friend, we all believe that we cannot make a difference

But this preconceived notion is nothing more than a fallacy,

There are so many areas that we can change individually

That will then change the destruction of our planet thankfully.

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