Author: PositivEarth

Eco-friendly living has been growing – and it’s not for no reason. A plethora of positivity flourishes when you choose to live a greener life. Here are some of the lasting impacts that going “green” has on your (and our) world.

Climate

It’s no secret that climate change is becoming a larger issue than just today’s hot topic of discussion. Earth’s local, regional and global climates are severely impacted by our everyday choices and the resources that we continue to use in excess. These human-produced temperature increases are commonly referred to as global warming.

Living a greener life can significantly impact our global warming crisis for our generation and generations to come. Leaving a smaller carbon footprint for our future is incredibly important. Recycling, eating organic, using eco-efficient transportation, gardening, and volunteering for environmental groups or land conservancies are all ways one can decrease the negative impact on our climate and improve the environment around us. One of the most important things we can do is reduce our consumerism as much as we can. By doing this, we lessen our use of plastic, electricity, and fossil fuels. Being mindful of the products we use when we do need to use them creates an impact as well.

Food

Food and climate change are linked in complicated ways. Food production is responsible for a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming. The global food industry requires an enormous amount of energy to cultivate, transport, store, prepare, and serve foods. Today, 7.3 billion people consume 1.6 times what the earth’s natural resources can supply. By eating “green,” you’ll not only be helping your environment, but you’ll be positively impacting your own mind and body.

A lot of factors influence ecological impact, and, if looked at holistically, it’s possible to develop a more eco-friendly diet. Meat has the biggest environmental impact out of all the food types. By switching to a more plant-based diet and eating organically, you can contribute to the shift we need to cut down on the demand for the processed food industry. It’s also important that we reduce the food that we waste, as about 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted each year according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). By taking steps like being more conscientious of what we purchase, using local resources, or composting, we can decrease the amount of food we are wasting without hardly realizing it. Your environment and your body will be thanking you.

Freshwater, forests, and oceans are our planet’s most vital natural resources. With the ability to maintain entire ecosystems within them, they provide our world with everything we need – such as oxygen, energy, clothing, food, and water. Freshwater, forests, and oceans are the very givers of life. To keep our planet functioning properly, deforestation and forest degradation need to be promptly addressed. Forests play an enormous role as a natural carbon sink. Meanwhile, around 24% of corporate emissions reduction activities depend on a stable supply of good, quality water. These precious resources are closely interlinked. As a nature-based solution, forests play an important role in regulating the global water system. A majority of the freshwater that we rely on is dependent on forests. The cycle of such is one of the most primary and natural pieces to keeping the Earth alive. Because of this, it cannot be ignored. Our well-being relies on it.

Sustaining healthy freshwater resources, forests, and oceans starts with our own sustainable living choices. Freshwater habitats (lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands) house an incredible proportion of the world’s biodiversity. Despite its massive role on our planet, this surprisingly finite resource is threatened by climate change, population growth, and changing consumption patterns. A greener and more sustainable lifestyle is the only way we can decrease the risk that our freshwater resources face.

Expanding agriculture as a result of increased population and shifts in diet is responsible for most of the world’s deforestation. The demand for cheap wood and paper (and a quick way to make it) is the largest threat to forests. Forests are being destroyed to make room for man and man-made areas. In degraded forests, plant life is left damaged or dead, rivers are polluted, slopes are eroded, and more. Living more sustainably can help cut down on the supply and demand that keeps this destruction going.

One of the most integral parts of our planet’s functioning is our oceans. The ocean regulates our climate, produces half of the oxygen we breathe, and fuels the water cycle that produces rain and freshwater. A healthy ocean benefits our entire existence, yet, it’s heavily threatened. Living more eco-friendly – by cutting down on our waste, being mindful of our use of plastic, and using eco-friendly products among other things – can help cut down on the pollution of our oceans.

Wildlife

Living the “green” life not only has its lasting impact on mankind, but animal-kind, as well. It’s important to recognize the array of life that calls our planet “home,” and make sure we can make the very best environment for all living life to succeed. Humans are responsible for the current rate of species extinction, which is at least 100–1,000 times higher than nature intended according to the WWF.

Volunteering and/or donating to wildlife preservation organizations is a great way to contribute to the cause. Another simple way to help our wildlife is to consume less and recycle more. Plastic is deadly to many animals in myriad ecosystems and can cause serious issues. You can also make sure you use fewer herbicides and pesticides. These may be effective in making a more attractive yard, but they are detrimental to wildlife by building up in soil and, consequently, pass into the food chain. Make sure that you use biodegradable products whenever possible for this same reason. Veganism or a more organic diet can also help save animals. Lastly, using eco-friendly products that don’t use animal testing can greatly impact the conservation of our planet’s wildlife.

Personal Health

Eco-friendly living not only helps the world around us, but impacts our personal health as well. You can make a serious impact on your livelihood simply by going green. It’s a beautiful cycle that we can experience both internally and externally.

Eating organic and healthier foods significantly increases our overall health, not just the environment’s. Switching to walking or biking instead of opting to drive keeps us exercising – which thus positively impacts our physical bodies and our minds. Lastly, using eco-friendly products provide a luxurious way to better ourselves and our environment. Eco-friendly products are natural and better for you. You will undoubtedly notice the positive change within you when you switch to a greener way of living.

Community

Practicing living green provides a positive impact on the communities in which we spend our day-to-day lives. Improving our communities not only benefits us, but also the people we meet and rely on regularly. When we take into consideration other people’s needs rather than just our own, we’re all able to live happier and more productive lives.

Living eco-friendly can make your neighborhood cleaner, safer and prettier. Steps we can take to improve our communities on an environmental level can range from big to baby steps. Recycling and minimizing trash or garbage waste increases the attractiveness of your surroundings while switching to eco-friendly fuel types or ways of transportation (think walking or biking) improves your air quality. Reducing your use of electricity decreases the demand for power plants, thus improving your air quality even more and cutting down on the need for fossil fuels. If your community’s homes and buildings use eco-friendly materials, you’ll be saving the environment, saving on bills, and ensuring that your surrounding structures are longer-lasting.

Another bonus of going “green” is that it creates self-sufficient communities in which you allow one another to thrive. Shopping local instead of shopping online reduces your reliance on big-brand names and helps out your local Ma n’ Pa shops. Instead of going to your large supermarkets for your grocery needs, why not support your local market? You’ll be ensuring that the food-growing sector of your community continues to earn a living. You could even start up your own local garden for growing produce for the neighborhood. It’s a great way to bring everyone together and retain the ability to grow natural and organic products.

Written by: Marley Decker

When it comes to issues like climate change and threats to our ecosystem, the facts don’t look good. Thanks to human activity, global temps are rising at a rate that isn’t sustainable for our environment to survive. In a global emergency such as this, action is crucial. However, the idea of living a “greener” and more sustainable lifestyle can be intimidating to some people. Not everyone can afford to adopt a fully-vegan/organic diet, buy economy cars, compost their food or install solar panels on their home. But living more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be as intense as you may think. There are very simple actions that you can take right now to make a difference. Below are our top 5 easiest changes that you can implement into your daily life to start living a greener and eco-friendlier lifestyle.

1.  Recycle
   Recycling is one of the most basic and simple ways to be more earth-conscious. By recycling one short ton (0.91 t) of paper you can save 17 mature trees, according to the EPA. What’s more, recycling doesn’t have to end at throwing your paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, and aluminum products in the recycling receptacle. You can recycle by donating or repurposing your used items like clothing, too. If you want to take it one step further, you can make sure you’re utilizing that recycling by purchasing products made with recycled materials. They’re easy to find and it’s a simple way to bring things full-circle.
2.  Use natural products
   Natural, organic products are not only better for the environment, but they’re better for you as well. Without any harmful chemicals, artificial colors, or other biproducts, they’re less likely to be irritable on your skin, your body, and our ecosystem. The manufacturing of these eco-friendly products recycles sources and promotes biodiversity. Using natural products is a win-win for everyone involved, and is an ultra-easy way to improve your positive impact on our planet.
3.  Use reusable bags and water bottles
   An easy solution to the overuse of single-use plastics is using your own reusable bags and containers. Bring reusable bags to the store with you instead of using plastic bags to bag up your items. You can also purchase your own reusable water bottle to refill your water when you need it, instead of wasting money buying plastic water bottles every time you’re thirsty. Reusable bags and water bottles are incredibly easy to buy and purchase, and there exists a huge array of cute and personal styles and looks to choose from.
4.  Borrow instead of buying
   Oftentimes, we waste money on things that we could easily borrow. By buying and using pre-owned items, you reduce the number of items that end up in a landfill. Usually, already used items can be found in the same condition as they would be brand new, so you wouldn’t be settling for less. Rent movies, borrow books from libraries and buy secondhand goods whenever possible.
5.  Cut down on energy in your home
   Cutting back on the energy you use in your home is not only good for the environment, but for your bank account, too! There are so many ways to be more mindful of the energy that you use in your home. Start by lowering your thermostat in the winter and raising it in the summer. If your home gets absolutely frigid, there are many measures you can take to better insulate your home so you can afford to turn down the heat. Also make sure you turn everything off when it’s not in use, and unplug if you can. Try to reduce how much water you use – especially your hot water. Take shorter showers, turn the sink off, and wash all the clothes you can on cold. Try drying your clothes on drying racks or clotheslines instead of using the dryer for every cycle. Reducing the energy you use in your home is as easy as a click of a button, and being mindful of these simple practices will come second nature to you in no time.

Written by: Marley Decker

Location: 4700 E. Warner Rd.,  Phoenix, AZ 85044

Hours: June-Sept: Sundays 8am-11am & Oct-May: Sundays 9am-1pm

The Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market was quaint, simple, and overall satisfying. It was, quite honestly, the smallest farmer’s market that I have ever attended. But where they lacked in size and ambiance, they more than made up for in fresh produce.

This market offers plenty of variety to keep an avid market-goer happy. They had all the products that one would hope to find at a quality famers’ market at an extremely reasonable price. Canned goods, produce, candies and hot food could all be found at this little treasury. The aroma alone was enough to make your mouth water.

While the vendors definitely delivered, many of them can be found at other AZ markets – making this farmers’ market lack the uniqueness that some patrons may be looking for.

What did make the Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market stand out to me, though, was its apparent involvement and commitment to best serving their community. A big benefit to the Ahwatukee Farmers’ Market specifically is that they accept EBT and are a part of the Double Up program. Not only, then, does this farmers’ market allow attendees to eat higher quality produce while supporting local farmers, but it permits all income levels to participate. What’s more – they have a community drop-off for canned foods that anyone in need can grab.

To further promote health and wellness, this market has yoga and Pilates available for its market-goers. The whole experience I had attending this place was overall positive and, honestly, heartwarming. While this market doesn’t seem like it’s a whole lot to look at, I would recommend checking out this hidden gem when you can.

Written by: Marley Decker

Location: 4280 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson, AZ 85718

Hours: Saturdays & Sundays 8a-12p (summer) and 9a-1p (winter)

Last weekend, I got the opportunity to attend and review St. Phillip’s Plaza Artisans’ and Farmers’ Market in Tucson. Upon arrival, this place was visually adorable – concrete fountains woven between the stands, a live music performer hitting covers of Chris Stapleton and the like, and vendors of myriad ages and diversities showcasing their original products with pride. The Plaza is a city landmark for local foods, arts, wellness and shopping. It did, however, lack one of the most staple items that one would typically expect from a farmer’s market – fresh produce.

It was a disappointment to arrive at a farmer’s market to find none of the fruits and veggies that I was eager to taste. Regardless, this market had more than enough local goods for me to spend a pretty penny as I perused. Tea, jewelry, locally-made pasta, coffee, popcorn, plants, artwork, CBD and jams/jellies could be found throughout the stands. Every vendor had a unique story, and every product a cool development. The place is a vibe.

Shopping locally provides its benefits to the environment regardless of there not being any locally-grown produce available. There were plenty of vendors there whose products were made locally, and buying said products instead of your big-brand names cuts down on transportation of goods, in turn alleviating our dependence on fossil fuels, reducing air pollution, and cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions. Supporting this farmer’s market and its vendors is eco-friendly and helps local producers feed their families. The sense of community you can feel simply by being present in this space is enough to prompt you to support it.

While it’s important to keep in mind before attending that this is more of an artisan’s market than a farmer’s market, I recommend going to check it out for some local goods in the area!

Written by: Marley Decker