Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.- Albert Einstein-
They call February the Month of Love.
And yet, what most of us forget is that love is not always about couples. It’s not always about candlelit dinners, heart-shaped chocolates and luxurious flower bouquets. It’s not even about the goodnight kiss a man shares with the woman he cares about.
Love is universal. It can be found in every single cell of our beings, in every drop of dew and in every particle of light that breaks into the darkness of every dawn. We are made of love – and although we may have forgotten this, to love and be loved will always be a primitive instinct.
Some love their life partners. Others love their pets. Some love everything and everyone. But regardless of what or who you love, don’t forget to show nature some attention too.
Capture Its Beauty
It doesn’t even matter whether you own a professional DSLR or a smartphone camera, or if you live in the city or the country – get out and capture some of those marvels! There are always amazing places out there that are more than worth preserving in your photos.
We spend too much time taking nature’s beauty for granted. What if, one day, your own children struggle to remember what flourishing wildlife looks like?
It sure sounds like a post-apocalyptic fantasy, but the harsh truth is that we aren’t that far from it. It is estimated that approximately 0.1% of all the species on Earth go extinct every year. In other words, if you are in your twenties right now, you have witnessed the extinction of thousands of species. It’s important to enjoy nature while we can.
Bike Around
If you don’t have to travel long distances, buy a bike. It will save you money, save the environment and have the potential to save your health too. If you don’t have one, you can find a decent bicycle for little more than a couple hundred dollars – but it can do so much for your finances, your fitness and the entire world around us!
Let’s say that you own a 2010 Volkswagen and you travel 10 miles to work and back, 20 days of the month. In one month, leaving your car at home and riding your bicycle instead will save you approximately $390 (not including the money you would save on parking fees). So, you would amortize the entire price of the bike in less than a month (not to mention the environmental benefits that would come with doing this).
The latest estimates show that we’ve only got approximately 53 years of oil left – so maybe it’s high time more of us took the bike instead of hitting the gas!
Embrace the Internet of Things
IoT has been debated and over-debated, that’s for sure. Despite unwanted science-fiction scenarios though, the Internet of Things shows a tremendous number of benefits – and one of them is being more environmentally-friendly.
Just think of it: what if you could have your house heated and cooled according to the weather outside? What if your own house “knew” when you were arriving home so that it could turn on the thermostat just in time? These things are no longer the material of blockbusters. They are as real as it gets.
And the most surprising aspect of all this is that IoT is perfectly embraceable. It may be expensive right now, but we can expect to see prices going down in the upcoming years. Until then, there is quite a lot of energy-saving Internet of Things devices that are actually affordable, such as smart thermostats, which can cost as low as a couple hundred dollars.
Go Solar
You may not be able to make a complete switch to solar in just one month – but you can make baby steps towards it. Buy a phone or a laptop that works on solar energy, swap your backyard lights for solar rechargeable options or invest in a solar portable battery you can carry around with you.
These are small things you can do for the environment – but they can pay off so well in a short time span. Considering the financial benefits of making these changes, you will definitely find it a good investment.
Plant a Tree
Want to have a really special Valentine’s Day? Plant a tree in honor of your partner and your love of nature!
It only takes a bit of effort and time to plant a tree. And in the long run, it can be so worth it! It will, of course, be great for the environment, but it will also make for a great activity for you and your friends or family – and once it’s grown, you’ll be proud of what you’ve achieved. Again, it’s a very small thing to do. But in the end, the revolution starts with small changes.
