4. Install a water filter.
Using a water filter will not only keep you from digesting toxins in our water and give you better-tasting water, but it will also reduce your dependence on plastic water bottles. In fact, a typical filter used can eliminate up to two tractor trailers full of plastic bottles in our landfills, and the energy (and CO2) required to manufacture those bottles.
Try: A point-of-use filter (for a single faucet) or point-of entry filter (for water used throughout the home). But beware of reverse osmosis filters, which over strip water, depleting it of body-benefiting minerals, and waste water and also water softeners, which deposit harsh chemicals into the earth.
5. Eat organic or sustainably grown food.
Organic farming is better for the planet than industrial farming because it’s free of harmful pesticides that run into our rivers and streams. Eating organic food will also be better for your body, because it’s free of toxins like GMO’s (genetic modifiers), antibiotics and hormones, which are dangerous to your health when digested and have been linked to degenerative diseases and learning disabilities in children.
What to look for when you shop: Don’t be fooled by products labeled “natural”—this term is unregulated by the FDA and serves primarily as a marketing tool. Instead, look for the USDA Certified Organic seal to ensure you’re getting the highest quality organic (95 percent higher).
6. Reduce your meat consumption.
Most people don’t know that the meat industry is the largest industrial polluter of the planet, wasting millions of tons of precious water, land, and natural resources each year. In fact, studies show that 18 percent of greenhouse gases have been linked to farming animals for food.
Fact: A meat-eating diet requires more than 4,000 gallons of water per day. By comparison, a vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons of water per day, and is less costly to your wallet and the planet.
Not ready to give up all of your favorite meat treats? Then try going vegetarian for just one or two days a week.
