Ways to Start Living More Naturally

There's no doubt that planet Earth is in trouble. The ocean is full of plastic, the land is full of pesticides and the air is polluted from burning fossil fuels. If doing something about this seems too daunting to even try, figure out what baby steps you can take starting now. 

Stop Burning Fossil Fuels

Coal, oil and other petroleum products are problematic from the start. Coal mining and oil drilling were bad enough but now the practice of fracking is a danger to the very ecosystem.

In transporting these products, there are often spills, either into the ocean or the ground. This is disastrous for wildlife and ruins the natural balance of the ecosystem where the spill has occurred. 

There are alternatives to power your home and devices, and even your car. The most widely used alternative energy source is solar power. 

Solar is the most popular alternative to fossil fuels for many reasons. First, the price of solar installation has gone down dramatically over the past two decades. Second, many communities are giving incentives and lower rates.

You can get a break on your taxes if you install solar panels. If you can't decide whether or not to take the plunge, consult with a company like solar Wilmington NC to go over rates and options.

In the meantime, see if your local utility company lets you choose where your power comes from. You may get a better rate for switching from fossil fuels.

Stop Using Plastic

If you've been paying attention at all, you know that plastic pollution is one of the world's biggest problems. Although useful and cheap, since plastic is made from petroleum byproducts, it will never biodegrade.

Most plastic pollution ends up in landfills or the ocean and is never recycled into other plastic products.

There are many plastic alternatives now and it's definitely worthwhile to become familiar with them. 

Plastic straws make up a lot of the pollution that finds its way into the ocean. Thankfully, many fast-food restaurants and coffee shops are helping with alternatives. Some are offering paper straws and others have switched to sippy cups.

If you don't like either of those options, you can purchase your own set of reusable straws and carry it with you.

Plastic storage bags and plastic wrap are also a real problem. Ocean creatures often mistake such items for food since their movement underwater resembles that of a jellyfish. Unfortunately, these animals will die a painful death with stomachs full of plastic.

A better alternative is beeswax wraps. They're effective, organic and will never cause any pollution. 

Once you start thinking in that direction, more and more ideas for plastic alternatives will come to you. Every bit of plastic you replace is one that won't end up as pollution.

Stop Throwing Away Clothes

If you buy new clothes only infrequently and wear them until they are totally worn out, you are already doing a great job. However, textiles make up 40-50% of every landfill in this country.

The fashion industry is partially to blame for making it seem that new clothes should be purchased every year and the old ones discarded. However, they are beginning to change their ways. Some are even making new fashions out of recycled fabric.

What individuals can do is donate their used clothing to a thrift store instead of throwing it in the trash. On the flip side, try a used clothing store first when you need a new item of clothing. This is even possible online now. Wearing natural materials is also a good choice because they easily biodegrade.

Although it may seem as though there is nothing an individual can do to address the enormity of the world's pollution and global warming problems, never forget that there are over 330,000,000 people living in the United States. If each of them made just one good ecological choice this week, think of the progress that could be made.