How you can live greener

Eat less meat

• Agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change. You need to cut down forests for pastures and factories. Cows produce a lot of methane (a very potent greenhouse gas) when they belch. 1 kg of beef is 1 ton of CO2 emitted. And besides, the less animals in small cages the better.

Support local farms

• No matter what your diet is like, it would be several times better for the environment if the food was locally sourced. Food from local farms cuts transportation costs & food waste. It also likely means less chemicals (like pesticides and herbicides). If you are going to eat meat, eat it locally.

Don’t waste

• When your food waste goes to a landfill, it rots. When it rots, it produces methane, a more potent (more harmful) greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Bottom line: if you are lucky enough to have food on your table, don’t waste it.

Install solar panels in your home

• Most states in the US have a “net metering” policy which means that if you install solar panels, and use them as your primary source of energy, then the surplus energy you produce goes to the grid, and you get paid for this. This is a net economic gain in the long term for consumers.

Be energy efficient

• It’s better for the planet and your bank account. Air-dry dishes and clothes. Install LED light bulbs. Get a smart thermostat. Unplug appliances and electronics at night. Doing these simple things makes you use less energy and pay less money to your utility company.

Utilize rainwater

• In many neighborhoods, there is a lot of rainfall and one thing that you can do is install rain barrels or rainwater collection irrigation systems. These things collect rainwater then allow you to use it for your irrigation. This prevents rainwater wastage and daily water overuse.

Take greener showers

• No, I’m not asking you to take shorter showers. There are systems that you can install, such as recirculating shower systems, which filter and recycle your shower water, or greywater systems, which use your shower and washing machine water to water the plants. There are several of these types of systems and they are great for your showers to be eco-friendly.

Public transportation

• By utilizing public transportation, like buses and trains, you are subtracting the emissions that would have been made if you took an individual vehicle. Even if some forms of public transportation still run on fossil fuels, it’s on-net better than using your own fossil-fuel powered vehicle

Walk and bike short distances

• Great for the environment and even better for you. Walking and biking are good forms of exercise that also take away from the emissions that would have come from a car or bus.

Get an electric car

• EVs aren’t all good. But, they are better for the environment than gas-guzzlers, so if you find yourself driving a lot, an EV might be a greener choice. They are also more economical in the long-term, and you can charge them with solar panels in your house.

Google how to dispose of tricky things before dumping it in the trash

• Oil, furniture, electronics, batteries, all of these and more are things which are weird when it comes to disposal. Before just chucking them in the trash can, you should do a quick Google search to make sure it is okay to do that. Many times it is better to dispose of these things differently, so it is always good to double check.

Know your area’s recycling programs

• Many towns and districts have recycling programs in which they take care of your hard-to-recycle items. Make sure you know what programs your town has and tell people about it - this will clear up a lot of confusion on things like batteries and electronics! If there isn’t a program, you can always urge your town to start one.

Reuse, remake, refurnish, reutilize, reprocess, repurpose, BEFORE recycling

• Everywhere it is taught that you need to recycle. Well, let me tell you, recycling is not going to solve our problem. Before recycling you need to do all the things I listed above. You need to find ways to use the materials that you are done with in a different way. By doing this, you will be making the impact you want to make, not by just tossing everything in that blue bin.

Make sure your school/company/organization is actually recycling

• Many schools and companies have recycling programs, but a lot of these programs are ineffective. Either the organization doesn’t actually recycle these things, or people aren’t using them properly, by not separating their trash, or by throwing everything into one bin. You should always ask your school/company what is happening to their recycled materials.

Don’t waste food

• This was mentioned under “food”, but I’ll say it again. Not wasting food goes without saying, but when food ends up in the landfill, it rots and emits a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas which is worse than CO2. If you are going to throw your food out, compost it and prevent these emissions.

Don’t waste energy

• Be energy efficient, this was listed under “energy”. Making energy, at least the way it is today, creates a lot of emissions. By being energy efficient and saving energy, you are reducing the emissions that would have been made otherwise from energy production.

Just… don’t waste

• It’s good advice. Wasting, no matter what it is, is bad for the environment. It takes emissions to make, to package, to transport, and then to dispose of everything. No matter what you are wasting, it is a source of emissions and is therefore negative for the environment, so just don’t waste. Take what you need and use it to its maximum capacity, but don’t waste.

Install electric furnaces and heaters

• Electric furnaces and heaters are actually cheaper than the ones that run on natural gas. By installing one, you are doing a favor for the environment and your bank account. In the short and long term you are saving money, so it’s definitely an investment you should make.

Use renewable energy for heating

• Using things like solar panels, hydroelectric, and wind power to heat your house are all examples of renewable energy sources that are better than natural gas heaters. Installing renewables is getting easier and easier, especially with things like net metering, so this is another great way to heat your house without a natural gas furnace.

Use other alternatives… just not fossil fuels.

• There are also several other alternatives to heat your home, such as modern wood burners, pellet stoves, and geothermal heating that can be sustainable ways to heat your home.

Vote for political leaders who care

• Political leaders have a lot of power in making change. If you are old enough to vote, one thing that you can always do to help halt climate change is voting for political leaders who have the climate crisis on their agenda. This doesn’t just mean federally. You can definitely help your community by voting for a mayor or governor who wants to make your area greener.

Urge your current political leaders to think about climate change.

• You can do something as simple as writing a letter to your local representative asking about what’s being done, or something as radical as organizing a protest or petition. If your political leader sees that there is a lot of support for this topic, they will automatically be inclined to act on it.