There is a new trend going on these days for people to become more eco-friendly.  Many people are taking steps to help reduce their carbon footprint and reduce their effects on the environment.  Families all over the world are making sure to recycle, use less water and be conscientious of where their products come from before they buy, making sure to purchase produce and other goods from closer facilities, which reduces the amount of fuel needed to ship the goods to the store where you buy them. 

It seems that many families are taking steps worldwide to make the change, but lower income families still are more eco-friendly than their better advantaged counterparts.  How can this be?  You wonder.  How can a family who makes less money than mine be more eco-friendly when I go out of my way to be eco-friendly? 

• People with lower incomes live in smaller homes.  By living in a supersized home, wealthy families consume up to 51% more energy than those who live in smaller homes, regardless of the age of the home.  The only way to offset the carbon emissions of a room that is ten rooms or more is to have it at least partially fuel by alternative, renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power.  Many families don’t yet have those systems in place. 
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  Most people with lower incomes don’t travel as much as more advantaged families.  By traveling less, lower income families almost completely reduce the amount of carbon emission causing forms of travel that others use frequently, such as planes and trains, which are major offenders in the environment.
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  People with lower incomes are more likely to shop at resale shops for their goods in an effort to save money.  They may not be trying, but in buying second-hand goods, they are not only saving bundles of money, but they’re reducing the impact that the production of new goods has on the environment. 
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  Less advantaged families are also more likely to buy produce that is in season and often take steps to grow their own produce during the summer months.  Often, because of a lack of income or because they choose to, the produce they grow is organic and the extras are either canned of frozen for future use, which allows lower income families to save money on produce year round and completely offsets the need for transport on the produce they consume.

If you are one of those families who lives in a super big house, but buys brand new clothing and travels a lot, you can take measures to make your family even more eco-friendly.  Look into alternative forms of energy for your home.  Solar kits can be bought and installed by piece for easier affordability, or you can have your whole home fitted at one time.  The good news is that many governments offer grants to help offset up to half the cost of these solar systems and in the US, you can get tax credits for installing and using a solar or wind power system.

You can also find some of the trendier resale shops for most of your clothes and furniture and only buy new clothing and other home goods once or twice yearly.  You can also offset your impact on the environment by purchasing furniture second hand or keep what you buy for more than 5 years.