Climate change is already upon us, as the recent barrage of devastating hurricanes has proven.
According to NASA, October 2017 was the second-warmest October on record, and as Greenland melts faster and faster, sea levels on the East Coast of the US are rising as well. It’s important that all of us consistently evaluate our ecological footprint and make as many changes–small and large–as we can to help reduce carbon emissions and pollution.
Calculate your footprint
A great way to keep tabs on ourselves is by regularly calculating our ecological footprints. There are all types of carbon footprint and ecological footprint calculators online. Some calculate how many Earths it would take to support our lifestyle if everyone lived it. The World Wildlife Fund calculates what percentage of out individual “share” we are using and then offers tips on how to lower our footprint.
Keep a garden
One great way to help the planet (and start a new fun hobby!) is by growing a vegetable garden. Plants clean out CO2 out of the air and give us oxygen. Growing our own vegetables cuts down on the energy used to transport and harvest food as well. If you don’t have the yard space for a vegetable garden, you can always keep herbs in pots right in your house! Even just keeping a few flowers will help clean the air.
Cars, planes, and motorbikes are all major carbon contributors. If you drive a vehicle that uses diesel, you might consider switching to biodiesel, which has an 85% smaller carbon footprint than regular diesel fuel and is often made from leftover oil used by restaurants. It’s also better for your engines. If you live in an urban environment, try to carpool or take public transit as much as possible. If you have to drive your own car, opt for a low-carbon car, like an electric car or hybrid. With government incentives and the gas savings, it costs almost nothing to switch over. The way you drive your car makes a big difference as well. Speeding and and unnecessary acceleration reduce your gas mileage by up to 33 percent!
Green up your business
Our businesses and industries are an excellent place to make a slightly larger impact. In the oil and gas production industry, for instance, it’s very important that the contaminated water created during the excavation process be cleaned and treated so it can continue to be reused. Since office buildings require so much energy, making sure all light fixtures are energy efficient is a simple way to cut down on energy usage–and cost! We might also consider how much waste our business produces. How much paper, plastic, and other matter can we recycle? Is there a way to compost the coffee grounds in the breakroom? How about installing automatic faucets and water-efficient toilets? And can we convince our co-workers to carpool with us? That would cut down on gas for everyone and help the parking lot not be so crazy!