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Ruhhi Bhateja, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering of Amrita’s Bengaluru Campus, explains simple things one can do to help to save our planet Earth. This article was published in the college’s campus magazine.
 
 

Invest half an hour to protect the environment by changing how you live each day.
 
You may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution and save endangered species single-handedly, but by choosing to live an earth-friendly lifestyle you can do a lot every day to help achieve those goals. And by making wise choices about how you live, and the amount of energy and natural resources you consume, you send a clear message to businesses, politicians and government agencies that value you as a customer constituent and citizen.
 
Here are five simple things you can do — in 30 minutes or less — to help protect the environment and save Planet Earth.
 
Drive Less, Drive Smart
 
Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower green house gas emissions, improve your health and save money.
 
Walk or ride bicycle for short trips, or take public transportation for longer ones. Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier than those who don’t. Families that use public transportation can save enough money annually to cover their costs for the year.
 
Eat Your Vegetables
 
Eating less meat and more fruits, grains and vegetables can help the environment more than you may realize. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products contributes heavily to global warming, because raising animals for food produces many more greenhouse gas emissions than growing plants. A 2006 report by the University of Chicago found that adopting a vegan diet does more to reduce global warming than switching to a hybrid car. Making a salad doesn’t take any more time than cooking meat and it’s better for you — and for the environment.
 
Change Your Light Bulbs
 
Compact fluorescent light bulbs and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are more energy efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can reduce energy cost associated with cooling homes and offices.
 
Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags
 
Producing plastic bags uses a lot of natural resources, and most end up as litter that fouls landscapes, clogs waterways, and kills thousands of marine mammals that mistake the ubiquitous bags for food. Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic bags are used and discarded every year — more than a million per minute. The count for paper bags is lower, but the cost in natural resources is still unacceptably high — especially when there is a alternative.
 
Reusable shopping bags made of materials that don’t harm the environment during production and don’t need to be discarded after each use, reduce pollution and save resources that could be put to better uses than making plastic and paper bags.
 
Pay Your Bills Online
 
Many banks, utilities and other businesses now offer their customers the option of paying bills online, eliminating the need to write and mail paper checks or to keep paper records. By paying your bills online you can save time and money, lower the administrative costs of companies with which you do business, and reduce global warming by helping to prevent deforestation.
 
 
 

–Courtesy Larry West, About.com Guide