10 Myths and Tips About Sustainable Living

Today is Earth Day, when we celebrate everything we love about the Earth and how to save it. Although most of us are not in a position to engage in any physical activities, Earth Day remains alive as a digital movement, Earth Rise. This year's theme is Climate Action and as part of my contribution to the Earth Rise movement, I will be busting some myths about sustainable living and giving tips on how to start or continue your journey to sustainability.

1. Myth: Small changes and actions aren't significant climate action.

There are some types of 'green' lifestyle changes which are popularly promoted but are considered low impact, such as switching to energy saving light bulbs or using cold water to wash colds. In comparison to some other actions like carpooling or living car-free, these actions are relatively low impact but they are the most basic and the most valuable contributions in the fight against climate change when practiced by all citizens. [1]

Tip: Continue carrying out the most basic of climate actions because they still count.

2. Myth: Eating a plant-based diet means going vegan or vegetarian.

Going vegan or vegetarian would be an ideal dietary decision for climate action, however, it is also important to be conscious of your dietary decisions. There are some products such as dairy products which are actually more carbon intensive than meat, thus, eating these kinds of products would not be very useful in greener living. [2]

Tip: Make more conscious dietary decisions.

3. Myth: Avoiding single-use and disposable plastics won't make a difference.

Avoiding any form of plastic would be ideal as production of plastic is environmentally harmful. Paper also isn't always a great replacement for these single-use or disposable plastics as both paper and plastic have relatively large carbon footprints. [3]

Tip: Avoid all unnecessary packaging and utensils by carrying your own bottle or even eating utensils.

4. Myth: Hand washing dishes is more environmentally friendly.

It is natural to assume that hand washing anything would save on both power and water but there are some dishwashers which would be a lot more efficient at this task than any human.

Tip: Use an energy and water efficient dishwasher. [3]

5. Myth: Living sustainably would require lowering your standard of living.

Sustainable living requires more consciousness than a lower standard of living. Minimalism is a very useful lifestyle change and does not necessitate the lowering of your standard of living, but does require you to be more conscious about your actions and purchases. In the same way, sustainable living would require your active attention when making decisions which could negatively impact the environment. [1]

Tip: Keep a record of your lifestyle changes and find areas you could improve on for better sustainability.

6. Myth: Buying local is always best.

Buying locally produced products is important with regard to the transportation of goods and the carbon emissions thereof, however, if their production isn't sustainable, buying locally might actually be worse. Being aware of the method of production of the things you consume would be a better way to become a responsible consumer. [4]

Tip: Look into the production of the things you consume in order to make more informed decisions.

7. Myth: A sustainable diet is expensive.

If a plant-based diet is taken into consideration, a sustainable diet might actually be cheaper. Should the switch to a sustainable diet be too much of a shock to your budget, you could make the switch gradually. [1]

Tip: Find a few tips here: https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/six-tips-help-you-eat-more-sustainably

8. Myth: Driving is more carbon efficient than flying.

This point would depend on a variety of factors. International flights carry larger carbon emissions and avoiding one international flight could save 0.2 to 1 ton of carbon emissions [5]. However, a car carrying one person would result in that individual having a larger carbon footprint than a plane full of people [1].

Tip: Avoid driving unnecessarily or participate in carpooling.

9. Myth: Sticking to older appliances is greener.

Older appliances might not be as energy efficient as newer models and might be higher electricity consumers [6].

Tip: Take more time to consider the energy efficiency of your appliances when making a purchase.

10. Myth: Not all people can live a sustainable lifestyle.

There are people who believe that sustainable living requires more money (I used to be one of those people) however, the switch from a non-sustainable lifestyle to a sustainable one does not always require the use of money, for example taking shorter showers or turning off lights in empty rooms. The change can be thought of as a transition and any changes you manage to make can be considered as progress. [1]

Tip: Remain consistent in your effort to live a more sustainable life and record all progress you have made to motivate yourself.

I hope this was a useful and helpful post to get your sustainability journey going or perhaps a way to improve if you've already begun! Also, if you haven't been able to start yet, it isn't too late, perhaps this post could be your "fons et origo".

Live green, see green.

References:

1. Rinkesh, (no date). 15 Surprising Myths About Green Living. Conserve Energy Future. [Online] Available at https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/surprising-myths-about-green-living.php (Accessed 21/04/20).

2. Clark, D. (2009). Top 10 green living myths. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2009/nov/26/top-10-green-living-myths (Accessed 21/04/20).

3. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. (2019). Seven Green Myths. [Online] Available at: https://www.pca.state.mn.us/featured/seven-green-myths (Accessed 21/04/20).

4. Saunders, M. (2017). Green-Living: 5 Terrible Misconceptions People Believe. US Green Technology. [Online] Available at: https://usgreentechnology.com/green-living-5-misconceptions/ (Accessed 21/04/20).

5. Kommenda, N. (2019). How your flight emits as much CO2 as many people do in a year. The Guardian. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/jul/19/carbon-calculator-how-taking-one-flight-emits-as-much-as-many-people-do-in-a-year (Accessed 21/04/20).

6. Dratch, D. (2015). 10 major myths about living green. Bankrate. [Online] Available at: https://www.bankrate.com/finance/money-guides/10-major-myths-about-living-green-1.aspx (Accessed 21/04/20).