The world commemorates Earth Day annually on the 22nd of April. I wanted to start by saying “Happy Earth Day” (because every day is Earth Day), but we know Mother Earth is definitely not happy. It actually feels like she is retaliating. The constant rains we had in the last quarter of 2021, we didn’t even Dizemba properly. Nature has been hinting and the unusual weather patterns are tell tale signs. The recent floods that caused havoc in KwaZulu-Natal and some parts of the Eastern Cape are wake up call to those who thought climate change was a myth.
Mother Earth needs healing, we have not been treating her well. Simply put; Earth is our home and we have not done enough to keep our house clean and in tip top shape. Individually we would not live in a dirty, unkept home, so why do we do this to our collective home? We can do better to heal Mother Nature, and in turn she will take care of us, as she always has.
Earth Day is a reminder that we need to keep taking care of home (earth). So I decided to to write this article to just remind us of little actions we can take, to help Mother Nature breathe easier and eventually heal. We may not be around to see that happen, but our kids and grandkids will thank us.
Here are 5 simple actions to implement on Earth Day and beyond:
- Save Electricity
With load shedding and increased electricity tariffs, seems like we don’t have a choice but to save energy when we can, because the cost of living is trying to beat the high score on a daily. We are suffering. Saving energy in the colder months is tricky and since we are talking weather patterns, autumn checked out early. We are already in winter. With all of that said, here is some energy saving tips you can implement at home:
- If its not in use, switch it off at the plug. Don’t leave some devices on standby mode, e.g. Microwave (cima cima cima).
- Disconnect your mobile device chargers from the plug. If its plugged it still uses power. (I don’t know why I just started singing “Shall never ever loose it’s power…. shaallll neeeeever!!”). I digress…
- Switch to energy saving bulbs and turn off off the lights when you leave a room.
- Use gas instead of electric heaters for space heating. Please take all safety precautions with gas.
- If you have rooms that get most of the sunlight during the day, keep the doors closed to conserve that heat. Close the curtains as soon as the sun moves off the window. The rooms will stay warmer for longer. You may even need space heating.
- The geyser is one of the biggest consumer of energy in a household. There are always debates about switching off geyser and whether that saves energy or not. I personally switch off my geyser and switch it on overnight or an hour before I need it. My summer electricity bill is never above R300 and less than R500 in winter (well, that was before the recent tariff hikes).
2. Conserve Water
Water is a precious resource that most of us take for granted because its easily accessible. Imagine the people of KwaZulu-Natal who do not have access to water now because of infrastructural damages caused by the floods. Lets not forget rural communities who still do not have easy access to water. This is enough to encourage us to be more appreciative and use it more sparingly.
- Keep an eye on your water usage by checking your utility bill. My family received a crazy water bill then later discovered a water leak from old damaged underground pipes.
- Fix visible leaking taps or pipes. That cwing-cwing-cwing sound is annoying anyway, think of it as money literally going down the drain.
- Never let clean water run from tap straight to the drain for no reason. CLOSE THAT TAP WHEN YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!! Letting the shower run for long before you jump in? WHY??. I personally collect that cold water and pour it into a watering-can for my garden. Yes! I have a watering can in my bathroom.
- Watering the garden when the sun is out is waste of money. That water will evaporate before it gets to the roots (where its needed the most). So try water the garden at sunset and let the plants suck it up through the night.
3. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We need to find ways to reduce the amount of waste that lands up at landfill sites. Here is how you can implement the 4R’s of waste management:
- Refuse: Refuse the coffee cup and bring your reusable cup. Refuse buying plastic bags because you always carry cloth bags. Refuse plastic straws. Refuse unnecessary packaging. You get the drift?
- Reduce: Cut back on the amount of waste you produce. I still have an issue with products that have double packaging. Do we really need the extra box? That’s a top for another article.
- Reuse: I am that girl who will reuse glass jars or plastic packaging. I use them as skhafthini, especially for visitors. I also fold plastic shopping bags into triangles (like Gogo taught me) and keep them in the boot.
- Recycle: Separate your waste at home and find recycling spots in your neighbourhood. I wash all recyclables (plastic/glass) with the dishes, that way I store clean waste that will start a pest issue. Once I have enough waste collected, I drop it off at my local supermarket that has recycling bins at the shopping complex.
4. Plant something 😊
Plant a tree. Start a vegetable garden, even if you have a small patch. Become a plant parent. Nature is always ready to give back in so many ways. Plants provide us with oxygen, help in cleaning the air we breathe, they produce food for us to eat and more. Plants are LIFE.
I personally do not have green fingers, but I heard I need to treat plants like my children. Nurture them, feed and love them, but most importantly speak to them with love. I need to love my other plants like I love sunflowers, which always bloom with no issues.
5. Be a Green Champion
The time to act ignorant about the climate change impacts are gone. If there is one thing the KwaZulu-Natal floods did is to remind us that Mother Nature is fighting back. We need to appease her by playing our part. A little goes a long way and if we all did our bit in our own little corners, we can turn this tide around. So, take the opportunity to be a green champion. Educate your family, your schoolmates, colleagues, church members, body corporates, etc. about the environment, and challenge them to do the same. You sharing this article is also a good start 😊 Let us create a positive ripple effect
If all this is new to you, start with just one action and build up everyday. Then watch your mind shift for the better 😊
What earth friendly action do you take on a daily? Please comment below.
Love and Light.
