Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our generation. Everyone can see the way humans are negatively impacting the environment. It’s up to every person on the planet to figure out how they can contribute to changing their lifestyle to improve what’s happening.
Whether it’s throwing straws and plastic wrappers onto the street, or not turning the lights off when you leave a room, there are tons of tiny things that can negatively impact the environment every day of our lives.
Unfortunately, climate change has become a very political and polarizing subject to discuss. This means it’s important for families to instill an eco-friendly mindset in their children before others try to change their minds. We’ll discuss several of the easiest ways families can change their habits to become more eco-friendly and save the planet before it’s too late.
#1 – Buy an Eco-Friendly Vehicle
Buying an electric car or a hybrid is one of the best ways to make the world a better place. Gasoline-powered cars have been polluting the environment for so long that we’ve been talking about it for decades. That’s why the concept of hybrids and electric cars went from something bizarre years ago, to a very common solution to pollution in 2022.
Hybrid vehicles are usually very expensive compared to traditional cars, though. You need to do your research on the prices of electric cars and hybrids, and you should also consider the price of insurance on these cars. Cheap Prius insurance is a lot easier to get than cheap insurance on other electric vehicles.
The average price of Prius insurance is about $1,306, whereas competitors like the Chevrolet Volt come in at an average of $1,700. Always talk to your insurance agent and find out about potential insurance prices before you buy a vehicle.
There are other positives to buying non-traditional vehicles besides just saving the environment. You don’t have to worry about the enormous gas prices that are in place at the moment. At the same time, you need to remember to charge your electric car every night so that you don’t end up stranded with a dead battery the next day.
If you are a family that travels a lot and takes a lot of road trips, you need to map out where the nearest charging stations are. Depending on your state, charging stations are becoming more common but they are not as plentiful as gas stations around the U.S. yet. Figuring out how to charge your battery is crucial to owning a non-gasoline car.
Buying an eco-friendly car for your family will also encourage your children to buy the same types of vehicles when they get older and have a family. This creates a lifelong love of green driving.
#2 – Recycle
This is one of the oldest tips in the book for saving the environment, and it continues to help the planet now just as much as in the past. Recycling has taken on a whole bunch of different meanings in recent years. It used to just mean putting your aluminum cans and water bottles in the blue bin.
Now people are encouraged to put biodegradable garbage in composting, some in recycling bins, and others in the landfill. You also should teach your kids to value their possessions and not just throw them away. If they get tired of a toy they have been playing with, give it to a friend or another family member.
This is a great way to recycle items that would otherwise go to waste. Clothing can be given to charity. Video games can be sent back to the store so they can be sold to another customer. When we share things and allow one man’s trash to become another man’s treasure, we reduce the waste in our community and help the planet as a whole.
#3 – Turn Off The Lights
Kids are often too chaotic during their playtime to think about turning the lights off before they leave a room. This is unfortunate because turning off the lights will save electricity and reduce the cost of your electrical bill at the end of the month. It starts with parents showing their kids how important it is to value electricity.
Talk about why turning the lights off is important. Kids are smarter than most adults realize. If you give them a good reason for what you’re doing or what you want them to do, they will usually take the advice to heart.
#4 – Play Outside
Another topic of discussion is talking about how children can produce natural light in their rooms by opening their blinds on a sunny day.
Get them used to natural light rather than electrical light. Encourage them to go outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. When they come back inside, they are more likely to want that same sun in the house. Turn the lights off during the summer and use the light that the planet gives us, and your children will follow suit.
#5 – Take Shorter Showers
Water is one of the most vital resources to our planet, and we all use it like it’s not valuable. It’s important to think about only using the amount of water that you need to live a decent life. Don’t take long showers just for the sake of relaxation. If you want to enjoy the peace of the water, fill up the tub and take a bath instead of a shower.
That doesn’t mean that baths don’t waste water. It just means that if you are going to choose between an hour-long bath and an hour-long shower, choose the first option. Your kids should learn about the importance of saving water at a young age and saving water when cleaning is the first place to start.
#6 – Don’t Waste Food
Food waste is a huge problem in every household. Children are picky eaters, but parents can help the situation by providing them with their favorite foods instead of forcing them to eat things they don’t want. Food that children waste will get thrown into a landfill. Spoiled food produces methane, one of the most toxic gasses in our atmosphere.
Only buy what you need from the grocery store. It can be tempting to go to a wholesaler like Costco and stock up on lots of food, but this can easily become a bad habit that results in food getting thrown out.
These are just some of the ways that families all over the world can do their part to help the environment. We need to save the planet that we live on because once the damage is done there is no going back.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, ExpertInsuranceReviews.com. He wants to help people understand how they can do their part to solve climate change issues.