Strategies for Building Healthy Relationships with Our Planet

There are different beliefs and predictions in regards to the future of our planet. Various schools of thought present their vision of what is going to happen to the Earth and how it will change over the years. Those are often affected by a number of factors such as social and economic status, education and religion, etc., and shape an individual’s environmental value system. Depending on the particular word view people have, they suggest various approaches to solving current environmental issues and describing the desirable balance between humans and the environment. 

Deep ecologists and Ecocentrists are more nature-centered and promote the idea of denouncing the technological developments of humanity in order to preserve nature and let it rebirth from the damage done to it. Ecocentrism supporters view organisms and ecosystems as such that have the most values. They believe that it is humans in particular that were so desperate to reach their economic and political goals, they have exhausted the natural resources, which led to the planet’s suffering. Technocentrists, on the other hand, believe in the omnipotent power of technology and science and claim that it can save the environment by introducing some effective development to solve the existing environmental problems. In fact, their main argument lies within the idea that any damage done to nature by humans can be reversed if managed correctly. Not far from this idea there are anthropocentric views on the world that promote the idea of humans being capable of sorting out the current situation by regulating within the society. 

While the aforementioned environmental value systems seem like the polar opposites of each other, they do have something in common. All of them recognize and address the fact that planet Earth is going through some challenging times because of the ways in which humans have been exploiting its resources over the past couple of centuries. 

One of the most prominent features that characterize any efficient ecosystem (and our planet essentially is one) is its resilience. The Earth is reacting promptly to the changes made by humans in order to survive. This, however, has some major consequences. We as a species are currently facing terrifying environmental issues such as global warming, acid rain, urban sprawl, waste disposal, ozone layer depletion, different types of pollution and many others. 

As a famous journalist Eric Roston said, ‘If you are asking when climate change is going to happen, you are really asking “When is it going to happen to me?” because it has already happened to many other people’. Indeed, a lot of people have been affected by the aforementioned problems, and if we all do not make an attempt at building a healthy relationship with our planet, it is only a matter of time before we all will suffer the consequences.

Luckily, most of the time it is a reversible process or at least one that can be slowed down. Thus, if everyone starts from themselves and uses these strategies, we have a chance to help our planet. 

1. Make a choice in favor of sustainable options

One of the most important things for people to do in order to be more environmentally friendly is to alter their lifestyle in such a way that it would have the least detrimental effects on the planet. It might seem difficult at the beginning, but if you implement these habits into your everyday life, you can step-by-step change your environmental footprint.

Sustainability is the ability to exist consistently, and in this discussion, it refers to the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.

1. 1. Shop wisely

The first thing you need to do is to look at the way you shop and reconsider the things you purchase. One of the biggest pet-peeves when it comes to trying to get into an eco-friendly mindset is marketing. Our world is infinitely consumerist and imposes the idea that we need to buy things that we do not actually require.

Fast fashion is one of the major issues for our planet since people use up a lot of resources to produce things that end up not being used. They subsequently go to waste and fill the landfills. 

Therefore, before you make a purchase, evaluate whether you really need that item. 

1. 1. Make smart food choices

There are a couple of easy rules to follow when buying food, which can have a significant positive effect on the state of our planet. 

• First of all, do not bag! It might sound obvious, but a lot of products do not require to be wrapped in plastic that takes ages to decompose, and pollutes oceans, 
• Secondly, review the products you buy. It could be tempting to purchase some overseas delicacies, but having such a habit is not a sign of a healthy relationship with the planet. The best way to ensure you remain eco-friendly is to shop locally, which reduces the mileage of the products you consume and therefore reduces the carbon footprint they leave. 
• Eat less meat. This one is controversial, but eating less meat is one of the most effective things you can do for climate change. 

1. 1. Save water

Another vital habit to have is to learn how to save water. Potable water is at a shortage, so you turning your tap off when brushing your teeth and reducing the amount of time you spend in the shower could have a great effect on the overall situation. 

1. 1. Pay attention to the way you travel

The technological development of the world has made traveling more accessible to people and resulted in globalization. Nowadays, it is easier than ever to go somewhere remote by simply hopping on a plane. However, traveling by plane leaves a huge carbon footprint and contributes towards the depletion of the ozone layer. 

Of course, stopping traveling completely or even reducing the number of flights taken in a year is not an option for some people. There are different reasons for this starting from having a job that requires you to travel a lot and ending with personal reasons that simply prevent you from doing this. However, you can change the way you travel so that your relationship with the planet was healthier. Some of the things you can do include:

• Packing lightly. When you travel by air, every kilogram counts as planes produce more carbon emissions when it weighs more. 
• It is better to opt-out of using private jets. 
• If possible, pick a sustainable airline to fly with.

However, it is not only air traveling that can be harmful to the environment. Even when you travel by land, you can still make changes to your itinerary to have a better relationship with our planet. A great way to start would be reducing the number of car rides you take and opting for public transport instead. Not only that reduces your individual carbon footprint but also diminishes traffic jams that are a cause of a lot of carbon emissions. If that is not possible, consider buying a car that does not rely on non-renewable resources. Green cars or electric cars are the future of transportation, and are infinitely better for the environment!

Besides, you should also take into consideration the way in which you travel on foot. It is best to travel in small groups and not to go off the beaten tracks to ensure you do not engender additional trampling. 

1. Contribute towards educating your surrounding

Another important thing you can do in order to help our planet is spread awareness. Even though environmental issues are already a hot topic in modern society, and people actively discuss it, there will never be too much knowledge. 

Help environmental organizations to educate people on what is good and bad for nature, and teach those around you how to opt for a sustainable lifestyle.

1. Take action!

At last but not at least, apart from changing your lifestyle to prevent our nature from further decay, you may take some action to help undo the damage that has already been done to our planet. You may start small, but it will still count!

1. 1. Plant a tree

With numerous fires that wiped out thousands of hectares of trees, the lungs of our planet, it is vital that you put some effort into renewing the balance. 

1. 1. Volunteer

Litter picking, animal rescue and many other different options that you could look for locally or globally. You may help physically or financially, it will be appreciated regardless.

1. 1. Recycle

Give a second life to your old clothes and other items you have!

Author Bio

Lilian O’Brien is a passionate journalist who enjoys writing about psychology and human relationships. Over the course of her career, she was a regular contributor to major media publications, and currently, she serves as an editor for onlinechatdatingsites.com.