In recent years, going green has not only become a proper movement, but a whole way of life, and you only need to look around yourself to see why it is so important. We have become hungry for power, and we are recklessly treating nature, spending all the resources it has to offer, without even caring about whether that is sustainable or not. We read all the time that members of endangered species are dying out, we feel sad and maybe click a like, then we continue doing what we do best – ruining this planet.

But what can you do, practically do, so that you decrease your influence on this planet and maybe even help out? Going green is used everywhere, yet only a few people know what that really means, and it is truly a whole way of life, which everyone will have to get accustomed to, or we will all face dire consequences.

Buy Smart and Buy Green

Many people do not even know what green means, but it is a whole concept which is created to define something that is renewable, sustainable and overall - eco-friendly. This is especially important when you visit the store where you are surrounded by products that you need, but not everything is that simple. It is your responsibility to buy those products that are produced by clean technologies and services, which do not harm the environment and which dedicate a percentage of their earnings to develop new ways of protecting nature or repairing the damage that has been done.

All the chemicals that you buy for cleaning or for any other purpose need to be in accordance with some environmental standards, and to be safe for you to use at the same time. When it comes to food, it is important to avoid buying food on which a lot of pesticides were used since they can contaminate not only food and water, but also all the animal life around the area where they were used. They can also have negative effects on humans, too, so, always read the label, and try to buy local groceries, produced on nearby farms.

Greenify Your Home

Making your home greener is important because of two reasons. The first one is obvious, you will be doing a favor to your children, and their children, while the second one is from a financial point of view. If you try and use green technologies, you will be able to save a lot of money, especially when it comes to heating and cooling your home. If you use certified green appliances for doing that, your electricity bill will go down significantly, and after that, it is important to switch from incandescent light bulbs to their more energy-efficient cousins – compact fluorescent lamps. Even having LED lamps installed is a good idea, as they spend around 80% less energy, and offer the same amount of lights.

When it comes to the rest of your home, it would be important to have all the doors and windows properly sealed so that your home stays at a desired temperature. Insulation should also be added to walls, ceilings and attics as a great addition. It would be wise to first remove all mold from your home - as it can not only present a health hazard to you and all the other occupants - before installing any kind of insulation.

Other good ideas that you can use for your own home is to have a water barrel installed so that you can reuse rainwater as a free source, and during summer, you can even heat it up and have hot water anytime.

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

These three Rs are extremely important for you to both save money and protect nature. There are many things that we buy only to use once and never again, so why not borrow it? This is a simple example of how reusing something can be a much better solution. Do not waste anything, and think carefully before printing out anything – just imagine how many trees we could have saved if we printed only what was truly necessary. These small changes can mean a lot for the environment, and you only need a little dedication to change your life for the better.