By If you’ve been paying attention to the news lately, you’ll know that climate change and its ensuing effects are a huge problem. If current trends continue, humans could face some severe consequences in their lifetime. While governmental legislation like the Paris Climate Agreement is a solid step in the right direction, there are still a lot of ways that individuals can help to reduce their carbon footprint.
Today we’ll be looking at some ways that individuals can reduce their carbon footprint by making changes to their everyday habits. In no particular order:
1) Buy local produce
This one is pretty straightforward. Buying produce from local sources cuts down on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with shipping. It also means you’re not buying food that was grown in other countries, which has its own set of issues.
2) Improve home insulation
Insulation reduces the amount of heat lost during warm weather and improves the indoor environment. Homeowners have a range of options available, from loft insulation to window options. For example, have you considered triple glazing? You might like to read this article, what you need to know about triple glazing.
The money saved on heating and cooling can go towards bigger energy-saving appliances, or it can be saved for holidays.
3) Working from home
Reducing travel to work reduces the carbon footprint of individuals. Commuting by car also increases your carbon footprint due to emissions from car travel, emissions from driving around car parks, and emissions from using a fossil fuel-powered vehicle for a long period. Taking public transport gets you out of your car and does it without increasing your greenhouse gas emissions the way travelling by air or other forms of transport might.
4) Eat seasonal produce
It takes more energy to create the environment that plants need when they are force-grown in greenhouses. Eating seasonal produce helps to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted during production.
5) Recycle, recycle, recycle
Recycling necessitates moving less material and using fewer resources. It’s also easier on the environment both in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and resource use. The waste we create ends up in our landfills, where it rots and releases methane into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. If you have old electronics or other gadgets that still have some working parts, check out Mobile Planet for a good way to get rid of them.
6) Don’t recycle, refuse
Recycling does have its place. However, it is more effective to refuse to buy products that use a lot of plastic or that are made as single-use when a more sustainable option is available.
It might seem like a lot to change, but each of these actions is easy enough to do and carry a small enough carbon footprint that can be implemented without too much trouble. In the big picture, they all add up to big changes in our carbon footprints. Plus, the more of us that do this, the more likely lawmakers are to address climate change seriously and enforce meaningful legislation.
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