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The issue of climate change is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days, as individuals and governments struggle to come up with ways to confront the crisis. For those of us living in coastal areas or places with a lot of wildfires, such as California or Louisiana, the matter is not only dire but desperately urgent. While governmental entities waver on what to do or not when it comes to the big corporations largely responsible for this, the rest of us can focus on different ways to help the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. Here are a few ways to help empower you to make better decisions for the planet, while also saving you a bit of money.
Get a Water Bottle
One thing that makes a huge difference is simply buying a water bottle, instead of getting all those plastic ones and throwing them out right away. That’s an awful habit that too many of us have adopted, and we really should stop it for the sake of the environment. Not to mention, why spend one or two dollars on a small bottle of water when you can just refill your own bottle? Saving both money and the environment is a win-win.
Change Your Commute
When possible, you should change your commute and stop driving to work or on other errands. Take a bike or a shared mode of transportation such as buses and trains. You can also walk whenever you can. As the folks behind Wholepeople.com commented, a mile-long walk would only take you about twenty minutes anyhow – why not exercise at the same time? Besides, think of all the money you’d be saving on gas.
Don’t Use Appliances Wastefully
Do you ever leave a room with the fans or lights open for hours? Or keep the air conditioning on when you leave the house? Well, you need to learn some new habits fast. This is an incredible waste of precious resources, not to mention that it would cause your electric bill to skyrocket. Get into the habit of unplugging your laptops or what have you when you’re not using them. A few, simple behavioral modifications can add up and do a lot to help curtail the effects of climate change.
Be part of the solution
So many of the best things in this world that are not making a difference all started with an idea from people like you and me. Most people, thats where it end, with just an idea but with some people the will move forward and make their great idea a reality. DMZ is a great launchpad for Entrepreneurs to help you take the guess work out of starting a business. You can also looking saving your time by using remote accounting services.
Change the Laundry Cycle
You’ve probably had it drilled in your head that the cold water cycle doesn’t clean your clothes. That’s not true at all, and you don’t need to keep the cycle at boiling temperatures to have a fresh set of laundry. To be environmentally friendly, try to use only the cold water cycle when washing your clothes. In addition, do your laundry in big batches as opposed to piecemeal whenever you can. This will help you decrease the amount of energy and water being used, which will help you save some extra money and lots of time since you’re not waiting for the water to turn hot. Also, if you can skip the dryer cycle, then kudos. A good old-fashioned attempt at line drying will give your attempts to reduce your carbon footprint an extra boost.
Stop Buying Fast Fashion
We know that big, cheap retailers offer excellent ways for you to get in on the latest trendy fashion without spending a lot of money. Unfortunately, these retailers waste a frightening amount of raw materials, only to chuck their fast fashions into major landfills a few weeks later, once the trend in question has overstayed its welcome. We shouldn’t be complicit in the bad practices of these fashion brands. Instead, try to make purchases from vendors known for their ethical practices and when those are unaffordable, go to thrift stores and discover the wonderful world of vintage. Also, if you find yourself racking up too many clothes, then donate them to charity or to your local thrift store; don’t toss them in the trash since that only contributes to the problem.
Eat Local
While some of us live in food deserts and don’t have the option of eating healthy food locally, you should do your best to take advantage of it for those of us who have that privilege. Eat from local farmers, and eat fruits and vegetables that are in season. Don’t buy, say, watermelon in the dead of winter since not only will it taste suspect, the chances that its carbon footprint is astronomical is too high. Out of season produce is flown in, and that takes a major toll on the environment.
While there is only so much that individuals can do compared to major oil and gas companies to curtail the effects of climate change, every little bit helps. The smarter we are as consumers, the more likely we can help save the planet and preserve precious nature for as long as we can.
