Do you feel anxious about Climate Change and how the world leader seemingly doing nothing or are too slow about it? The good news is, in reality, each and every one of us can do our part to help the planet. One of the most effective ways individuals can help mitigate climate change is by reducing their carbon footprint, or the total amount of greenhouse gases they produce. Here are 15 ways that people can reduce their carbon footprint:
Use public transportation, walk, or bike instead of driving.
Transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, so using alternative modes of transportation can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, it is good for your wallet since most public transport systems cost are almost always cheaper than the cost of buying, maintaining, and using personal vehicles. This step is one of the steps where going green is actually cheaper than keeping the traditional ways.
Choose energy-efficient appliances and electronics.
Energy-efficient appliances and electronics use less energy, which means they produce fewer greenhouse gases when in use. Look for appliances with the Energy Star label, which indicates that they meet energy efficiency standards. Unfortunately, for those outside of US, find appliances with such label migh be quite difficult. Additionally, nowadays “energy-efficient” label becomes some kind of marketing jargon that justify electronic companies to charge customer more money for such products, so this step may need you to pay some upfront investment cost to do. Just make sure to choose products that have the most robust quality so that it can last very long down the road.
Plant trees or support reforestation efforts.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, so increasing the number of trees on the planet can help remove some of this excess carbon. You can plant trees in your own yard or support reforestation efforts through organizations like the Tree People or the Nature Conservancy. Whether you choose to plant trees in your own backyard or support reforestation efforts, doesn’t matter. Both are helping the environment just the same. Planting trees, shrubs, and even potted plants in your home help local environments and important insect species such as bees and their predators, and maintaining a garden in itself is a relaxing and rewarding hobby. Just be careful not to plant any invasive species that may decimate local species if left unattended. On the other hand, if you prefer to support reforestation projects, you can check here for some of the best reforestation efforts out there in 2022.
Use LED light bulbs.
LED light bulbs use up to 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer, which means they produce fewer greenhouse gases over their lifetime. Many, if not all, LED bulbs are more expensive than conventional bulbs, so you do need to pay more to buy it. But the saving in electricity costs are more that worth it. Same as with household appliances, choose products that have the most robust quality so it can last for a long time. Although, perhaps it doesn’t matter since most lightbulb nowadayas are designed with planned obsolescence in mind, meaning the bulb producer has designed their products to wear off and failing after a certain amount of time. I will create an article about this controversial practices in the future.
Purchase carbon offsets.
Carbon offsets allow you to invest in projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, such as renewable energy projects or reforestation efforts. This can help offset the carbon emissions you produce through your daily activities. While this step is similar to Planting Trees or Support Reforestation Efforts that I’ve previously talked about, what the difference is in carbon offsets there are various projects that you can support that has nothing to do with reforestation nor planting any greeneries. Some carbon offsetting program have project about conservation of peatlands or marshlands, both are incredible carbon sinkholes, while others may use your money to invest and developing renewable energy infrastructure in remote areas. What’s important here is to purchase carbon offsets only from organizations that are transparent, accountable, and effective with their carbon offsets program. Since many projects are quite hard to be measured of its effectiveness, it is quite paramount for you to do your research before deciding to put your money into one of them.
Reduce your meat consumption.
Livestock production is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, so reducing your meat consumption can help reduce your carbon footprint. Try eating more plant-based meals or choosing sustainably-raised meats. Let’s face it, this one is really hard, I really do understand. But you can start by changing your diet gradually. For example, if you eat cow meat everyday, you can start by changing the menu to chicken meat in one of those days since chicken meat emit less greenhouse gas than cow meat in its production. Then you can increase your chicken meat consumption gradually until you no longer addicted to cow meat and not consuming it on regular basis. When you reached that point, you can opt to do the same to chicken meat, maybe changing it to fish or even going vegan. Hopefully, one day synthetic meat can be produced safely and sustainably, so that we can grow our beloved meat without the environmental effect like today.
Recycle and compost.
Recycling and composting can help reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills, where it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. And high-quality composts can even be sold at a high price. Turn your household wastes into a new source of income. Not every day you can get a chance to make money from trashes.
Support renewable energy.
Choose to support renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, by switching to a renewable energy provider or purchasing green energy credits. We know that this step is quite expensive for most people. Like it or not, coal is still the cheapest source of energy in many parts of the world. But for those of you who are lucky enough to live in a country whose government subsidized technologies like batteries and solar panels, make the most of it to transitioned your energy needs to more renewable resources.
Use reusable bags, containers, and water bottles.
Single-use plastic bags, containers, and water bottles contribute significantly to waste and greenhouse gas emissions. By using reusable alternatives, you can reduce your carbon footprint. But you don’t have to hurry into changing all your bags and bottles to their reusable alternatives immediately if you have tons of plastic bags and bottles in your home. People often argue that single-use plastic bags are bad for the environment because they are not easily degradable in the ocean. It takes about 20-500 years for plastic bags to completely decompose. It means by design plastic bags ARE reusable even though they are called single-use. Reusable is the keyword. Reuse your single-use plastic bags instead of throwing them away after using them once. While reusing every item you have, you can gradually migrate to what-so-called reusable goods with minimal cost and impact on the environment. In fact, suddenly changing your stuff to “green products” may have a larger impact on the environment, since it takes resources to manufacture those products, and your old, still reusable stuff will end up thrown away in the landfills or ocean.
Support green infrastructure projects.
Green infrastructure projects, such as green roofs and permeable pavement, can help absorb and filter stormwater, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases produced by treatment plants. One that is quite controversial for many people is nuclear energy infrastructure. Yes, we all remember what happened in Chernobyl and Fukushima. But what most people don’t know is, nuclear is actually safer than many other forms of energy. Especially when compared to fossil fuels like gas and coal, which killed thousands of people per year from air pollution and waste products. Nuclear, despite not generating any greenhouse gases, do have dangerous waste products like spent fuel rods, but on a much smaller, and more manageable scale than their fossil fuel counterparts. Not to mention the recent breakthroughs in nuclear fusion, which will make nuclear technology even safer and cleaner than before. The problem with nuclear technology is not safety, but bad PR programs. And our government’s desire to secure and create more and more powerful nuclear arsenal doesn’t help with this.
Support energy efficiency programs.
Many utility companies offer energy efficiency programs that can help you reduce your energy use and lower your carbon footprint. Some governments also encourage their citizens to save energy where it possible. You can do your part by reducing your daily energy consumption. Simple acts like turning off your lamp when it isn’t needed or saving water really make a difference when everyone doing it. Designing your house with more windows to allow natural light to pass through also helps reduce electricity use in daytime.
Use a low-flow showerhead.
Low-flow showerheads use less water, which means they require less energy to heat the water and produce fewer greenhouse gases. Less water also means lower water bills and more resources saved. Fresh water is one of the limited resources that we should pay more attention to. Of all water on this planet, fresh water only accounts for about 2.5% of it, mostly in form of glaciers, water vapor, and ice. Only about 0.3% are in liquid, usable form, which is used collectively by land animals, plants, and human civilization. We’ve already seen extreme drought and water scarcity in many parts of the globe due to climate change. Yes, we may be able to desalinate water from the ocean, but this process is expensive and energy-intensive, which may exacerbate the situation in the long run due to the energy source used in the process. So appreciate every drop of water you use, and save the rest whenever you can.
Use a programmable thermostat.
Programmable thermostats allow you to set your home’s temperature to automatically adjust when you’re not home, which can help reduce your energy use and lower your carbon footprint. Smart home appliances like smart thermostats and automatic lighting are very useful to reduce your energy consumption. But these options are quite expensive and limited to tech-savvy people. For ordinary people with no access to these technologies, conventional means like putting reminder notes to save energy on any power switch is good enough and effective.
Support carbon pricing policies.
Carbon pricing policies, such as a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system, put a price on carbon emissions and provide an economic incentive for individuals and businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. Many countries have regulations on this matter, but for the countries where it still does not exist, make sure to vote for representatives that will consider this policy. Or push your local government to pass more policies that encourage people to reduce their carbon emissions.
Educate others.
Sharing information about the importance of reducing carbon emissions and the ways in which individuals can do so can help encourage others to take action as well. Be a loud climate advocate in your family and communities. Make sure that everyone who listens knows the consequences and impact of every decision they make for future generations. You don’t have to force them to comply with everything you said unless you don’t mind becoming an annoying person in their eyes. You just need to put the awareness in their mind and let them make their own decision about it. Or if you don’t have the time and energy to do it, a simple act of sharing this article will still be better than doing nothing.
By taking all these steps, individuals can make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change and protecting the planet for future generations. Don’t feel overwhelmed or helpless if you still can’t do all of these steps. Even if you can only do one or two of these is much better than not doing anything. Just remember, every small action adds up and can make a difference in the fight against climate change.
