How to live a more eco-friendly life

The term eco-friendly has so many different facets, from cruelty free, carbon neutral, zero-waste, biodegradable, it can be overwhelming to find where to begin. I hope that these points will help you make some effective lifestyle changes that have a positive impact on you and our planet.

Number One.

I’m starting with the most effective choice that we can all make to have an actual, measurable positive change on the environment. Eating less or no meat. I’m not going to go into animal products like diary and eggs because I think that itself requires a dedicated discussion and the research in the animal by-product area isn’t as extensive.

So, eating less meat. The research in this area is clear, the global demand for meat contributes approximately 24% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than all of the cars on the road or planes in the sky.

I remember when I first read this, I was shocked. How could meat production and consumption contribute so much? Aren’t there just some happy farting cows in a big field somewhere getting fattened up to be fed to us all? Doesn’t seem like it would hurt the planet that much. Well, the problem comes from the energy input into the global food system in order to produce meat. This system includes agriculture, food processing, distribution, retail and consumption. The energy input way outweighs the amount of product that is yielded. And with the population of the planet increasing, the demand for food has also increased. In fact, in the second half of the 20th century, global food production doubled.

The massive amounts of water, land and energy it takes to farm and produce meat in comparison to vegetables, means that it has put pressure on the planet’s natural climate systems in more ways than one. Environmental degradation from land clearing for agricultural land has contributed to; biodiversity and species loss, poor soil health, chemical runoff and the overall strain on our global food system to produce enough food for the population.

I know that was a lot of information and there is so much I left out but that is the gist of it. Meat production and consumption isn’t good for this planet and it is something, as a consumer that we have personal control over. The amount of meat we eat has an environmental impact and if you want to reduce yours, stop eating as much, or any meat. Simples.

Here are some fun references if you want a more in depth read, all of these articles were really interesting.

David Pimentel, Marcia Pimentel, Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 78, Issue 3, September 2003, Pages 660S–663S, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.3.660S

Fiala, N. (2008) Meeting the demand: An estimation of potential future greenhouse gas emissions from meat production. Ecological Economics. [Online] 67 (3), 412–419. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2007.12.021

Raphaely, T. et al. (2016) Impact of meat consumption on health and environmental sustainability . Hershey, Pennsylvania: Business Science Reference.

Number Two.

Use less. In all areas of life, consuming less will have a good environmental impact. I think of consuming as buying and using up, aka throwing away a product.

So say no to that plastic bag, straw, cutlery, coffee cup, plastic bottle and say thanks but I brought my own! Being eco-friendly never looked so good. This is my own personal kit to keep my waste as low as I can on a day to day basis. I am a long way from zero waste but I feel better about cutting down on my single-use plastic consumption.

More than daily single use alternatives, using less also encompasses throwing away less. I’m talking clothing, appliances, jars, really everything. Mending, fixing and re-purposing to make a product last as long as possible in your life reduces the amount waste you produce and will ultimately save you money. And if you really need to buy something, look for it on the second hand market first. All of the energy and resources that went into making that thing happened ages ago and extending it’s life means that those resources have been put to good use.

Number Three.

There is no number three. Number one and two I think are the most important things that we, as everyday people can do to take control and make a difference when it comes to helping our planet out. This world runs on supply and demand so let’s lessen the demand and cut this planet some slack, she’s been working hard. She needs some help, time, a good book and a margarita and she’ll be right.