CONTENTS:

• Simple everyday rules that help protect the environment

Every person on Earth leaves behind a carbon footprint, the amount of greenhouse gases they produce. It is made up of the waste they generate, the consumption of energy, and other resources. Forests are cleared for agriculture and crops to meet human needs. We consume countless hectoliters of water and fossil fuels. We produce tons of waste, plastic, textiles, and more. It seems to us that our planet's resources serve only us and are inexhaustible. However, our activities are taking a heavy toll on the natural environment. In just a few decades, more than half of the world's wild animal and plant species have become extinct.

Now is the time to rethink our daily behaviors and habits and consider whether there's anything we can do to help protect the environment. You don't have to turn your life upside down immediately—go vegan or give up your car. Small changes are enough to start with, but they can make a big difference for future generations. Here are some of them.

Simple everyday rules that help protect the environment

• Less cold cuts and meat, more vegetables and fruit – in everyday life, we don't think about the fact that animal husbandry and meat production are associated with the creation of enormous amounts of greenhouse gases (over 20% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the animal products industry). Currently, farm animals account for up to 60% of all mammals in the world. The transport of meat products to warehouses, stores, and then to our homes, as well as the electricity consumption on farms, is a source of increased carbon dioxide emissions into the environment. Rainforests are being irretrievably deforested to find space to raise animals and grow food for them. Livestock farming and feed production consume large amounts of water. The animal products industry also accounts for a share of the plastic-packaged food market. All of this is leading more and more people to choose vegetarianism for ecological reasons. However, we don't have to give up meat completely to be considerate of the environment. Meat is very important in our culture. It's associated with prosperity, hospitality, and holidays. However, we don't have to enjoy it every day. It's enough to eat it from time to time, on holidays or other family celebrations. Choose organic meat and sausages, not packaged in plastic containers.
• Avoid plastic bags and plastic shopping bags – we should go shopping with our own reusable shopping bags. Everyone seems to already know this, but many of us simply forget it every day. It's best to carry shopping bags in your purse or keep a supply in your car. When shopping, pack fruit and vegetables in reusable bags instead of plastic ones. Products like a bunch of bananas, cauliflower, or peppers, for example, don't require separate plastic packaging at all.
• Sustainable fashion – Clothing chains have accustomed us to constantly changing clothing collections several times a year. The fashion industry constantly throws "must-haves" at us and suggests buying another pair of jeans, blouse, handbag, etc. But do we really need eight pairs of trousers, three winter coats, and ten handbags? It turns out that up to 10,000 liters of water are used to produce one pair of jeans. And what happens to the clothes we throw away when we realize they're no longer in fashion? Dozens of tons of clothing end up in landfills. Stores can't sell all the garments produced. The clothing industry is responsible for 20% of the world's total water consumption and 8% of greenhouse gases. Before we buy another pair of trousers, we consider whether they are really necessary. It is also worthwhile to shop at secondhand stores and swap clothes with a friend.

• Waste separation – it seems obvious and everyone has heard of it, but there are so many myths about it, saying it's not worth separating waste because it just gets mixed up in the garbage truck anyway, that many people don't even bother with waste separation. And sorting waste is a basic skill we should learn from a young age. It's one of the easiest ways to contribute to protecting the environment.
• Reusable products —paper towels, disposable tissues, dishwashing sponges, plastic cups, and straws—we use everything once and immediately throw it away, creating huge amounts of waste. The table can be wiped down with a reusable cotton or linen cloth. Instead of buying coffee in a plastic cup in town, we can take it home in a thermos.
• Homemade cleaning products —for example, the phosphates in drugstore washing powders—contribute significantly to environmental pollution. All types of bathroom cleaners , descaling agents, and wastewater leach into the groundwater. Instead, you can use vinegar and soda, as well as traditional soap flakes, for washing. This will be not only more environmentally friendly but also more economical.

These are just a few of the ecological suggestions that don't require much effort or sacrifice to implement in our daily lives. Let's also remember that our behavior can set an example for others, especially children, whose ecological habits will become the norm in the future.