Leyla Aliyeva is the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, one of Azerbaijan’s leading NGOs, and the spokesperson for its environmental program.Protecting the environment has always been a priority for Leyla Aliyeva. She has devoted a great part of her career to the environmental cause.For instance, she launched the International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA) campaign that aims to raise environmental awareness amongst young people.
Leyla knows that governments and corporations’ actions are important, but they cannot bear all the responsibility for improving the environment. Every one of us, individually, should contribute to that. We all can take small steps towards reducing our carbon footprint and making our everyday routines more eco-friendly.
It’s not necessary to become a loud activist to be an environmental warrior. Something as simple as creating a grocery shopping list or reusing a bottle can make a big difference.
Energy conservation and water conservation are the easiest ways to help the environment. But you can develop several earth-friendly habits that are less obvious but no less critical.
Are you ready to get started? Leyla Aliyeva gives you some tips to help the environment by following a few simple strategies every day. You might be surprised at how much they make a difference.
Reuse and Recycle
Recycling is an essential part of helping the environment at home, according to Leyla Aliyeva. Reusing plastics and other materials helps reduce waste and harmful emissions from landfills and decreases your carbon footprint.
It also helps create new products and reduces the need to use natural resources. Make the switch to recycled products as soon as possible.
You’ll have less litter piled up at your curb, and you’ll be doing much to improve the world.
Energy Conservation
Leyla advises everyone to replace traditional lightbulbs with LED bulbs to save the most energy and turn off lights when you leave a room. Doing so can reduce your electric bills, but there is also a direct relationship between energy use and the environment.
Reducing energy use at home help the environment and reduce pollution at power plants. Conserving energy can be done in several ways:
- Shut off the lights when you leave the room.
- Switch off any equipment that isn’t being used.
- Use a window instead of an extractor fan when cooking or showering.
- Defrost frozen products in the fridge after being put in the freezer.
- Reduce your energy consumption by 90% by switching to LED lightbulbs, which last much longer and consume 90% less energy.
- Wet clothes can be hung out to dry on their own rather than dried in the dryer.
Leyla Aliyeva recommends reducing your meat consumption by switching to a plant-based diet
Many studies indicate that food production is a significant driver of climate change and environmental harm. Farming causes water scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions due to agricultural wastes, deforestation, and agricultural emissions.
By 2050, the world’s population is expected to grow by 2.3 billion, significantly worsening these ecological consequences. LeylaAliyeva strongly encourages people to consume fewer meats and more plant-based foods like beans and pulses. Your health will improve if you have at least one meat-free day or meat-free meal daily.
Environmental style: Leyla Aliyeva recommends shifting to fashion that is more sustainable
Sustainable fashion also plays a role in environmental sustainability, Aliyeva says. Slow fashion, a shift from fast fashion, aims to produce eco-friendly quality pieces.
Clothing lines would follow ethical principles without compromising fashion or trends. A sustainable product can be reused, recycled, repaired, and upgraded to increase its lifespan and minimize its environmental impact.
There have been many strategies and innovations in the fashion industry in recent years, including:
- Using fabric made from plants and leaves of fruits.
- Making luxury wares from food waste.
- Producing t-shirts made without chemicals, and so on.
Acting on those approaches has focused on sustainability to reduce carbon emissions, fabric waste, water usage, and other resources.
Use water efficiently
A simple way to help the environment is to conserve water at home. Consider all the times you drink water, both inside and outside your house, and make any necessary changes.
Close the faucet after brushing your teeth. Fix some dripping faucets. Aerating faucets, using runoff-reducing sprinklers, and installing low-flow toilets and efficient shower heads will help conserve water.
Leyla Aliyeva catches rainwater and uses it to water her plants.
Source locally
If we’re talking about shopping, we should consider the route your items take to reach you. All that packaging and the fuel required for shipping have a significant environmental impact.
Instead, Leyla Aliyeva encourages you to visit your local farmer’s market for organic, package-free produce; dine at a farm-to-table restaurant, and support local designers, clothing manufacturers, and retailers before opting for two-day delivery.
So, in this way, we can also help the environment.
Go green by planting a tree
Tree planting can be a great way to preserve the environment. Trees support over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.
Trees are known for cleaning the air we breathe and filtering our drinking water. Forests also employ over 1.6 billion people worldwide and provide essential medicinal ingredients.
On the other hand, trees are affected by climate change, urban development, pollution, tree diseases, and pests.
Planting a tree and seeing it grow feels so good! Says Leyla Aliyeva.
Adding compost
If you can, compost appropriate foods and products. You do not need a large yard or a farm to participate in this environmentally friendly disposal process.
This process decomposes organic matter like leaves, vegetable scraps, or tea bags into a soil conditioner that helps plants grow. It naturally enriches the soil and prevents plant pests and diseases.
Every small effort counts, says Leyla Aliyeva
The task of saving the planet seems impossible. However, if we all did our part, things would be very different. Leyla Aliyeva insists that protecting the environment is vital at this point.
Small changes make all the difference, and everything adds up.Don’t put off taking action – pick one small change at a time and start today! It’s up to all of us.
Article Submitted By Community Writer