After being inspired by Netflix’s Our Planet, see these simple and meaningful ways to enjoy life while protecting our planet
PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBE
You don’t have to do something big yet to save Mother Earth. Small, conscious acts count big in helping our planet. Netflix’s new series, Our Planet, tackles everything we need to know about the dangers the Earth is facing, and helps inspire us to act on it. If you are one of those who want to make a difference, here are some things you can do to help save this beautiful place we all call home:
Eat your greens, cut down on meat
Eating greens has its slew of healthy benefits like glowing, beautiful skin, and good digestion (especially from fiber-rich veggies). Vegetables also help remove toxins as well as maintain a strong heart, an alert mind, a happy disposition, and lighter feeling.
Eating greens is also said to be the most effective way to reduce carbon footprint, even more than recycling or using an electric car. A study conducted in 2018 by Oxford researchers Poore and Nemecek claimed that meat and dairy production use the vast majority (83%) of farmland and produces 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, and methane globally. By cutting out meat and dairy consumption, global farmland use could be reduced by more than 75%—an area equivalent to the US, China, European Union, and Australia combined!
This call for a “flexidiet” can also help address other significant environmental problems such as overfishing. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the number of overfished stocks globally has tripled in half a century.
Ditch your car—bike or take a walk instead!
Have you tried taking a leisurely walk along the beach or even just inside your village or town to go to the market or park? Or if possible, ride your bike going to work? Doing so will definitely do wonders to your health, specifically in improving your cardiovascular system. It’s free, easy, and you get to enjoy and keep Mother Nature’s fresh air clean.
Conserve and save water
Dry season or not, we should all learn to conserve water. Teach yourself and other members of the household to practice saving water. For instance, when washing dishes or taking a shower, turn off the tap if not yet needed or use a pail of water when washing your car. What you save by using water more intelligently may not be much but as they say, a little goes a long way.
Say no to single-use plastic
Have you seen those poor sea creatures washed ashore and died because they ingested plastic products? The irresponsible use and discarding of single-use plastic products (which takes hundreds of years to decompose) affects Earth’s rich marine life. Improper disposal of single-use plastic products also pose serious consequences to human communities as these clog natural waterways and increase instances of deadly floods.
To say no to single-use plastics, you can start by having your own reusable containers handy (e.g. drinking bottles or water containers) when you jog, walk, or when you’re working, recyclable bags for your shopping, or using metal (or bamboo) drinking straws or utensils when you dine out. It’s a small gesture but it helps big time in lessening the use of single-use plastic materials.
Support a local organization like Hineleban Foundation
You can do your share in protecting the environment by supporting a local organization like Hineleban Foundation, which Globe engaged in a five-year partnership with for its rainforestation advocacy. This non-stock, non-profit group based in Bukidnon is focused on the rainforestation of the mountains of Mindanao, home to the country’s last watersheds inhabited by Indigenous People (IP’s) and Bangsamoro communities.
You can take part in this rainforestation movement easily by donating your Globe Rewards points and naming your tree for the entire month of April. Every 100 Rewards points donation is equivalent to one tree. To donate, just download the Globe Rewards app on your mobile device and click the “DONATE” banner. Tap “HELP100” and press “REDEEM”. Upon receiving the confirmation message, tap on the Hineleban site to name your tree. Enter your name, email, mobile number, and tree name, then wait for a confirmation prompt that you have successfully named your tree.
Our Planet is available on Netflix. You may avail of the app through your Globe subscription, starting at PHP1699 a month (with no data cap, and with unlimited connection of up to 100 Mbps). For more information, visit <netflix.globe.com.ph>