How to live green and save the environment

How to live green? – before this can be answered a definition of a green economy needs to be understood. Green buildings and the green economy – natural systems and the environment – how to live green in the new South Africa with green energy and save environment and how to create a sustainable green planet. These are all important aspects that need to be discussed and tried. A new set of values will need to be developed – Many things and processes that we thought were important, will not be important in a green economy. How to be green and how to create a green economy entails the use of many technologies and ideas – such as green buildings, green energy technologies and green farming and industrial practises – this will help to save environment, recreate original environments and create a sustainable environment. Wind power,Solar power,wave energy and technologies we have not even thought of will become mainstream. Just trying to save the environment is not enough anymore.

Grow your own food

Creative, committed people will be needed. Our children will bring us the answers, but only if we give them the mindset and the will – and this has to start now – before the planet reaches tipping point. Renewable energy homes will become the only house you live in – you will not be able to live any other way – this will take political will and legislation. And the only way this will come about is YOU – you have the power to change the planet – and it will take one person at a time, one vote at a time and one solar panel at a time. There is no silver bullet – there is no quick fix, we have made sure through our planet killing ways, that the problem is enormous – and it will require enormous effort and energy on the part of all mankind.

The ways we produce our food will alter drastically - Green poultry farming, green factories, green electricity sources and energy, organic farming – they will all need to be part of how we live our lives. The choices are with us – do you choose to buy battery farmed eggs – or do you pay the few extra dollars and buy organic eggs – do you have a solar geyser – or are you waiting because you do not have money? Choices, choices choices -as human beings it is our greatest freedom – and if we do not make the right ones we will be our own downfall.

What is the “Green Economy”?

The Green Economy can be defined as an economy that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while greatly reducing environmental dangers and ecological scarcities. The simplest concept of a green economy can be thought of as an economy that is a low carbon economy, a resource efficient economy and a socially inclusive type of economy.

A green economy is an economy whose a rise in income and employment is driven by public and private investment strategies that will reduce carbon emissions and pollution, greatly enhance energy and resource efficiency, and avoid the decline of biodiversity and ecosystems. These investments have to be driven and supported by targeted public spending, policy changes and regulatory changes. This development path should maintain, enhance and, if needed, rebuild natural capital for the critical economic asset and the source of public benefits, especially for very poor people whose livelihoods and security depend strongly on nature and the environment.

Our children will have the answers

How to be green and to create a  green economy will be up to every individual, every politician and every educator in the world – with the right education, children will only thing green – and all other destructive technologies and practise will be thought of as old fashioned and not sustainable. Trying to save the environment  is not good enough – by a long shot. Failure is no longer a an option we have. 
Green buildings will be the norm, and in fact will be legislated -These buildings will  use green energy and not only save environment, but will actively work to enhance the environment – protecting species and life forms no matter what size. These sustainable buildings will recycle air and water – they will be living, breathing structures that actively work to sustain humans, and the planet. A sustainable environment is only possible if money, initially, is not the driver – profit is the planet killer. People who wish to know how to live green will need to look at their own lives and the practises in their own areas. New technologies such as fracking will need to be closely checked before becoming mainstream – and the biggest problem is that, to begin with, humans will have to take some pain - life will not go on as normal – in the end the benefits of a green economy will be huge – but humans will have to learn a new way of living – with different values and concepts. A new way of dealing with money and profit will need to be found – capitalism is not the answer, and in fact has never been an answer – we will need to green up how we make our living, and how we make our money – and more importantly, how the profits are distributed – fishing out the oceans is a direct result of capitalism – and faulty book keeping. This will all have to change – and for this to happen we need bright, creative minds - not minds that are stuck in profit and loss, and a mentality of more and more – what are you going to do about the new way – are you a warrior – up to the challenge of re-creating our planet and way of life?