Choosing to Live Green
What exactly does choosing to live green entail? Is it possible and doable? Who benefits from it?
Green Living
Green living is not solely limited to color although it is very much related to the predominantly green natural environment and its preservation. It is a lifestyle that seeks to save the natural resources of Earth to ensure that they remain available for future generations to use while serving the needs of the present. It requires humans to be more responsible to self and others particularly through the conscious choice of green lifestyle, green technology, green building, green energy, renewable energy, and organic food.
This specific type of living can be applied at home, in the workplace, the community,and anywhere else where the fundamentals of going green can be beneficial. Many things and events such as cars and holidays are being given the green makeover in the hope that small consistent applications in all aspects of life can make a dent towards the achievement of sustainable living. Living a green life is visibly manifested in conserving resources and energy, reducing waste and pollution, and protection of the ecological balance between and among living things.
Practical Green Living Applications
Green living is usually used interchangeably with eco-friendly or environmentally friendly. This is the reason why specific standards have been set that will allow companies to legitimately label their products and services as eco-friendly. This is to prevent the so calledgreenwashersfrom fooling consumers by deceptively promoting their products as such. This is a very important issue since one of the most common green living practice is to use products that are genuinely considered as friendly to the environment, meaning that their use will not add to further degradation of the earth’s resources.
The “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” principle is a very popular component of green living. By reducing what we use, we are able to reduce waste as well. Reusing and recycling previously used things greatly reduces the amount of resulting thrash since reusable and recyclable items such as bags and cartridges enjoy maximized used before getting the final sentence of being thrown away. This move has the potential of greatly reducing the load of landfills which are already overflowing as they are.
Who Benefits from Green Living?
Living green is a healthy option that benefits the people practicing it and the people directly and indirectly affected by such choice. It also encourages and stimulates savings while discouraging wastage. This is a direct financial benefit to green living practitioners and a direct benefit as well to the environment which will be allowed time for replenishment before humans again harvest resources for consumption.
As mentioned above, green living practices will benefit not only the present occupants of the Earth but also the future occupants who will have the opportunity to inherit it. The more people are inspired by a single green act, the more chances for the principle to catch on with the public. Problems like global warming and climate change are the very reasons why green living should be pursued.
My Say
Green living is the more sustainable option since it reminds us to use fewer resources and leave the least amount of damage or disturbance to them. The idea is to leave less carbon footprint. It teaches us to enjoy life and what it offers without resorting to abuse. Choosing to live green may just be one of the decisions we will live to appreciate.
Rebecca M
I think this would be such a good healthy lifestyle to do that as its important for us to look after nature
Rena Nicole
I have started living green for more than a year now. And I tell you, it’s not easy but it’s worth it. If we don’t act to save our dying planet, who will? Living green will not only benefit us, but our children after us as well.
Teresa Martinez
You are very right. Kudos to your efforts to live green.
Nessie
I agree! This is really hard. I tried this once but there are just some things that isn’t green that ‘sometime’ i cant live without. Haha!
Teresa Martinez
Living green all the way is a tall order which can discourage people from the practice so it would be best to start in small things gradually increasing the areas covered in our daily lives rather than attempt one big sweep.
jsncruz
Green living is a great idea, and I’ve been a long-term advocate of it (since high school). The challenge is that it’s currently a bit more expensive than “conventional” living, the main reason (probably) why many are turned off when it comes to sustainable habits and activities.
Teresa Martinez
There is an existing challenge to make green living more viable and doable. Let us just hope that there will be ways to make it sustainable.
che
One thing I very much like here in Germany is their waste disposal. All are segregated and I feel happy that in a way I am helping our environment and living green.
Teresa Martinez
Efficient waste management is one of the marks of a true progressive country.
Yaniconquistadora (@YaniMetrado)
It is hard to be a hundred percent GREEN in todays world but with iur concerted effort nothing is so impossible.
Teresa Martinez
It is but we need to try and do something at least on our own level so as not to add to the problem.
Kenneth Ravida
Going green entirely, is indeed very difficult to completely achieve, but it has its benefits
Teresa Martinez
Going green is indeed challenging because it requires us to do things in a planned and purposeful way which our hurried lifestyle usually cannot accommodate.
RonLeyba
Green living is kind of hard but attainable. We just need the dedication and the will to do it. Again, hard but attainable.
Teresa Martinez
Yes, green living is hard but attainable. We need to do what we can in our individual capacity in the hope that all individual efforts will combine to make a difference.
Bless
I love to try gardening again this spring and summer. I wish I can collect bromeliads here too like what I used to in the Philippines 🙂
Teresa Martinez
Good luck on your renewed plans for gardening!
rochkirstin
Students now are being taught in schools to live green. However, no matter how many teachings and lessons they attend to, they will never live green unless their families start to do so. Change may start from within individually but it’s far a greater feat to encourage our family members to follow the trend and spread it to the neighborhood. Also, do you consider being vegetarian as one of the milestones in green-living? If yes, are you one already?
Teresa Martinez
You couldn’t have said it any better. Adopting a vegetarian diet can be considered one of the aspects of green living. I am not a vegetarian although I haven’t given up on trying to eat the healthiest way possible. I take it that you are one?
mygreenlivingideas
choosing to live green is not just a state of mind, you also need passion to do it, great article
Teresa Martinez
When one goes green ,one does so with commitment regardless of magnitude of the act. Anything less is superficial.
jo-ann
We have to act now for our environment before it is too late, let us protect and love nature for the next generation.
Teresa Martinez
As present occupants of our world, we are called upon to take care of it so that future generations will have their chance.
Teacher's Pen (@TeachersPen)
I’m also a pro green living. It’s preservation and nature friendliness send me to blossoms and fresh unwinding stay. Saving our natural resources is also an equivalent to saving our penny.
Teresa Martinez
What we save to day will also benefit us and those that will come after us.
Ephramar
I’m an avid fan of Green Living and I’m really enjoying all of its benefits!
Last November 22, at Bacolod, I tried their Organic Halo-Halo and its really great. They served the perfect organic halo-halo in town and you might also be interested in trying this one too!
Teresa Martinez
I’m sure I’ll enjoy this as well since this will be a chance to eat of my favorites in a healthy way.
merlmd
I try by buying more organic food and recycle or reuse everything…
Teresa Martinez
Those are very practical and doable green efforts.
leadershipforfilipinos
Green living right now is impossible but we must strive hard to go on this path because it is the only way to sustain mother earth
Teresa Martinez
Absolute green living is impossible at this time but this shouldn’t stop us from doing what we can. We can at least start now.
Gil Camporazo
Green living or living green is a cool lifestyle of living. It takes everyone’s commitment to do this , to live with this life. In so doing, the following is practically achieved: conservation of resources and energy, reduction of waste and pollution, and achievement of ecological balance between and among living things so to speak. Live Green. Don’t Think Green!
Teresa Martinez
It would really be an achievement if we can even do at least half of what we seek out to do in the name of green living.
Gemma|My Dailies
My husband is an advocate! I am actually at awe at his reusing and recycling – but pretty awesome if I come to think of it! 🙂
Teresa Martinez
My husband has likewise mastered the “art” of segregating which really requires much discipline and determination.
Rcel
Green living is always a good thing and is the most appropriate way to live in today’s very polluted days of our planet Earth. I hope companies will work on making their products environment-friendly so that our earth would be a better place in the future!
Teresa Martinez
There are actually many manufacturers producing environment-friendly products but consumers have to take care not to be duped by the mere claim of manufacturers that they are.
Raya
I agree, living green is difficult and challenging, but the thought that you are doing the environment and the next generation a favor is inspiration enough to go green! Great article, Tess.
Teresa Martinez
Thanks Raya, green living is indeed challenging but compliance is much easier if we understand why we have to do it.
Dems
There are a lot of IT companies that also embrace this way of living. I always read the site called TreeHugger and they feature a lot of companies, products or ideas related to green, sustainable living. 🙂
Teresa Martinez
I’ll take a look at this site later.
Franc Ramon
Living Green really helps the environment and it’s also a lot better for our system to resort to organic alternatives and green surroundings.
Teresa Martinez
We pretty much know what is good for us. The hardest part is doing what we need to do to achieve green living but with more decisiveness, there is hope in it.
kim francis
It’s more difficult when green products are very costly. But I agree with you Teresa that the desired change can be approached one step at a time. We can’t jump fast towards a goal.
Teresa Martinez
One of the most common reasons for failure is trying to do everything at once because most of the aspects of green living requires preparation.
Jerwel Adrian
A very healthy way of living. 😀 Mom likes the house to be green and Dad wants the house filled with green veggies. Just sharing though. 😀
Teresa Martinez
Looks like your home is pretty much on its way towards green living.
dickvinced
going green is such a good act, but i think only few are into this because of the era we have today..
Teresa Martinez
I think our present culture of convenience makes it difficult for green living to prosper. Most of us prefer the easiest and fastest way even when we are called upon to consider the most sustainable way.
jheylo
we all should practice living green because it’s not only benefiting ourselves but to the entire universe too
Teresa Martinez
Just imagine how collective efforts of all people in the world toward green living can really make a difference.
JessicaWCassidy (@wifetoalineman)
What a very interesting article to read Sis Teresa 🙂 The only way I go green is when I recycle. It also saves the garbage bag as well.
Teresa Martinez
Thanks Jessica. Every little bit helps.
Dhemz
green living is definitely a healthy lifestyle, but it reality I don’t think if I can do such a lifestyle.
Teresa Martinez
It is an ideal lifestyle but not all people can do it or will try to do it for varying reasons.
Chubskulit Rose
Even if we can’t completely live green, we can at least try the best we could to help the environment and for our own good as well.
Teresa Martinez
Every big success started with a small idea that got bigger because of people who took the chance and tried.
R.O.M.E.L.O.
the sad truth about it is, we can never truly live green specially now that we are in the era where technology reigns over everyone… in fact, even these many so called green products and green movements are highly commercialized…
Teresa Martinez
Going green is really very difficult to completely achieve. In lieu of perfect compliance, we should probably aim at approaching the desired change one step at a time.
Fervil
Although advancing technology is a big deal, Japan never saw it as a hinder to make their place “green” and “ecological”. They plant trees on tops of building and in between roads, they even plant agricultural crops and cultivate it within their skyscrapers – all for preservation and to counter polution created by technology.
Teresa Martinez
What you just shared will show that green living is really possible but it does not happen by magic but by serious efforts to do it.