What is something i could do to help the environment?

Question

So i need to do something to help the environment. but i want it to be something big that not many people do. like not just picking up trash. got any ideas?

Answer 1

You could always use less energy.

Plus plant more plants (they not only help the environment, but it would make the world much more beautiful)

recycle more! Paper, plastics and cans!

And reuse anything that can be reused, like plastics bags or boxes.

Those are a few big things you could do to help the environment.

Answer 2

Inspire others. You can do that simply by wearing  a t-shirt or hat with green slogans.

Check this article for ideas and links:

Answer 3

I have found a great company that offers health and wellness products that are not only safe for the environment but for people and pets too. Go to www.melaleuca.com and check it out. They offer products such as cleaning products with no amonia, no formaldehyde and no chlorine bleach. Each product is made from bio degredable materials and lasts longer b/c it's super concentrated. They offer other products as well such as vitamins, health bars, toiletries etc.  

Answer 4

Go vegan.

Answer 5

Form a group with all your friends and maybe classmates. Pitch in all your money and create a group that saves earth. Have classmates teach younger kids how littering and wasting is hurtful to earth. Ask for permission to use the school cafeteria on Saturday and use it for a Save the Earth show. You can teach kids how its bad to litter and do arts and crafts. Include puppets and "earth" refreshments.  Such as cookies iced like earth, "dirt" cakes(brownies), and bright green lollipops.You can also each plant a seed into a pot and have the kids take them home. Make brochures and posters and distribute them. Get your whole group to help you. Charge 2 dollars per person as admission and donate the profits to a charity that saves the earth. Hope this helps!

Answer 6

why do you have to only do something "big"? that would be so very limiting- besides letting your ego get in the way will impede being useful.

the little things are hugely important to. if EVERY person in this country only did the little things we would be years ahead in our quest to repair the damage we have already done as a species!!

IF you ALSO want to do big things then you will have to get off your butt and get VOCAL- not just sit and wait for someone to tell you what to do - YOU will have to LEAD in whatever you do. and there is SO MUCH you can do.

as an example: STOP your local politicians who are impeading/preventing real progress because they are happy with the status quo or worse it lines their pockets to NOT change how things are done.

SIMPLE changes in a town or county level are huge. Allowing/encouraging/pushing for CHANGE in county/city zoning.

MORITORIUMS on new building -- How many EMPTY buildings can a town cope with? - make your town stop wasting time land and money building new when they WONT fix what they already have.

CHANGE ZONING REGULATIONS - make solar/wind/water power REQUIRED and the NORM - rather than the odd-man-out = encourage alternative building designs that USE these things -

(do you know that in a Scottsdale AZ community (its in the desert mind you as in LOTS of sun) has FORBIDDEN solar panels? they think they dont LOOK NICE ENOUGH for some small group of dictators tastes.

THINGS LIKE this HAVE to be Stopped.

REQUIRE new technology for WASTE MANAGEMENT and get it DONE using  something like

"Joseph Longo's Plasma Converter turns our most vile and toxic trash into clean energy-and promises to make a relic of the landfill"

http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/20...

DO YOUR RESEARCH and find the thing the needs the MOST doing in your area and then get out there a DO IT. it doesnt need to be huge. But if it needs doing its important.

its up to you.

Answer 7

1- You can take a bus, subway, or carpool with a friend to cut down on air pollution.

2- Unplug electrical things when not in use. Don't go around your house unplugging EVERYTHING. Just don't leave your coffee pot plugged in all day, or your toaster.

3- While in the shower, turn off the water while you wait for your shampoo and conditioner to sit. Little things make big differences!

Answer 8

change the way you think about the common perceptionof man that nature is a source of unlimited resources.

Answer 9

Lobby your council to give your community a bit of land. There are thousands of bits that are just unkept by the council - and usually become a dumping ground.

Take it on - put up signs, hold a "bring a plant" event, and get local firms to sponsor larger trees. If you need equipment - set a day, and book a reporter from your local radio to be there. Explain to hire companies that if they loan the equipment to you, they will get free advertising of them helping their community.

Try a few collection boxes in shops to collect enough for a bench or seating, and building contractors sometimes have large items - like sewer pipe sections - which are ideal up-ended as planters or for trees.

There is usually a "community fund" to tap for such ventures - so find out what is available for extra cash to help buy items.

You may even be able to get the Mayor to open it !

Good luck.

Answer 10

Vote Green.

Use a bicycle more and a car less.

Eat less meat.

Answer 11

*plant a tree

*plant a garden

*buy local produce (farmer's markets!)

*support your local food co-operative (http://www.coopamerica.org)

*buy food in bulk to avoid excess packaging

*cook your own meals

*use reusable water bottles instead of bottled water

*use Tupperware instead of disposable ziplock bags

*use cloth napkins instead of paper

*use reusable shopping bags, and if not, than paper (not plastic), and reuse before recycling

*take public transportation, or better yet, a bike or walk!

*wash and reuse plastic silverware, aluminum foil, and storage bags!

*donate old belongings to second hand stores, instead of throwing them out

*shop at local stores, support local small businesses

*eat less meat

*Use CFL (compact fluorescent light bulbs)...the spiral ones, instead of traditional light bulbs. (savings on your energy bill will make up for the difference in price)

*line dry your clothes instead of using the dryer (energy hog!)

*hand wash dishes instead of a dishwasher (also an energy hog)

*unplug appliances when not in use

*shut down the computer at night

*support alternative energy

Answer 12

Try living a sustainable life. Become the change you want to see and share your experience with others.

Going green is easy, there are so many great resources about the subject. My personal favorite is "The Green Book" which has parts of its book online as well at www.readthegreenbook.com.

As I have been striving to "Go Green" I realize it is like stepping back in time without getting rid of my modern conveniences. I'm doing many things I learned as a child, like line drying my clothes, sweeping instead of vacuuming, opening the windows in the morning to catch the cool breeze, only buying what I need instead of everything that looks cool, growing some of my own food, and canning what I can't eat now.

To me "going Green" is a frame of mind. Do what fits your lifestyle and do the easy things first, it is a process and like dieting if you go to radical to soon, you are more likely to go back to bad habits. I also believe there are good, better, best choices in most things. If you aren't ready to start a home garden, then try finding a farmers market, until you locate one look for produce grown as close to home as possible and go organic when available.

Many people think "going green" is expensive, I disagree. Some changes may take an initial investment, but they usually have a short payoff time. Things like weatherstiping and insulation cost, but the energy savings will add up quickly. You may need to purchase reusable bags, but most stores give you a 5 or 10 cent credit, so you are paid back within a few months.

My top tips are make your home more energy efficient, that also means using natural light, cooling and heating.

Reduce your packaging, if you eat more fresh food you will generally reduce packaging, it's the same thing they tell dieters, shop the perimiter, that is where all the meat, dairy and produce are located. Only buy what you will use, many Americans throw away a lot of unused food. Buy in bulk, that doesn't just mean large packages, but that area with the bins that you buy only what you plan on using.

Replace disposable items with durable items, if you eat outside often and use disposable paper or plastic plates, it is a wise investment to purchase a set of reusable plastic plates. Replace disposable razors, diapers and cleaning products like swiffer. Avoid bottled water, get a home filter like Pur or Brita.

Recycle, www.earth911.org will help you locate the nearest recycle center. I try to only purchase plastics that are #1 or #2, they are more easily recycled. I also buy recycled products when available, that includes paper towels, napkings, toilet paper, tissue, school/office supplies and clothing.

Detox your cleaning, vinegar and baking soda clean almost anything, they can even losen a hair clog. Seventh Generation and Method are a couple mainstream brands that are very earth friendly.

Just start small and build from there, don't get overwhelmed.

Answer 13

Lots of good answers before mine, but nobody has mentioned this idea...drive a car that runs on natural gas (methane) instead of gasoline. That's what I do, and it's great! Cleaner for the environment and cheaper to fill up, too! You did say to think big, which is definitely the way to go! Not many people know about these cars, but I think they're a great idea, and love mine. We're going on a cruise next month because these cars have saved us so much money over the past year. Check out my sources below and see if one would work for your family.  

Answer 14

Drive a more fuel efficient car.

Answer 15

gust  wait till you are  heard

Answer 16

A LOT OF THINGS!!! I always go to the landfill and pick up materials that can be recycled. That way they don't just sit there and rot for hundreds of years.

Install energy efficient lighting like CFL's.

And if you live in a heavily populated area like New York or something, then you should PLANT A TREE!!! Trees suck in carbon and other greenhouse gases and use them to make oxygen.

I love your attitude towards the environment!!! I feel the same way.

Answer 17

there are many simple ways that i do like just recycling and turning off power points and light swichtes in a room when your not in them dont go super inevimenterlist if you dont need to just simple will all was help riding to school or work putting your rubbish in the bin i find its the simple things that also make you feel good about your self and on the inside

Answer 18

   lets  all  plant  more  food  producing  plants.  In  any  persons  plan  to,  " go  green ",  should  be  a  focus  on  producing  some  of  ones  own  food.

   One  argument  against  this  is often , " I can not  use  the  food  grown  in  a  garden  where  animals  and  humans  activities  may  contaminate  the  product."  My  response  is  that  you  could  still  get  started  with  a  sprout  jar.  Alpha-alpha and other seeds  sprouted,  are  a  great  alternative  to  store  bought  lettuce.  

   It  looks  to  me  like,  a  good  web  source  is,  sproutpeople.com.

Answer 19

You can install a solar electricty system.This will save a lot of energy and good to enviroment

Answer 20

Exchange your lightbulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They last much longer, and they reduce carbon emmissions by an unbelievable amount.  

Answer 21

There are many things that you can do to go green, and some are very inexpensive too:

~Of course, recycle everything you can! (Ex: cans, bottles, plastics, paper, ect.)

~Buy energy saving light bulbs

~Buy things like clothes, paper, ect that are made from recycled materials

~Use reusable batteries or recycle dead batteries properly

~Use reusable shopping bags

~If you have plastic shopping bags, use them instead of just tossing them. They can be used to pick up dog poo, line small trash cans, ect.

~Try not to use paper napkins or paper towel as much as possible. Instead use cloth napkins that can be washed.

~Try to use fewer paper plates and more washable ones.

~Take shorter showers

~Turn off lights whenever possible

~Try to buy more organic foods and local foods (for example, at a farmer's market)

~Use regular silverware, not plastic

~Use eco friendly products in replace of regular dish washing liquids, house cleaners, ect. (Greenworks)

~Use cold water to wash clothes (Tide Cold water works great)

~On a nice day, turn off the air/heat and open some windows. You save of the cost, get a nice fresh breeze, and help the environment.

~Plant trees around your house to shade and save on using more air conditioning

~Buy one stainless steel, reusable, water bottle instead of using regular plastic ones and then getting rid of them. This one you can clean and use over and over again!

~Change the setting on your sprinklers to use less water

~Buy eco friendly fertilizers (I think they have them at Home Depot)

~If painting, they have eco friendly paint at Home Depot

~Walk or ride a bike wherever possible

~Carpool if possible

That is all I can think of, but you can also get some tips at www.gogreen.com Good luck :)

Answer 22

Call the electric company and have them turn your power off.

Walk everywhere you go.

OK you probably wont do either of those.

Picking up trash isn't as helpful to the environment as everyone would have you believe, it just moves the problem instead of curing it. It also allows people to start taking advantage of you by throwing their trash where you will pick it up.

Quit buying fast food, instead opt for the slower restaurant that still gives you your food on a glass plate, and your drink in a glass glass. They will wash them and re-use them instead of throwing them away, or tossing them to the curb.