Going green and living healthy?

Question

How can teens go green?

Other than recycling and planting things.

Because they dont get an income to buy alot of green products.

And I'm not overweight or anything, I just want to live healthier physically and spiritually?

I've noticed If i excercise and am spiritually active, I feel alot happier.

so I need to know how to take it further than just some prayers and excercise.

thank you.

Answer 1

There are so many ways!  As you mentioned, you can do the normal route of recycling and planting things.  There are other options as well.  I don't know if you have access to a car (if you have your license or not) but if you do, try using the transit system as much as possible.  Also, try walking and riding your bike as much as possible, giving yourself the proper amount of time to get places on time, so that you don't get stressed out trying to get there.  I find that now that I have given up driving my vehicle as much as possible, I am more relaxed because I get a lot of exercise and enjoy my walks to places.

Going green to me is about respecting our environment.  To me, it doesn just mean the land, air and water but also the people living in our environment.  I have become a mentor at a school (you probably could be too, depending on your age, or work as a camp counsellor).  Anyway, volunteering with kids lets me educate the kids about the land, air and water, as well as being a role model to them as well.  I am doing my part to help raise kids in my neighbourhood (I truly believe in the saying that it takes a a village to raise a child), as well as looking after the environment and teaching the kids how to help.

You could also start up a composter.  If you have a yard, you could start an outdoor composter.  I have that as well as an indoor composter.  I made it out of a plastic container that some spinach came in, poked holes in the lid, got myself some 'red wiggler' worms, and put my vegetable waste in there (i'll add a link if you want to look at how to do it).  You might be able to ask around to see if anyone around you does the worm composting, and wouldn't mind giving you some of their worms to start you off.  that would be free then!  (you have to keep the worm composter indoors if you live where the weather gets chilly.)

You could also start buying your clothes at second hand stores.  I have been doing that since I was a teenager.  I learned to sew (my mom taught me) and was able to re-sew some of the clothing I bought, just to make it more 'my style'.  The benefit of buying used things is that it keeps the stuff out of the landfill, and it's wayyyyyy cheaper.  I was responsible for buying most of my own clothes by the time I was about 15, so this was a great way to save money!

Another thing you could do is reduce your shower time if you don't already take short showers.  This will save on heating costs and if it's natural gas heating, the emissions will be reduced, if it's electrical heating, it will reduce the coal required or the amount of water required in hydro-electric generation.  Also, take on the motto 'if it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down'.  So, when you urinate, don't flush every time!  It'll save litres of water!

So, I guess I have gone green by reducing my footprint on earth by reusing items as much as possible, recycling whatever I can, composting all my veggie waste, reducing the emissions I put into the environment, the wastage of water and planting saplings.  I am also an ecologist doing research on returning forests that have been harvested and the soil disturbed, back to productive growth.  It's actually way harder than  you think (because the soil is not intact and doesn't usually support growth like it used to).  You may want to consider going into environmental studies later in life!

Hope that helps!

Answer 2

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live completely, 100% “off of the grid and are completely self sufficient”

The house is built utilizing natures natural elements, in the shape of an octagon with 8ft wide arch doors on every wall to catch every angle of wind (typical 4 sided homes have half the chance as one with 8 sides. A circle being the most efficient design). Woodburning stoves, solar chimney, solar AC, solar heating, solar water heating (pool and home), solar stove, solar power, wind power, hydrogen powered back up generator, hydrogen back up water heater, hydrogen stove, 2 hydrogen powered trucks, 1 EV (electric vehicle) and satellite internet.

We also built many green small cabins on the ranch that we offer to family, friends and our on-site off-grid workshop guests, including one straw bale, one papercrete, earth bag and adobe, one cob and cordwood, one underground and rammed earth, one log and post and beam and one rock. Each one actually started as a test for what the main house would be and were later finished and turned into guest cabins. I later wrote a guide on how to build with alternative materials using alternative methods for next to nothing.

We raise meat and milk goats, chickens for meat and eggs, ducks for meat and eggs, trap havilina (wild boar pig), rabbit, quail. brew our own beer from home grown products, preserve our fruits, vegetables, etc. smoke and jerky the meat, make our own soap, cheese.

There are no utility lines, no water lines, no roads, tv, cell service, etc. on our ranch. EVERYTHING needed is produced here. All electricity comes from 27 solar panels, 2 main wind gens and a back hydrogen generator if needed (typically we can last 9 days with all luxuries of sunless windless weather, hasn't happened yet). Water is caught and storaged from the rain. Hot water is made with solar batch water heaters with an on-demand hydrogen hot water heater as backup. Even our vehicles use alternative energy (2 hydrogen trucks, 1 EV electric vehicle converted). Because of this we have no bills, no debt and no mortgage.

Anyone interested can check it out at..

www agua-luna com

I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

my home has all the comforts listed above plus some. we live very comfortable without effecting the environment. just saying that tol et you know it's possible. you may not want to go as extreme as me and my family but anywhere in between is something.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

here's a calculator to find out how much of a green impact your making (carbon footprint)

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_gre...

if you'd like to make your next step feel free to contact me personally at www agua-luna com

I've been installing home made Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters. Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY www agua-luna com

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

if you absolutely can't do anything in your home at least you can put alternative fuels in your car. most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

www agua-luna com

as for recyling the best way i've found without taking money from your won pocket is to join a free freecycle group in your area or visit the habitat for humanity.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com

on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming!!!