There are varied chemicals that impact people’s lives. We do not know the exact amount of chemicals affecting daily activities, people’s behavior and health condition. A classmate in my business course told me that her mother uses homemade cleaning products. When asked why, she said that she has asthma and regular cleaning products instigate an asthma attack. Although not everyone has this kind of problem, the consumption or use of products with chemical ingredients are acknowledged to be hazardous to health. As such, green living has actively been promoted as the solution. I believe when people choose green living they would save or earn money, have better health through the consumption of food products made from natural ingredients, as well as contribute to the conservation and protection of the environment.
Choosing green living would enable people to save financial resources. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), green living means “making sustainable choices about what we eat, how we travel, what we buy, and how we use and dispose of it” . The effective selection of the alternatives that facilitate achievement of goals and needs enable people to save energy, materials and supplies, as well as products that could be re-cycled and re-used . In addition, it was emphasized that the real meaning of green living is “creating a lifestyle that works with Nature and does no long-term damage” . Thus, through avoiding unnecessary wastes, people end with more financial resources and generate savings in the process.
Concurrently, green living promotes good health through the consumption of food products that are made from natural ingredients . Organic food and food with natural ingredients are pesticide-free and are grown in agricultural farms that ensure the protection of the environment. In addition, the use of pesticides while growing agricultural products has been linked to the contraction of various diseases, such as: Parkinson’s disease, cancer, leukemia, prostate, multiple myeloma, and testes (Fuhrman, 2005). Likewise, eating fast foods have been observed to be linked to obesity, in conjunction with a lack of exercise and living a sedentary lifestyle. As such, by being more selective and conscious of the food that is consumed and eaten in terms of ensuring freshness and by examining the ingredients contained, people would avoid chronic illnesses as well as the above-mentioned diseases.
Finally, green living contributes to sustainability through the conservation and protection of the environment (US EPA, 2013; Green Tips for a Healthy Planet, n.d.). For instance, the promotion of using lesser pesticides would be tantamount to lessening the level of pollution in the environment. The fact was corroborted as follows: “by using fewer pesticides, organic farms cause far less pollution to lakes and rivers, enhance soil quality, and are safer for farm workers as well as wild animals and plants” . Likewise, through green living, people contribute towards lessening the impact of greenhouse gas omission that have been linked to climate change .
The current discourse has succesfully explored the exemplary benefits of green living through generating savings, maintaining and sustaining good health, as well as in protecting the environment. Through simple, yet sure means, a change in lifestyle towards green living would definitely improve the well-being of mankind.
Works Cited
The Definition of Green Living. (2014). Retrieved October 19, 2014, from Sustainable Baby Steps: http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/definition-of-green-living.html
Fuhrman, J. (2005, December 6). Is Organic Food Safer? Retrieved October 19, 2014, from diseaseproof.com: http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-food-is-organic-food-safer.html
Lallanilla, M. (2014). Organic Food: Worth the Cost? Retrieved October 19, 2014, from Green living About.com: http://greenliving.about.com/od/healthyliving/a/Organic_Foods.htm
Green Tips for a Healthy Planet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2014, from globalstewards.org: http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm
US EPA. (2013, November 27). Green Living. Retrieved October 19, 2014, from epa.gov: http://www.epa.gov/region2/sustainability/greenliving.html
