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Earth Day was April 22—another time to remember why we must always appreciate and care for the earth.

If the earth is well taken care of, then our health will improve. Our health can only be as good as the earth on which we live.

We all have a common responsibility to care for the earth. However, more often than not, our actions, such as overconsumption of natural resources, air pollution from exhaust fumes and industrial waste, and deforestation, all have a damaging effect on the earth.

If our actions lead to a damaging effect on the earth, then we are damaging our health.

Here are a few things we can do to care for the earth:

1. Plant trees

Planting trees is a good way to make the earth healthy and also promote healthy living. Trees remain the best source of oxygen to eliminate carbon dioxide so we can breathe in fresh and clean air. Trees also purify the environment from carbon monoxide and provide us with fresh fruits that have various health benefits.

So tend to a garden, keep a nursery, grow some indoor plants in your living room to purify the air from nitrogen dioxide and benzene. Some of the best indoor plants are English Ivy, Spider Plant, Peace Lily, Dragon Tree, Pot Mom, Chinese Evergreen, and Bamboo Palm.

2. Reduce paper consumption

Paper is part of our daily lives. We print paper for our documents, flyers, and other printouts. Paper is also used for newspapers, magazines, and notepads. In place of paper, use your mobile device and opt for online subscriptions. Instead of buying hard copies of books, buy soft copies and avoid printouts unless it’s necessary.

Download notepad and journaling apps on your mobile device. Doing this will preserve our trees, as many trees are cut down to produce paper each year. Less paper means tree preservation, and this aids in creating a healthy environment.

3. Conserve energy

Turn off all electrical appliances when you’re leaving the house or when you don’t need them. Switch off the light, fan, and AC, disconnect all electronic appliances, and turn off the switch by the wall.

Open the windows and lift the curtains or window blinds for fresh air and daylight in place of the fan, AC, and lights. By doing this, you care for the world and conserve electricity.

4. Use eco-friendly shopping bags

Take a break from paper or plastic bags when you shop for groceries. Paper and plastic bags need more than 400 years to decompose. Opt for eco-friendly jute bags when you need to go shopping.

Jute bags are reusable, and they are made of natural fiber. When they aren’t used, they get destroyed without polluting the earth.

 

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5. Conserve fuel

We all can conserve fuel by walking, or riding a bicycle when we need to go to work, school, or other places. This will help you stay healthy and meet your weight goals because you burn calories every time you walk or use a bicycle.

Opt for public transport whenever you can. When you’re stuck in traffic or when the traffic light hits red, turn off the ignition. You can get a fuel-efficient car or cars that don’t require fuel. These measures will limit gases that pollute the earth.

6. Recycling

Recycling preserves natural resources, limits waste, and reduces pollution. All you need to do to recycle is to make the right decisions by buying products or materials that can be recycled. When you go shopping, buy products with little packaging. When trashing your bin, trash the recyclable materials in the recycle bin.

7. Save water

Water is essential to humans and the earth as well. We need water to survive and the earth needs water for plants to grow. This is why we need to conserve water. Avoid wasting water. Take short showers and turn off the tap when you’re brushing, washing the dishes, or when you’re not using water. Don’t use too much water when you’re flushing the toilet.

So let’s use water wisely. This way, you’re doing your part in caring for the environment.

The earth is our home. Let’s think of creative new ways to care for it. If we all do our part then, together, we can make a difference. If we don’t do our part, who will?

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