The world has observedEarth Dayon April 22 since 1970.
It’s not something that is in the distant future anymore: Climate change has arrived on our doorsteps.
We can no longer look to governments and big corporations to solve the problem.
We as a society need to actively start making changes to our own lives to reduce our carbon footprint.
It’s a global problem, but one we can easily address at home by checking our own habits.
TheBBCreports that one-third of the food produced for human consumption ends up wasted.
This is incredibly detrimental to the environment.
So, what can you do to reduce food waste?
It’s simple: Be more mindful.
Let’s just be aware."
While grass may thrive after purging it of unwanted intruders, the environment does not.
Needless to say, it would be a good idea to replace grass with native, low-maintenance plants.
Anarticle published by the University of Marylandsuggests planting groundcovers or even vegetable gardens.
Instead, people need to buy less stuff, period.
You guessed it: by buying stuff!
That’s one of the reasons electric cars were invented.
Trading your gasoline car for an electric or hybrid version will have a significant impact on climate change.
Anotherstudyshowed that these cars' impact on the environment over time is less than that of traditional vehicles.
That surely makes owning one worth it.
In this case, using public transportation is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Department of Transportation, national-level data supports claims that public transport helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
If public transport is not available to you, carpooling is also a great alternative.
The research showed that eating fewer animal products has a profound impact on the number of greenhouse gasses produced.
The switch is definitely worth it, and it doesn’t have to be hard.
Houses and buildings usually aren’t properly insulated.
Investigate the walls and windows and look for small cracks or holes.
In turn, you also burn through more fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gasses.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
That amounts to around $255 in savings a year.
LED bulbs use around 90% less electricity (how insane is that?)
and last 25 times longer than your ordinary CFL bulb, which also results in less waste.
According to theBBC, a quarter of the world’s CO2 emissions are attributed to vehicles.
By 2008, the city saw a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions produced by traffic.
Since the items you recycle can be reused, you also indirectly help save water and minerals.
Recycling also reduces pollution, because reusing certain materials means that the demand for raw materials decreases.
Something else you could recycle or repurpose is clothing.
Depending on the generation process, it will contribute to greenhouse gasses, according to theEPA.
This can be done by installing solar panels.
This is a costly endeavor, but one that is well worth it.
According to Dan Rutherford, ICCT’s aviation director, that kind of thinking has it a bit backward.
A very small portion of the world’s population (around 3%) regularly travels by airplane.
So, what can you do?
He suggests taking a train or bus when your journey is shorter than 600 miles.
Takeaway containers, straws, wrappers, and plastic carry bags are some of the biggest culprits.
Currently, our oceans are home to around 75 to 199 million tons of plastic.
The UN Environment Programme also urges people to buy items in stores that are not packaged in plastic.
Additionally, you might invest in items that are reusable, like coffee mugs and water bottles.
