Sustainability and conservation of the environment are some of the most important issues that we face in the world today and as a part of the private sector in the environmental and horticultural industry, we believe that it is our duty to try to inform and raise awareness as well as celebrate environmental action.
Our planet, Earth, is the only livable planet we have so we as communities and individuals must do all that we can to preserve the Earth for future generations. Don’t think that it’s all up to the government, it is also up to us to do our part!
World Environment Day is the biggest international day for the environment and has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet.
Over 150 countries are participating and the UN engages governments, businesses, civil society, schools, celebrities, cities and communities to raise awareness to these matters.
This year’s host country is Sweden and the official theme is Only One Earth.
Most local councils will be doing something to celebrate World Environment Day, check your local listings online for more details.
Obviously here at Living Green and Feeling Seedy, we focus on the sustainability and conservation side of this, and June 5th is not the only day where we think about the environment, we do this every day!
It is important to learn how to live sustainably and in harmony with nature and it really is not as hard as it might seem, small steps every day make all the difference.
Commit to recycling - know what you can and can’t recycle and be sure to put them in the yellow recycling bin and not in plastic bags! Also don’t forget about your local bottle and can redemption centres, they’ll take your bottles and cans and also give you 10c for each recycled (depending on your state or territory). We use Containers for Change, they are friendly, fast and efficient!
Volunteering at local community Landcare or Bushcare organisations, these groups work to rehabilitate land, clean up our bushlands and many other environmental activities.
Planting trees and local native flora to encourage bees, birds, butterflies and other native fauna to feed on.
Make compost! This is a perfect way to reduce food waste going into landfill and also use this to enhance the quality of your soil and in turn fertilise plants in the garden with your black gold!
Walk, run or ride a bicycle instead of driving if possible to reduce your carbon footprint and also will help getting some exercise!
Choose public transport, why not get to work with a train, bus or ferry if possible?
Grow your own fruits and vegetables or whatever part of it you can, food will be fresher, tastier and will have 0 food miles on them therefore reducing your carbon footprint.
Reduce paper waste, go paperless with bills, don’t print emails if unnecessary or print double sided if really necessary.
Go digital! Share files online or by using cloud storage or do video conferencing instead of traveling for meetings. We used to supply paper propagation notes for all the seeds we supply but now we have made these accessible to everyone by putting these all up on our website so they can be downloaded instead of printed. I know it’s only a small thing, but it is something we can do, so we did it.
Reduce your energy usage in the home by turning lights off when not in use, use energy efficient appliances, use appliances on energy efficient temperatures when heating and cooling the home, use energy saving light bulbs or LED lights, unplug appliances when not in use, install motion sensor lights.
Use less water by turning off when brushing teeth or washing dishes by hand, use an energy efficient dishwasher that uses minimal water, take shorter showers rather than taking baths, boil only the water you need when having tea or coffee, collect your own rainwater and use this on your gardens, be sure to water out of the heat of the day to avoid evaporation and water waste!
Insulate your house, this will keep your house warmer in the cooler months and cooler in the warmer months which will reduce the need for heating and cooling which will also save you money on your energy bills.
Stop using single use plastics! Buy reusable water bottles, coffee cups, cutlery and straws. This is also helping to reduce pollution to our waterways and oceans.
Rethink your shopping habits and diet. Buy local produce where possible at farmers markets, choose ethically sourced and raised animal products
Switch to renewable energy sources or choose a company that provides electricity from solar, wind or hydroelectric energy, think about installing solar panels or solar hot water systems.
Think green when travelling! Fly direct to your destination, choose ethical destinations and green accommodation, walk, cycle and use the local public transport, eat local food and support the local economy.
Don't litter! This is a simple one but not everyone puts their trash in the bin judging by the amount of litter that we still see on the sides of roads, in carparks, outside fast food places and even in parks and local nature reserves, be sure to put your rubbish where it belongs in the garbage bin!
Reduce, re-use and recycle! The less that goes into landfill the better, so reduce waste, recycle or re-use things where possible.
On a world wide scale, many options can only be created by larger entities - national and state governments, businesses and international organisations - these are the ones with the power to rewrite the rules and legislation, create the framework and open up new possibilities for real change. Real usable options need to be available, affordable and attractive to people so they can make better daily decisions.
These entities need to work on finding the best ways possible to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on all continents and oceans and needs to be done with the people and not to the people.
Social Connection
There are a few hashtags that people are using on their socials, why not get on board and show your commitment to World Environment Day by snapping some pics and uploading them, you can tag us too, we’d love to see what you’re up to!
Let’s be part of the solution rather than the problem and help “save our Earth, our planet” after all there is only one Earth!
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