How do my actions contribute to climate change?
Each of us contributes greenhouse gas emissions through our everyday actions. The most potent heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere is carbon dioxide. The largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions are personal vehicles and home energy use.
The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the food we eat and what we buy and throw away all influence our impact on climate change.
How do I reduce my impact on climate change?
- Calculate your carbon footprint
- There are many resources available to help you figure out your personal carbon footprint. Identifying how you contribute greenhouse gases can help you identify the actions to take that will have the biggest impact.
- Try taking the Minnesota Energy Challenge or using the EPA’s Personal Emissions Calculator.
- Drive less
- Walk, bike, carpool or use transit instead. Alter your driving habits and keep up on your car's maintenance.
- Save energy with home heating and cooling
- Audit your home's energy consumption, turn down your thermostat, seal air leaks and keep up on maintenance.
- Use your refrigerator efficiently
- Adjust your refrigerator's temperature, make sure your refrigerator is airtight and purchase the most efficient model possible.
- Turn down your water heater
- Adjust your water heater's settings, install low-flow shower heads and reduce the use of hot water.
- Install compact fluorescent light bulbs
- Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) in your most-used lighting fixtures. CFL bulbs are up to 75 percent more efficient and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.
- Fluorescent lamps contain a small amount of mercury and must be disposed of properly.
- Turn off and unplug appliance and electronics
- As much as 40 percent of the energy used to power appliances is consumed while they are turned off. These "energy vampires" enter "passive standby" mode when they are turned off, which allows the appliances to start up quickly when switched on. Other appliances continuously use energy to power their clocks.
- You can figure how much energy your appliances use by checking out an energy meter from a Hennepin County Library.
- Purchase energy efficient appliances and electronics by looking for the ENERGY STAR label.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle
- By using less, we reduce the amount of energy needed to extract, transport and process raw materials to manufacture products.
- Recycling also saves energy because making goods from recycled materials requires less energy than making goods from raw materials. In fact, recycling a plastic bottle can save enough energy to power a television for three hours. Recycling an aluminum can is equivalent to saving six ounces of gasoline. Every bottle, every can, every piece of paper counts.
- Buy food produced locally and in season
- Support local, sustainable and organic farmers by purchasing their products directly or through farmer's markets, community supported agriculture farms (CSAs), food co-ops, natural food stores and local grocers. Eat foods that are in-season.
- Patronize restaurants that buy from local farmers, serve environmentally friendly food and recycle their organics. Bring your own reusable container for leftovers.
- For more information, visit Minnesota Grown or the Eat Well Guide.