The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has just announced in its biennial report—Living Planet—that to maintain current consumption levels in 2030 we would need two piles of the earth just as rich and hospitable as ours. Regular readers of this page may find it strange that I talk about the environment and not about gender issues, but they will surely understand when I remind them of the essential link that unites us women with Nature. It is not for nothing that it is called Mother Nature. This is a battle that some women are waging in politics, science, culture… and also from the kitchen of your house wondering what to do to bequeath to your children and grandchildren the pleasure of drinking pure water from a spring or enjoying the intense Green of a meadow free of chemical fertilizers. It is precise to the latter that these tips are directed.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle

• Reduce levels of unnecessary consumption. Before going shopping, think about what you need, and if necessary, make a list and try to stick to it. Your pocket will also thank you.
• Avoid buying disposable items and using nylon packaging that takes centuries to degrade. Cardboard, paper or simply using the cart is preferable. Prioritize the consumption of national products, with that you benefit the environment by saving on transportation, packaging, etc., and incidentally, you help the economic indexes of your country, although this, of course, does not imply making concessions in terms of product quality final.
• Choose to use rechargeable batteries and recycled paper—100% chlorine-free or FSC-certified, which guarantees the social and environmental sustainability of the forest from which the wood has been extracted.
• Do not throw away toxic waste; take it to the places prepared for its treatment.
• Save water, a resource that seems eternal but in its drinkable form is increasingly scarce. Use flow reducers in the faucets, it has been proven that these reduce spending by up to 40 percent. Not letting the liquid run while brushing your teeth and taking a shower has a positive effect — about 100 liters of water are used on average, while 250 are consumed in the tub.
• Avoid leaks or water leaks—no matter how insignificant they may seem, they represent the loss of at least 30 liters a day—and do not flush paper down the toilet as its discharge then requires a greater amount of liquid.
• Save energy by taking advantage of natural light, and using low-consumption light bulbs and electrical appliances. At first, they may seem more expensive, but in the long run, they reduce the electricity consumed by up to 80 percent.
• If instead of leaving the equipment in the standby position, with the lights on, you turn them off, you would be saving 10 percent of consumption and many others if you manage to keep the temperature of the air-conditioned premises at 20 degrees Celsius, either with air conditioning or heating.
• Cook in a pressure cooker and with little water. These are also good for optimizing time at home and so that some of the most important nutrients are not lost in the cooking process.
• Wash when the equipment is at full capacity and make it cold whenever possible, since the action of heating the water triggers consumption rates. Also, accumulate the clothes to be ironed and do it in one go: the iron and the microwave oven classify as two of the biggest electricity guzzlers at home.