What is the most important everyday thing you could do to save the planet?

Question

And how would this help?

Additional Details

Yahoo! Staff note: This is the real David Bellamy. Please see this blog post for further information: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKP…

Find out how you can help with global conservation: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-LW6B0b…

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

There a numerous things that you can in your day to day lifestyle that add up if we all make the effort.
1. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
2. Install a water saver in the toilet to save on every flush
3. Turn off lights when you leave the room
4. Use public transport (or even better a bike)
5. Turn your heating down by 1 degree
6. Don't overfill the kettle when making a cuppa

A few things that take a little bit more effort are:
1. Change your electricity supplier to a green tariff
2. Buy food from local shops or from an organic box delivery company
3. Avoid buying from big chains that do not have good sustainability policies
4. Invest your money/mortgage with an ethical bank such as the Co-Op or Triodos

And if you want to go the whole hog:
1. Install solar or wind generators
2. Invest in a rain water harvesting system
3. Use a grey water recycling system
4. Heat your house using a wood chip burning stove
5. Move to an eco house!

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

For more information on why this is the best answer: http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-LW6B0b…

Answer 2

you could visit www.thesolarwarehouse.co.uk were you can buy some of the cheapest solar panels in the country!

Answer 3

Seeds.

We sow the seeds
Nature grow the seed.
We eat the seeds.
We sow the seeds
Nature grow the seed.
We eat the seeds.
We sow the seeds
Nature grow the seed.
We eat the seeds.
We sow the seeds
Nature grow the seed.
We eat the seeds.
We sow the seeds
Nature grow the seed.
We eat the seeds.
We sow the seeds
Nature grow the seed.
We eat the seeds.

Source(s):

The Young Ones - BBC

Answer 4

Hi Dave, for once there is a decent Q and not the everyday junk that people ask.
I'm all for saving the planet.
Go Green!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Recycle!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stop Pollution!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

If more adequate public transport and incentives to use them were provided out of main cities (Perhaps electrically powered), this would encourage people to leave their car at home or sell one of them - I am sure I am only one of loads of people who would actually prefer not driving to work in the morning!

Answer 6

You must to be conscientious and discover that you're small in the front of the earth but you can be giant in the front of your society, your family and between your friends... Then, you need to do your simple, but important part to show for all the people that this place it's ours and it'll be of ours children in the soon future... All the people need to sing this song together: "Heal the world"

Answer 7

Buy only the amount of food that you intend to eat.
Buying too much food effects us all, trees are cut down for farmland, fuel is used to transport the food, the food uses more fuel whilst being refridgerated and ends up in a landfill site which polutes the enviroment.
Not to mention the amount of packaging and fuel used to make it

Answer 8

I try and make an effort by turning my TV off completely rather than standby i also try and turn lights off when i'm not using rooms. I also have started to try and walk or cycle to places rather than driving my car.

Answer 9

Speak to all who you meet, and speak of good. If you speak, you offer the opportunity to the other person to speak in return, and if you speak of good, good may well be returned. We have more chance of influencing those who damage the planet if we can communicate with each other as humans, irrespective of colour, gender or creed.

If we do not speak to each other, then there is no basis for communication, other than that which we imbibe from the media. Such communication is one-sided, and does not neccersarily lead to any degree of understanding or empathy.

Source(s):

I am a Social Scientist, and a High Priest of Wicca.

Answer 10

Use the power of media,to push our western goverments into a corner. Without sounding aggressive , We can all recycle our rubbish on a day to day basis and we can choose to eat organically. We can petition to save a piece of lush green pasteur or an ancient riverbed , but it will all be for nothing if the goverments that head this great planet, cannot control our industries,get people out of there cars and generally get to grips with the damage we are causing as our ever expanding population marches on. The goverments are the key, to this planets survival .

Source(s):

OU studies on an amatuer level

Answer 11

do u like liverpool

Answer 12

Stop associating the accumulation and consumption of material goods with happiness.

Answer 13

Reduce, re-use and recycle. If you follow these simple instructions in every action you do, it will make a big impact on all aspects of the environment.

Answer 14

pick up trash

Source(s):

ok

Answer 15

Just turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. It will save endless amounts of clean water that would otherwise be flowing down the plug hole.

Answer 16

reduce human population by 70 %

Answer 17

Buy local produced food...not ready meals that have been transported 3,000 miles or more.

Answer 18

cut down on the burning of fossil fuels by reducing the amount of electric lights I use

Answer 19

Plant trees instead of cutting them down.

Answer 20

Eat vegetarian!!
Have you ever thought about the amount of waste that goes into producing just one pound of beef? People are dying of hunger: instead of feeding a cow all the grains that we do, we could eat the grains instead and we will have plenty left over to support all the other countries that are in need, we will even have a surplus!
In this way rain forests wouldn't be cleared to make way for the increasing demand for meat either. If we eat vegetarian we will not only save the environment but also many people from suffering (cholesterol, heart diseases etc caused by meat eating habits)

Answer 21

I'm not convinced the planet needs saving. However, I do agree it's best to avoid doing it too much detriment. And while there have already been lots of good suggestions from other users regarding conserving resources and minimising pollution I'm sure a lot of people who care are already doing this. IMO, the best thing we can do is to spread the word and raise awareness of good practice until enough individuals, states and businesses are doing their bit. At the moment we often seem to be preaching to the converted, so to speak.

Answer 22

the best everyday things I find to help save the planet are recycling, saving energy but only using essential items in the home and lowering the heat and walking to work rather than driving thus cutting the effects to the ozone

well that and also providing nest boxes and food for the English wildlife

Source(s):

most of the things Ive learnt are from nature programs

Answer 23

i think that the best way to save our planet is to stop cutting trees, as trees gives us shade in summers so if we cut the trees we'll be harming only ourselves. we should learn from the trees that they only give and ask nothing in return. so i agree very strongly that we should stop cutting trees only that way we can save our planet and pollution and fire etc should be banned completely.

Answer 24

I suppose there are countless things to do everyday to save the planet which could be starting your day by using less water while showering or brushing your teeth to using an energy efficient light bulb whilst reading a book in bed at night.

Though I feel more strongly about the harmful emissions from the planets vehicles and machinery, using green fuels is conducive to a cleaner planet. Education about using less means eventually drawing less resources from our earth. The constant consumption of resources originating form our earth is certainly not contributing to saving it!

But most of all, the most important thing I feel, is the undeniable factor of saving most things at risk....you guessed it! EDUCATION. This means education at all levels, not just in a kids classroom. It has to be ongoing so it penetrates ones lifestyle.

Constant education of a population over a general lifetime from child to adult on the many ways one con contribute to a cleaner planet will certainly reduce & improve the planets ¨risk¨ factor.

The ultimate goal to saving the planet is the way an economist would view things. Minimal wastage accompanied by increased efficiency whilst achieving the most productive result. Everyone should try to use all resources available to them like an economists perfect theory. All this achieved through constant education about leaving a cleaner planet behind for our children.

Education behaves like an ongoing advert on TV, radio, billboard etc. It has repitition. A marketer uses the repitition of adverts to penetrate the subconcious mind and it eventually sticks there.....the advertised product or service now has more of a chance of being purchased over an advert that isn´t as frequently flighted. Same theory with ongoing education about saving our planet.
So everyone, think like an economist and a marketer when it comes to educating the world(and yourselves) on the millions of ways to save our precious planet.

Answer 25

This will probably get me lots of abuse, but I think commuting is one of the main reasons for pollution.
You should live and work in the same town or area and walk or cycle where possible.
If governments are really interested in saving the planet, it should be compulsory for companies to provide transport for their workers as many used to do.

Answer 26

What i may do is only small but if everyone did the same, it would make a huge impact...
recycle whatever you can and buy recycled materials, put a brick in your toilet tank so it doesn´t use so much water to flush, put on more clothes instead of turning on the heating, WALK, if you have to drive, carpool, make sure no taps are leaking

Answer 27

Not have any children. Nothing we do to reduce our impact on the planet will be of the slightest use unless we learn to control the human population. Doubling about every 50 years.
Approximate figures
1900 - 1.5Bn
1960 - 3.0Bn
2000 - 6.0Bn
2040 - 12.0Bn ???

Source(s):

Google search

Answer 28

okay, answer me this question first: why exactly is it important that we save the planet? what will happen if we don't?

Answer 29

wipe out the human race

Answer 30

Use less computer(what you are doing now)it's to save power

Answer 31

well david , were the one's mucking it up.just think when were all gone it will be okay.