Biophilic Design : What is it & Why Does it Matter ?
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If you’re wondering about how to become a green building or a sustainability advocate, you have come to the right place! Today we will tackle and list a few items and decisions you can make to have a healthier lifestyle and more sustainable spaces.
Published October 1, 2020
Actionable steps to become a green building advocate
If you’re wondering about how to become a green building or a sustainability advocate, you have come to the right place! Today we will tackle and list a few items and decisions you can make to have a healthier lifestyle and more sustainable spaces.
We will cover things you can do at home, work, and finally, your community.
Noise pollution or high levels of noise aren't just sources of disturbance. Constant exposure to high levels of noise have several harmful effects on us such as hypertension and cases of insomnia or lack of quality sleep.
1. Transportation
One big transition you can make towards a greener lifestyle is how you move from point A to point B in your everyday life. There are various ways to reduce your impact on the environment through transportation. This is done through the following alternatives:
If you have the means, it is best to switch to a hybrid vehicle. This way you will be able to reduce your petrol consumption, hence, reduce your impact on the environment.
This is not to say that hybrid cars and electric cars do not have negative impacts on the environment, however, for now the pros seem to outweigh the cons.
Carpool is an agreement between a group of people to take the same route in the same vehicle. This is a great way to start reducing your greenhouse gas emissions along with your friends and colleagues who work and live nearby. This way, you will be able to share the road journey, connect with people, and reduce your emissions and cost!
If your city's infrastructure allows it, public transportation is an efficient way to move around from one spot to the next. Taking public transportation has many advantages where you can take that time to read a book, listen to a podcast, or simply talk to the person next to you on the bus!
Biking and walking remain as excellent options if your destination is nearby. This way, you will be able to exercise as well, breathe in the fresh air, and release some stress and toxic energy.
I highly recommend choosing this option if your destination allows it!
2. Water Consumption
Another aspect of becoming a green building advocate is to start consciously monitoring your consumption of energies at home. You can observe your usage patterns at home. This way, you will be able to recognize where you can consume less potable water and where you are over-consuming where not needed.
It is also helpful to check for any leaks or inefficient equipment that you have at home. Investing in a dual flush toilet can also help you save on water and reduce your bills.
You can also start looking into rainwater harvesting so that you may collect water during the rainy season and get the benefits of it whether for your washing purposes or grey water needs.
3. Energy efficient appliances
It is of true importance and value to invest in high quality and energy efficient electric appliances in order to receive the sufficient amount of light you need indoors as well as reduce your negative impact on the environment. Investing in highly efficient appliances may seem expensive, however, it is important to remember that these are up-front costs. Meaning that you will benefit and save on your electricity bills in the long run.
4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
A sustainability post is not complete without the ever-so famous phrase : “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”.
There are infinite examples of how you can apply that rule and it all starts with conscious consuming as well as monitoring. With these two in hand, you will be able to pick out what things you do not need and what items you can reuse around your house.
Another great way of recycling is to recycle your clothes along with your friends and family. (For more on sustainable fashion, check out this article about fast fashion)
Whether you’re a business owner or an employee, these actionable steps can be taken to transform your business or workplace environment into a sustainable and green structure and building.
1. Provide incentives to employees who use public transportation/ car pool
If you’re a business owner and thinking of encouraging your employees to use more sustainable transportation methods, you can provide incentives to those who opt to use public transportation or car pool with other colleagues.
2. Sustainability talks
As a business owner, you can initiate a program of sustainability talks from various professionals or even your employees. This will create a community with your work and will raise awareness among the team.
3. Recycling
Recycling can be encouraged with incentives as well as provision of recycling baskets and facilities. This way, it will be easy for your team to apply these sustainable measures.
You can also support small green businesses that provide sustainable recycled and reclaimed items and purchase them for the office.
4. Engage your customers
This is a great way to invite your customers to lead a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle. Raising awareness and educating your target audience about your ethical and sustainable values will benefit your business in the long run. It will also attract the right customers to your business.
Finally, the journey to a more sustainable lifestyle is not a one-day transformation. It is small changes in daily habits and routines that will eventually create a ripple effect upon your life as well as those around you.
The above steps are simple steps you can take to change your business and life at home to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable lifestyle and spaces. We often take architecture and the spaces we live in for granted, however, they have a lot of impact on our productivity, health, and psychology. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the details and quality of our spaces.
Until next time tracers, stay healthy , stay strong!
References :
References : Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building
Graphics : Traceitlab
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