Easy ways to be kinder to the Earth

Now more than ever we are beginning to understand the true environmental cost of our endeavours for human progress. In the selfish act of tailoring the world to our wants and needs, we have destroyed habitats, caused the extinction of species, melted ice caps and irreversibly altered our planet’s atmosphere. While climate change is a complex problem that requires the cooperation of entire countries and giant corporations, it would be negligent to suggest that there isn’t anything we can do as individuals to slow the devastation we are all incriminated in.

We are a simultaneously proactive and incredibly lazy species, both qualities perpetuating much of the creation and technology that has emerged in the last century. It is also our inherent laziness that has allowed so many of us to turn a blind eye to the effects of our actions, believing that another generation would be able to find a suitable solution.

But being environmentally-friendly does not have to be as arduous a task as the whistleblowers of years past made it out to be. You don’t have to convert to a hippie lifestyle overnight, sleep in a hammock and eat quinoa for the rest of your life. Living sustainably is not about drastic change for maximum impact, but about making simple yet informed choices—having that extra second of process time before you do something by habit, and reflecting on the reasons behind your actions.

Without further ado, here are twelve ideas to consider to reduce your individual carbon footprint:

BungaTINI, London

sur le chemin, Copenhagen

Artists & Fleas, New York

Carmel Market, Tel Aviv

Scandic Hotel, Copenhagen

House of WOO, Los Angeles

Atelier September, Copenhagen

…sometimes, it’s a good thing to disconnect.

More sustainable ideas…