We do not choose the society we live in. It is passed on to us with the good and the bad and differs depending on the place we happen to be born in and the time in which we live.

 The way we live our life and the way we relate to our environment depends on us and we can manage to live more responsibly by following this advice:

At home:

• Recycle your waste and teach your family and friends to do it properly.
• Use energy-saving light bulbs and rechargeable batteries.
• Set the heating to a maximum of 20 degrees.
• Unplug electrical appliances when not in use.
• Set the refrigerator to above 5 degrees.
• Reuse plastic bags and start using cloth ones.
• Install energy saving systems in your taps.
• Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth.
• Shower in less than five minutes.
• Use half the tank when any more water is unnecessary.
• Make the most of daylight.
• Use cloth napkins.
• Eat foods without colouring or preservatives.
• Reduce your consumption of toilet paper.
• Increase your intake of seasonal fruit and vegetables.

At work:

• Reduce your consumption of
• Encourage people to recycle and set an example.
• Avoid using colour ink if you can print in black and white.
• Turn off any unnecessary lights.
• Reuse plastic containers and opt for glass.
• Encourage your friends not to smoke and reduce your intake of stimulating beverages.

In your daily life:

• Use public transport whenever you can or share cars.
• Replace your old car which pollutes, and guzzles petrol.
• Create a vegetable garden and eat fresh produce.
• Support fair trade.
• Donate blood.
• Increase your intake of local products.
• Respect public places, as they belong to everyone. Parks, gardens paths, etc.
• Clean up after your
• Respect your natural environment, look after the trees, only camp out in designated areas, and avoid leaving rubbish on the ground and having a barbeque in the country.
• Buy and consume recyclable and reusable products.
• Reduce the use of non-biodegradable soap, aerosols, fertilizers or pesticides, or any products that harm the environment.

We must contribute with what we can. Remember that anything we do is just a drop in the ocean but it is in no way pointless.

This post is also available in: Spanish