There are many benefits of going green. But before examining the benefits, it is important for you to understand what going green means.
Basically, green living refers to a way of life that contributes towards maintaining the natural ecological balance in the environment, and preserving the planet and its natural systems and resources.
There are many things you can do to live a green life, amongst which you can help by:
- reducing pollution ,
- conserving natural resources,
- recycling non-biodegradable products,
- contributing to conservation of forests and wildlife,
- cultivating more plants and trees in vacant lands, and
- helping to maintain the ecological balance on the earth, so that all living beings can survive and thrive in their natural habitat.
For a more detailed discussion on what it means to go green, you can read about the 5 principles for going green.
1.Lower costs
One of the most evident benefits of going green is that it can help us cut cost, whether as an individual, a household, a community or a nation.
When you and I conserve energy and resources, by not wasting water and electricity and adopting green traveling tips, we help to reduce the amount of money that needs to be spent on energy and resources.
By sending our unwanted items for recycling, and supporting the recycling industry by purchasing recycled products, in the long run as a community, we are reducing the cost of production, because it uses more energy (and hence is more costly) to manufacture products using virgin raw materials.
As we reduce our waste, by reducing consumption or reusing, or diverting waste from the landfills and incinerators through recycling, we would be able to save on waste disposal. Valuable land originally intended for landfills and incinerator plants can now be freed up for other uses.
And reducing the pollution that we create is definitely cheaper than trying to clear up the pollution after we have created the mess!
These are just some of the economic benefits of going green. (Also read about the economic benefits of recycling). You can only stand to benefit by living a green life. So why not start now?
Are you aware that one of the benefits of going green is a healthier environment for you and me?
As more and more people seek to live a green life by reducing the pollution and carbon footprints they leave behind, we can look forward to better quality air, a cleaner environment and better health.
The quality of our air definitely has an impact on our health. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is estimated to cause about 2 million premature deaths worldwide every year. Common air pollutants like lead have been found to be associated with behavioral problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ in young children.
In addition, the health of our environment also has an impact on the quality of our food and ultimately our health. It would be hard to imagine how we could remain healthy if we are consuming polluted drinking water and food contaminated with chemicals (eg. fish with heavy metal contamination, vegetables exposed to acid rain, etc) for long periods.
By keeping our air and environment, cleaner, we are actually building a healthier environment for ourselves, our loved ones and our future generations.
When the human race strives towards living a green life on earth, we would have less fear of the impact of extreme temperatures and climate changes brought about by global warming.
Climate change has caused death and diseases all over the world, through natural disasters such as heat-waves, floods and droughts. In addition, many diseases (eg. vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue) that are highly sensitive to changing temperatures and precipitation have become more rampant in vulnerable areas like developing countries with poor sanitation and densely populated areas.
So as we start to go green and fight climate change, we are helping to save lives, including our own, for there is no knowing when and where the next climate-related natural disaster may strike.
With activities like deforestation and mining taking place on a large scale, pollution being generated and global warming being fuelled at an alarming rate, our forests and wildlife are being destroyed at a very rapid rate.
The loss of such biodiversity is a cause for concern.
The disruption of ecosystems that provide nature's goods and services (for humans and other living creatures) means that we are losing, even before discovery, many of nature's powerful chemicals and genes, including those that have and will provide humankind with enormous health benefits.
In addition, there are also concerns about the impact of food biotechnology (meant to make up for the loss of natural biodiversity) on human health over the years.
We need to start reaping the benefits of going green by conserving our forests and wildlife and engage in organic farming. By doing so, not only are we protecting our valuable sources of medicinal herbs and plants, we are also securing the health of our food supplies and other natural goods, and ultimately, our own health!
If the other benefits of living a green life do not move you, then at least, go green for your own health and that of those around you.
One of the most important benefits of going green is a more sustainable world.
At the rate that we are consuming the world’s resources, polluting the earth and fueling global warming, and destroying the earth’s ecosystem, in no time, we would be left with nothing (no clean air, water, land and food) but an un-livable world beyond repair.
On the day that we reach such a stage, there would be no material comfort or economic growth to talk about at all. This is because our very lives would be threatened – there would be no clean air, no clean drinking water, no food, and probably even no safety from the harsh climate that would have changed beyond recognition.
What a horrible situation to be in!
We need to do something, starting today, if we do not wish to end up in that horrible state.
While it is important for each of our nations to seek and maintain growth and development, we need to do so in a sustainable way – via sustainable living. We need to start adopting green practices in our daily lives, as well as encourage others around us to do the same.
It is important for each and every one of us to do our parts, but an individual’s effort alone is not enough. We need to work together as a human community.
We must start now!
Living a green life can actually offer us a better quality of life on earth.
To truly experience the benefits of going green, you need to look beyond material luxuries.
This is because two of the very key principles of going green are actually conservation and the reduction of consumption and waste – which means to use and consume the earth’s resources with care, and not over-indulge in excessive material luxuries.
Considering that material luxuries can only bring you momentary happiness, and that at the end of the day, other non-material things (eg. relationships, self-actualisation, etc) actually matter more, looking beyond material luxuries may not be so hard.
Nevertheless, that is not to say that going green means to give up the comfortable life you have now.
It just means having more consideration for the things you use and the environment you live in, bearing in mind the impact of your actions on the earth, and taking a little effort and creativity to reduce the negative impact you leave behind on this earth.
With a greener planet, you and I can look forward to a cleaner and more beautiful environment, relatively free of pollution. With better quality of air, surroundings and food, we are more likely to be healthier (to be around to fulfill our aspirations and enjoy our relationship with our loved ones).
At the same time, we will be more in touch with the earth we live on. We can get to experience and better appreciate the wonders of the diversity of animal and plant life on this planet.
All these benefits can actually help you live a fuller life, more than what a life filled only with materials can do.
As more and more people start living a green life, there will be greater drive for developments in the area of green energies, recycling and other green technologies, as well as a market for eco-friendly products and services.
In turn, these developments would make it easier for people to adopt green living practices. A positive reinforcement loop would be created for a green way of life.
