The media often portrays the world through doom-and-gloom coverage, like how bees might go extinct or natural disasters ravaging the planet beyond repair. These narratives misconstrue the value of individual effort. Earth will recover from human-influenced climate change if everyone works together to shape a more sustainable future. However, it is hard to know where to direct your efforts. Read on for some hints.
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Identify High-Impact Factors
Carbon footprints are easier to calculate than you might think. Answering a few questions regarding lifestyle reveals a lot about personal high-impact categories. These are the most common offenders:
- Diet
- Food and other waste generation
- Air and car travel
- Shopping behaviors
- Energy consumption
Some miscellaneous activities, like irresponsible tourism, also deserve attention. However, the most prominent pie pieces have actionable, accessible steps you can take now to produce long-lasting impacts.
Shift Behaviors
Environmental protection manifests in numerous ways, including recycling and boosting energy efficiency. Analyze the most outstanding subject areas and work your way through them all. Ask questions and be honest when acknowledging how often you shop online, eat meat in a week or take domestic flights for unnecessary reasons. These suggestions will start you on the right note.
1. Diet
Two simple dietary shifts can make a massive difference – eating less meat and sourcing food locally from community providers. Challenge yourself to Meatless Mondays or go to the farmer’s market instead of chains. Buying groceries without packaging is another way to slash footprints, though this is not always accessible.
You might also like: 10 Plant-Based Food Facts to Understand the State of the Industry
2. Food and Waste Generation
Roughly one-third of the food produced that is intended for human consumption every year – around 1.3 billion tons and valued at US$1 trillion – is wasted or lost. This is enough to feed 3 billion people.
Aside from the obvious need to waste less food, composting is a great way to make a dent in individual food footprints. Plus, it helps the planet heal by returning nutrients to the soil.
Besides food, other major waste generators include electronics, single-use plastics, and cigarettes. Do a trash audit to see what you discard the most and find alternatives for each. For example, if you throw out 14 tea bags weekly, you can consider switching to loose leaf for a zero-waste drinking experience. If you replace your phone yearly, force yourself to extend its life threefold or more.
3. Air and Car Travel
Minimize air and car travel as much as possible by choosing more sustainable forms of public transportation or carpooling. These choices can help you reduce an estimated 2.2 tons of your emissions yearly. Is your upcoming business trip necessary or can you carry conversations over an online conference call? If resources allow, consider purchasing an electric car.
Travel emissions shouldn’t make you feel guilty about vacations and leisure — everyone wants to see the world. However, be eco-conscious when traveling by only flying once a year, choosing high-capacity flights, and picking direct routes.
You might also like: Why Electric Cars Are Better for the Environment
4. Shopping Behaviors
Overconsumption and hyperconsumerism are hurting the planet. Consider how many environmental issues shopping touches, from excess waste generation and pollution to natural resource exploitation. These actions will save money and restore the world:
- Unfollow and unsubscribe from accounts that focus on selling things
- Try a no-buy month
- Recycle and regift unwanted items
- Set bills and savings to auto pay to curb overspending
- Practice pausing for at least 24 hours after seeing something you want, then reevaluate if it is worth buying the next day
5. Energy Consumption
Consider how much energy you use. Do you leave the house lights on in rooms you are not in? Is your air conditioning running at full throttle when you could open windows? Evaluate your habits and see where you can save a few extra bits of power. Consider hiring an energy auditor to ensure all equipment in the house is operating correctly and not pulling too much power.
The ultimate goal is to install green energy. If this is possible for you, take a moment out of your day to start researching how to get started.
You might also like: How to Lower Your Carbon Footprint Through An Eco-Friendly Home Audit
Recognize Reality
Volunteering and voting are other ways to make a solid impact. Hold corporations you want to support accountable. Enterprises are the most polluting and environmentally damaging entities on the planet, despite individual households doing as much as possible to slash their emissions. Make your voice heard by letting them know you want change for the better.
The climate crisis is only reversible by regulating rising temperatures. All of these life buckets contribute to climate change. Taking one step toward a greener path makes more of a difference than you think, especially if you share your knowledge and changes with others.
There are activities and behavior shifts that lower carbon footprints more than others. However, every single action matters, regardless of what the data suggests.
You might also like: 4 Steps to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
