I agree with @mark_m that is not necessary what one gives up, but what things does one to to minimise one’s environmental or carbon footprint. It is also not necessarily about saving the planet, but being conscious of the decisions one makes in everyday life, to make the future hopefully better than the past.
Giving something up is a negative, doing something differently is a positive.
It is also refreshing to see that @bottville recognises that minimising one’s footprint starts at home and through the things that individuals do is very important. Unfortunately many take the position of doing nothing, but blaming the government for their own inaction.
We do a lot of things to minimise our own environment footprint. These include:
- designing and doing renovations to our house to encompass the principles of eco-homes.
- utilising cross ventilation and shading instead of air conditioning
- high efficiency wall and ceiling insulation
- PV (so that we produce what we use)
- solar hot water (in many parts of the country, this is the most efficient way to produce hotwater - we use only about 6kW/y boosting when needed)
- replacing any high energy/water use products (lighting, faucets, shower roses etc) with the low energy/water equivalents.
- rainwater harvesting, storage and use systems, grey water diversion from bathroom and laundry,
- composting, worm farming, and bone burying
- recycling to the maximum possible under state and local council recycling. schemes
- soft plastic recycling
- collecting waste when walking and disposing of appropriately
- vegetable gardening
- preference to use of public transport and/or walking to minimise private car use
- car pooling where possible when using private vehicle
- buying local where possible
- selecting products which will generate less waste (our household produces about 5L waste per fortnight and these are usually items that can’t be recycled, composted, worm farmed or buried)
- loaning tools and equipment to others when not in use…to minimise the amount that needs to be purchased
- repair where possible in preference to replace
- using recycled products over new
- minimise our own consumption of things which aren’t important
- and the list goes on.
Every thing one does make a difference, and the more one does the bigger the difference.
