By Bobbi Peterson
The trick
is breaking down the enormity of climate change and how you go about your
everyday routine, and seeing what you can do at a local level to makes changes.
Here are 10 ways you can do your part to help leave our planet a better place.
1. Take a Look at Your
Transportation
America’s CO2 emissions run about four times the global average
at 21 tons. You can help curb the creation of these heat-trapping
gasses by making smarter, greener choices for your method of transportation.
Look for a vehicle with a high fuel economy if you need personal
transportation. Better yet, consider biking or utilize public transportation.
All of these will have some important impact on CO2 emission reduction.
2. Eat Less Red Meat
You read that right. Lowering your meat intake,
especially beef, can also help reduce greenhouse gasses. In fact, when you take
into consideration that 14 percent of all greenhouse
gas emissions are attributed to livestock, it puts your food choices
in perspective. It’s not that difficult to have beef or pork a couple of times
a week, instead of nearly every day. It’ll be a healthy choice both for you and
the planet.
3. Make Sure Your Home Is
Energy-Efficient
This can be as simple as changing five light bulbs with
ENERGY-star qualifications. Another great way to make sure you
aren’t wasting energy is to make sure your home is airtight. Fixing any leaks
that are present in your home can help you use less energy and save you money.
Most energy companies even offer free home energy audits, so making these
adjustments are not difficult.
4. Switch Out Your Appliances
for Greener Options
New appliances like a refrigerator or air conditioner are nearly twice as efficient as models that are even only five
years old. It’s true that this option could be a little pricey, but when you
consider the savings on your energy bill, a new fridge can pay for itself in
just three years.
5. Figure Out Where Your Big
Energy Uses Are
Use an
electricity monitor to see where your biggest energy users are in your
household. By understanding what eats up the most watts in your home, you can
then use that information to reduce their use from time to time. You’ll lower
your electricity bill and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.
6. Green up Your House to Clean the Air
Invest in air-filtering
houseplants, like aloe vera, to naturally filter CO2 out of the air
in your home. They will not only give you better air to breathe, but they will
also reduce your personal carbon footprint, all the while making your home that
much more beautiful.
7. Use Cold Water to Clean
Your Clothes
The detergent will clean them just the same in cold
water, and you’ll save money and energy by choosing not to heat the water. In
fact, the hot water cycle uses five times more energy than a cold water
wash/rinse cycle. Just by switching to cold water, you’ll save close to $100 annually, and have an emissions savings of 1,281 pounds.
8. Simply Buy Less
Consumerism,
in general, is not a culture that is friendly to more sustainable options. It
requires you to personally become conscious of how you buy and use items in
your home. Look for goods, products and services that have a longer lifespan or
can be repaired, reused or recycled. It might take you some time to get the
hang of it, but even these small changes from plastic to a reusable shopping
bag will add up over time.
9. Become an Advocate for
Combating Climate Change
It’s
important to remember that you cannot fix this problem all by yourself. You
need to share the small steps and changes you are making with those around you
as well. Just imagine the impact we could have on global greenhouse gas
emissions if every single American reduced their carbon footprint by as little
as 20 percent. The effect would be exponential without great effort on our
part.
10. Make Sure Public Officials
Know This Is an Important Issue
Finally,
it is extremely important to share your concerns with elected officials and
policymakers at your state and local level. If they don’t know climate change
is a major concern for you, then there is no way they can take the necessary
steps to help change policy and laws that can have a positive impact on
emission reduction.
Don’t be
intimidated by the size of the problem. We can all do our part. It simply
starts with a decision to be a better inhabitant of this planet.
Bobbi Peterson loves writing
and regularly posts on her blog Living Life Green. She’s also a freelance
writer, green living advocate, and environmentalist. You can find more from
Bobbi on Twitter.
