What is the most important everyday thing you could do to save the planet?

Question

And how would this help?

Yahoo! Staff note: This is the real David Bellamy. Please see this blog post for further information: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKPQoRKdVT4lowpJCljbFokkuIzI8?p=1017

Find out how you can help with global conservation: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-LW6B0bQwdbVYcgXSuw0jm5Z7LkUTSxeZKw--?cq=1

Answer 1

There a numerous things that you can in your day to day lifestyle that add up if we all make the effort.
1. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
2. Install a water saver in the toilet to save on every flush
3. Turn off lights when you leave the room
4. Use public transport (or even better a bike)
5. Turn your heating down by 1 degree
6. Don't overfill the kettle when making a cuppa

A few things that take a little bit more effort are:
1. Change your electricity supplier to a green tariff
2. Buy food from local shops or from an organic box delivery company
3. Avoid buying from big chains that do not have good sustainability policies
4. Invest your money/mortgage with an ethical bank such as the Co-Op or Triodos

And if you want to go the whole hog:
1. Install solar or wind generators
2. Invest in a rain water harvesting system
3. Use a grey water recycling system
4. Heat your house using a wood chip burning stove
5. Move to an eco house!

Answer 2

Reduce on what I buy.

How does this help? It reduces the amount of pollution and waste caused by manufacturing of products. If, over my life time, I choose to buy only 2 cars over the next
40 years, as opposed to 8 cars over the next 40 years, I am reducing the contribution of all that mining, transportation, water and air pollution of 6 cars. (BTW, I keep my car in proper working order, making sure it's burning the fuel cleanly.)

From the famous "Three R's" I believe there is a heirarchy: 1) Reduce, 2) Reuse, 3) Recycle. (Some people add "Repair", which connects with the Reuse)

First one should reduce on the stuff he or she buys.
Too many people focus on the third R, recycle, and think they are saving the planet if they just recycle. Well, it's important, but not the end-all, be-all that it is advertised to be.
To create a product (recyclable or otherwise) it uses water & fuel, causing disturbance of earth from mining, forestry, transportation, etc. If a person chooses to recycle, the items still requires transportation, water and energy before it is into another product. Most recycled products still need a certain percentage of products that are not recycled, anyway.

Don't think I'm discouraging recycling, but *it alone* will not save the planet.

I've talked to teens in the UK who are already on their 8th mobile phone because the new one is more desirable than the old one. That's 7 mobile phones in the bin (becuase no one they knew wanted the stigma of owning a used mobile) never to be used again. All the energy and resources (water, minerals, fossil fuels) put into the mobile phone was used for less than a year before it was not cool enough anymore.

Questions to ask yourself:
Am I buying this because it's "cool" or do I really need it?
Can I find the same product without so much packaging?
If I fix my old one, can I still use it?
Do I really need a bag for this / can I use my own bag for this?

That's my thought, but there are also many very valid ones answering this question here, too.

Answer 3

Wow, what a thought-provoking question. Well, it's tough to decide what everyday thing I can do as an individual and even more tough to decide what is the most important thing. Having thought long and hard though, I think I could take less journeys in my car. I make quite a few unnecessary journeys during a typical week and, while they are never particularly long, I could probably just wait until I have several reasons to go out before getting in the car. This would help in so many ways. Of course it would benefit me because I'd get more fit (and so would the dog) if I walked more often and I also enjoy seeing people's gardens, catching some sunshine and even getting rained on is refreshing sometimes. I'd save money and have that self-righteous feeling that I was doing my bit.

At the same time I'd be helping the planet by saving fuel, reducing emissions and, in my own small way, reducing traffic on the roads (also improving road safety... not that that reflects on my driving ability!).

More than that though, I'd be out meeting my neighbours more, some of them are fascinating to listen to but I never have time so if I walked with them I would be able to listen to them. Some are old and if I was there I'd notice if they weren't about one day and I might even encourage more people to get out and walk too if they saw me doing it regularly. This in turn would make the streets safer and everyone a bit more tolerant of each other, since they'd get to understand one another on a more personal level.

I'm not sure that my answer has much to do with global warming but I'm not convinced that we can do much to stop it now anyway, there's no arguing with the power of nature and I think we're now in a situation where it's too late to cure the problem, we just need to learn how to survive it. Apart from anything else, it doesn't make any difference what I do if the rest of my town, the rest of my country, the rest of the world, are constantly working in the opposite direction.

I'm really interested to read the other responses on here, thanks for asking the question - it's really made me think and you know what? I think I'll walk tomorrow! I suppose if everyone is encouraged to do even one thing in their every day life it might bring about a cultural change where everyone finds turning off the lights, conserving water, etc. is normal - that's really the only way that anything is going to change.

Answer 4

Wow, what a thought-provoking question. Well, it's tough to decide what everyday thing I can do as an individual and even more tough to decide what is the most important thing. Having thought long and hard though, I think I could take less journeys in my car. I make quite a few unnecessary journeys during a typical week and, while they are never particularly long, I could probably just wait until I have several reasons to go out before getting in the car. This would help in so many ways. Of course it would benefit me because I'd get more fit (and so would the dog) if I walked more often and I also enjoy seeing people's gardens, catching some sunshine and even getting rained on is refreshing sometimes. I'd save money and have that self-righteous feeling that I was doing my bit.

Answer 5

There are a few people like yourself and the late steve irwin to name but a few who have some concideration for the planet we live on and the life forms who share it with us. But the reality is just that! There is not enough love in the world. Economical finances will be effected if we say had cars that ran on water instead of oil. The bp's and the shells of this world would cash in on water making in expensive and besides wich where would we store all the fuel that we no longer need to power vehicles and what if we used solar power instead of the energy we use nowadays? Where would we store the nuclear waste that is no longer used for the power stations etc? Sadly the ideal world is no where in sight but we can all do a little to take us in the right direction. If we do make an impact on various leaders and they do agree to a good solution, the results will not be seen by our generation or the next. The most important thing now is education and encouragement.

Answer 6

The most important everyday thing you could do is before you buy anything, take a good look at what you already have, and how much you already throw away, and then ask yourself if you really want, need and can afford the item before buying it. Because it would reduce impulse buying which in turn would reduce waste.

Remember when you wouldn’t finish your dinner and your Mother told you millions of people were starving that would be glad of that food? In the west we throw away more than 30% of the food we buy, and that food has used petrol to be shipped to us and often electricity etc to be processed and packed or vacuum packed. If you buy a bulk to get a bargain then end up throwing away a third, what are you really saving? It would be better to think about what you really need and what you are buying then but less, pay more and get local produce which is probably also going to be fresher therefore last longer and therefore end up being a bigger bargain than the cheap produce from further away.

So the most important think we can all do every day is not to shop unless we have to and to shop wisely when we do shop. Because it is the easiest way to create less waste.

Answer 7

Education, education, education. Without an understanding of what is really happening and what we need to do then we cannot get everyone to really understand the situation. Eg Misunderstandings such as recycling is just as expensive as using new, when it is not costs we are talking about but available resources. Hitting the marketing people who sell fuel guzzling and high polluting vehicles just to serve their relatively short term profits at the expense of the planet we inhabit. Educating people to stop making status purchases such as replacing domestic equipment because it isn't the latest style and dumping the o;d stuff in landfill. The problem is that people think that recycling a few bottles and newspapers is the answer, but they have driven to the recycling point in their huge 4 x 4.
The need to protect the planet is not understood as everyone's problem, every minute of everyday. But there are so many vested interests that I personally do not believe that any government anywhere will really do anything that upsets big business.
What chance do we stand when there is no real support for alternative lifestyles which will reduce our impact on the planet.
Human beings seem to be greedy and selfish and most, not all, don't give a damn about anyone or anything else
The only consolation is that ,as an earlier reply says, we need the planet earth, but it does not need us .We will go extinct but hopefully the planet will survive with other life.

Answer 8

I would do more walking as it’s good for the health and good for the environment. I would also consider recycling more items that can be used again. Changing my homes light-bulbs to the new energy efficient and it lowers the electric bill but, I really don’t think it helps the environment. Installing double glazing as it reduces noise and keeps the heat in.

There are a lot of things that can be done. Most of the problem is from the fumes created by public transport. Recycling your rubbish is only a small step. But the main big problem is what will the big corporations do about cutting down on pollution. If it will cost them money, they’re not interested. The hydrogen powered car was laughed at because it would cost corporations money to build hydrogen stations for the new vehicle. A lot of the problems are caused by greed and the “I’m all right Jack!” attitude.

Part of the global warming; I strongly feel is part of the earth’s natural cycle.

It's just annoyed me that it's only now that the government has realised how serious the matter is.

Answer 9

There is not enough love in the world. Economical finances will be effected if we say had cars that ran on water instead of oil. The bp's and the shells of this world would cash in on water making in expensive and besides wich where would we store all the fuel that we no longer need to power vehicles and what if we used solar power instead of the energy we use nowadays? Where would we store the nuclear waste that is no longer used for the power stations etc? Sadly the ideal world is no where in sight but we can all do a little to take us in the right direction. If we do make an impact on various leaders and they do agree to a good solution, the results will not be seen by our generation or the next. The most important thing now is education and encouragement.

Answer 10

The most important thing I could do to save the planet is to tell people that the planet is really in trouble.
Just people on the street. They've noticed now the weather changing. The global warming.
We are the people, we are the ones who change things, not politicians. We put politicians where they are, and can just as easily remove them.
Just a petition from the streets. Dear politician, this is your job, and this is what the people have put at the top of your list of priorities. Stop global warming!
We want to see 'Radical' action taken about this. Sort out the fuel emmisions and CFC's. Ban airconditioned cars, give those people replacement cars, just open your windows, and buy a small fan. Sometimes we have to suffer a little but you are saving the planet, you've been given use of this planet as a gift. Why would you want to help destroy it? Don't you like fresh air, nature, wildlife. I know you do David!
Sorry getting carried away! Basically there needs to be a really good petition, a HUGE petition all over the world!! and the world should be watching when its handed over to their respective governments.
Apart from that I'm participating in the BBC climate change experiment online.
I'm living now in Finland, used to live in London and Ireland.
Boy did we have a hot summer in Finland this summer.......
I heard it was almost tropical weather in london.. and that was from an Australian!

Answer 11

I don't have a car, I recycle what I can, I give my old printer cartridges to a recycling company who makes a donation to Oxfam. I try not to buy things that have come from far if there is a choice. I grow some of my own food, compost everything I can. I use a "green" electricity provider. So I try to do my bit already.

I think the main thing I could do would be to improve the insulation of my house, which would save electricity and gas in the winter. This would mean less use of fossil fuels and less pollution. I think this might be the most important thing, but it would also be expensive and disruptive, so I don't know when I will be able to do it. But it is on my list.

Another thing I should do is to put in a water butt. This would save water and be good for the garden too. I will certainly do this.

The other thing I should do (this is probably the hardest of all) is to stop my husband from washing up so often, and from doing it under a running tap. I don't know if I will ever manage this.