This weekend we watched David Attenborough’s “A Life on our Planet” with our eldest 2. I learnt a lot – we all did. Not least a realisation and appreciation for how incredible nature is! Our eyes were opened to the reality of our consumer lifestyles and how people worldwide are living in an unsustainable manner and destroying the wildernesses around us. We learnt about just how harmoniously nature works at every level and how things will possibly drastically decline if we, the people here, do not make significant changes very very soon to live in a more respectful and Eco-friendly way.
If you haven’t seen it yet, it really does give you a lot of food for thought, as well as some amazing ideas for how countries like the Netherlands are growing more and using less!
For me, aside from the Eco systems and the flow of nature that keep things ticking along nicely (which to be honest I rarely think about consciously), nature is so healing and therapeutic to life. Whether it is a woodland walk, watching or connecting with animals, stood on a mountain top, sat on a beach or swimming in the sea – these simple connections to the natural world bring solace to the soul and a new perspective to life. Combine that with the fact out lifestyles and constant need for more and more is destroying this beauty and it is utterly heartbreaking to think of a world where those moments no longer exist. Or where magnificent creatures, seasons, corals and ice worlds, are just…gone!
It is concerning. It is almost unthinkable that the beauty’s and marvels created in this world that feed our souls, could just be destroyed and gone like that.
The good news is that we all can do something though – on small levels now and in decades to come too. Nature can heal itself, but it needs our help to do so. And, I would hope that making changes going forward, healing and renewing can be accomplished on a large scale, so that our natural world can heal itself and flourish (not continue to decline and face extinction). Many businesses, governments and consumers alike are working towards lowering our emissions and hopefully saving the world from irreversible damage and we can all play a part.
Moving forward…
I expect (and very much hope) that moving forward, aside from the continued fight with plastic reduction, greener transport and an increase in renewable energy, future homes too will be rich in modifications that ensure a lesser impact on the environment. By incorporating green energy sources, recycling, eating naturally (and less meat) or Eco-friendly appliances like heat pumps, every home could be providing a positive contribution to the natural world and lowering our carbon footprint.All types of homes from now and certainly in the next 30 years could function this way. I think that once more and more solar panels are installed, other zero-carbon appliances will be replaced with more Eco-friendly alternatives like heat pumps along with biodegradable products and more sustainable lifestyle choices. Heat pumps are just one example of how life in the future can be more green. They are an innovative way to heat our homes and come in 3 types – air source, ground source and water source. All 3 types operate in a similar way where they use a combination of electricity and energy from the environment in the air particles to heat up the water and radiators in our homes, and so they basically are an environmentally and economic alternative to boilers. Introducing these, collecting water, using renewable energy and will be slowly introduced to homes in order to lower our carbon footprint.
Viessmann are innovators when it comes to our future living spaces and offer heat pumps (along with other amazing ideas to make our homes more green). And, they can see it playing a big part in more eco-friendly homes. It doesn’t need any gas or oil to run like our traditional boilers. Instead, they work solely using electricity and natural, renewable energy. It therefore doesn’t directly produce any carbon emissions and is very Eco-friendly (here’s a video that might help you understand them more).
Nathan and I often talk about building our own home – nothing flashy, but more of an Eco home in nature that offers grass roof insulation and some solar panels for energy …a place to grow our own veggies and to live more sustainable. It would likely be made from shipping containers to recycle things already here too and would certainly have more Eco-friendly alternatives. I know many who also have considered similar ideas and are already living in these type of homes with these lifestyles. But, whether it is a purpose built Eco-friendly home, or modifying our existing homes and how we build homes for a more sustainable future, we each can do more, live greener and help heal our beautiful planet to ensure a better future for all of us.
In collaboration with Viessmann
Thanks for your article. I think growing our own food and learning all about gardening is also important.
I think we should all atleast try growing our veggies so much to learn and excitement when eating… so wish you the best of luck for your future home..
Thanks for sharing this. Its very inspiring and life changing not only for people but also for our planet earth.
Here is something I’m looking at
https://manifestationmagic.com/go/index.php?hop=taloona. Thanks a lot!