Raising your environmental awareness and why it's important
Every day, we see a collective shift toward a more environmentally conscious global awareness. McDonald's has pledged to eliminate foam packaging and is committed to sourcing 100% recycled or renewable materials by 2025. Retail giants like Walmart and Costco are introducing a surcharge for single-use bags or replacing plastic bags entirely with compostable alternatives. We see encouragement to adopt a more plant-based lifestyle in our food guides, eco-friendly stores are popping up everywhere, and grocery stores are offering zero-waste bulk options.
But what about us? Why is it important to raise your environmental awareness? What does it mean to adopt a more "eco-friendly" lifestyle? In this blog, we explain how you can improve your environmental awareness and why it's so important.
Being aware of the environment leads to better choices.
Learning a little more about your impact on the environment and the small things you can do to make a difference can help you make better choices. For example, did you know that your household cleaners can contribute to the presence of chemicals in our waterways? Opt for non-toxic, chemical-free cleaners as an alternative the next time you tackle spring cleaning. Did you know that a single gallon of milk can require twice as much water to produce as the same amount of almond milk? This figure drops even further if you ditch dairy and almonds and choose oats or soy instead.
These little-known facts can help you make better choices, reduce your environmental impact, and begin your journey toward greater environmental awareness. There are numerous environmental documentaries on Netflix and other streaming platforms that you can watch to learn more about our Earth and the small ways we can become more conscious, which can later translate into better choices that support our environment. Some of the best include Seaspiracy, Chasing Coral Sustainable, and Mission Blue.
A safe and prosperous environment = a safe and prosperous humanity.
We may not think about it every day, but the well-being of our environment directly impacts our own. When pollutants contaminate our environment, they affect us too. They disrupt our ecosystems, killing prey by damaging or destroying their food sources and thus wasting the availability of meat for many predators. Pollution can exist in many forms, including in the air, water, dirt, and even in light, heat, noise, and radioactivity.
We have seen the release of sulfur dioxide from factory fumes and chimneys directly increase global warming rates and raise the risk of acid rain. This can increase our temperatures and cause unexpected and sometimes even erratic weather events, such as heavy rainfall or droughts. Increased percentages of smoke in our air can even increase the risk of developing asthma or, worse still, lung cancer.
Water pollution can also pose a significant threat. One such instance is when our industrial waste disrupts water systems and causes mass die-offs of aquatic species. This can directly impact our water supply systems and influence the rates of waterborne diseases such as dysentery and cholera.
In short, we depend on our environment. If we want to stay healthy and safe, we must make choices that also contribute to the safety of our environment.
By protecting the environment, we give back to future generations.
Have you ever thought about what life might be like decades, or even centuries, from now? Have you thought about your children or future children and how they might react to the world around them? One of the best ways to ensure a better future for generations to come is to treat the environment well. We make the planet better not only for ourselves in the present, but also for many more generations of humans to live on and enjoy. It also makes us feel better to think about protecting the environment in a way that helps give back to others rather than ourselves.
There is nothing better than the beauty of nature.
Beyond all the benefits for our health, our ecosystems, our water, our air, our soil, and so on, there is nothing more peaceful than spending time outdoors, sightseeing, hiking, camping, or simply enjoying a day filled with the adventures that only nature can provide. Nature has contributed to some of the world's most stunning works of art, as well as a wealth of literature, even sustaining an entire era of poetry. One of the reasons we travel is to explore the diverse aspects of nature that our Earth has to offer—and this simply wouldn't be possible if we weren't aware of our environmental consciousness and the behaviors that directly impact the environment.
Have you always wanted to visit the magnificent Yosemite National Park? Or Glacier National Park? The Grand Canyon? These great national parks simply wouldn't exist if we weren't rigorous in making the right decisions for the environment: traveling less by car, reducing the amount of waste we produce, adopting a more plant-based diet, and choosing reusable over single-use items whenever possible. After all, we only have one Earth!
Plant a tree (or three) with Panda7.
Panda7 wants to work with its satisfied customers while giving back to the environment and our surrounding communities. We plan to do this by planting a tree for every renter or auto insurance quote received—and three times that for every policy purchased! Our plan is to plant 1 million trees by 2030. It won't be easy, but it starts with you. You can request a quote today or visit our Giveback page for more information.