Climate change is taking place faster than you can say “polar bears” but making small changes in your daily habits and lifestyle can go a long way for the environment. Penny K shares how she does her part.
By Penny K
Climate change needs no introduction. Still, it’s worth repeating that it is synonymous for destruction of the earth in which we live in, which may ultimately be Mankind’s undoing.
Now while I’m not saying we should therefore tear our hair out trying to create a turbine powered by chewed up plastic bags (though someone may have already gone that way), I believe that everyone has a part to play and it’s fine if the part isn’t as noble, because we can help in humble ways.
One way in which I try to promote going green is through creating awareness and education. I will in time to come be contributing more about green movements and issues here on Penny’s Daybook. I hope that in some small way, reading this will spur others on to do what they can as well.
But there are also other ways in which I challenge myself to be green. I suppose Al Gore’s documentary that ranked high on shock-factor titled “The Inconvenient Truth” also stands for the fact that trying to lead a greener lifestyle can sometimes be more troublesome than if you just didn’t bother. However, there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes with being responsible towards the environment, and ultimately, yourself.
Here are some ways I try to leave a lighter footprint:
Don’t print receipts from ATMs unless absolutely necessary 
Like letting the tap run (I’ll come to that later), printing receipts from ATMs is a bad habit. Most times, and here I speak for myself, I don’t absolutely need the receipt. I print it to either moon over my freshly credited salary or moan over the fact that I’m broke. Admittedly, both are silly reasons and the only thing I end up with is a fat wallet bursting with receipts. So unless it’s about crediting money to someone else’s account for which you will require a record in black and white, refrain from printing. It’s an incredibly small piece of paper but imagine everyday millions of people doing the same. Mind boggling, isn’t it?
Don’t let the tap run 
Told you I’ll get to this one. And no, this article was not written by your mom. Apart from saving on electricity bills, you also save water – lots of it. Not letting the tap run allegedly saves you about five litres of water per minute. The nastiest of water-wasting habits include leaving the tap on while you brush your teeth and leaving the shower on while you lather soap over your body. Sounds like you? This certainly was me.
Don’t throw plastic bottles away
Well do, but dispose of them in recycling bins for plastic. Empty all plastic bottles and containers of their contents and then throw them into recycling bins that can be found all over the island. M.A.C Cosmetics does their part for the environment by giving away a free lipstick of your choice when you bring six primary packaging containers to their makeup counters. This is their way of thanking you for helping them keep the planet green.
Don’t use plastic bags
If you forgot to bring a canvas bag to the supermarket and bought a frozen chicken, then by all means, take the plastic bag. However, try making it a point to carry reusable canvas bags with you because you never know when you might need them. For most parts, Singapore is still very much a plastic bag nation as paper bags are costly and plastic bags are just more durable. But if we say no enough times, it just may hit home.
These are some small stuff that you might sweat over but put the above into practice often and in time you will begin to feel like being green comes naturally. What to do after that? Work on that plastic-bag driven turbine!
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