Climate change is a pressing issue, and it’s essential for each of us to play our part in mitigating its effects. Here are five easy ways you can reduce your carbon footprint:
1) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Cut down on what you throw away. Follow the three “R’s” to conserve natural resources and landfill space. The simplest way to cut down on emissions is not to make products in the first place, so reducing your consumption helps. Reuse by buying preowned and donate clothes and toys. If no other option, recycle rather than send to waste. Separate your garbage and bring empty batteries to a collection point.
2) Conserve Water: The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving, you’re doing something good. Keep your showers short, and fill up the dishwasher before turning it on. And the water you used to wash the vegetables when cooking… they might water some plants in your garden. Talking about garden, if you need to water your plants, make sure you do so when they are not in the direct sun, so preferably between 20.00 and 08.00. And do you really need to wash your car every week?
3) Choose Sustainable: Support companies that operate sustainably, treating our environment with care.
4) Eat the Right Foods: A plant-based diet can make a big difference. Livestock farming produces from 20% to 50% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Per Kg of beef 60 kg of CO2 is emitted versus 12 for farmed prawns, 6 for poultry, 4 for rice and 0.4 for apples. Eating 2 days vegetarian a week makes a big difference! ( see https://ourworldindata.org/food-choice-vs-eating-local for the data).
5) Plant a Tree: Replace carbon-hungry lawns with gardens and trees. This might sound a little strange, to replace your lawn with trees, it’s both green right? Well, it is about the carbon storage, a tree will store more carbon and for longer time than for grass that is mowed once a week. Also mowing (when not done by hand), watering and fertilizing your lawn will increase your carbon footprint.
With these five easy steps, you can start reducing your carbon footprint today; it’s not about perfection; it’s about making better choices each day!