4 Tips to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Climate change has swiftly moved from a scientific curiosity to a real threat, one that will affect every human on the planet. As more and more evidence of our own collective climate ignorance comes to light, this problem is not something one country, organization, or group can fix. It will take everyone collectively working together that will truly make the difference. As Vincent Van Gogh says “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” Don’t underestimate small actions, even committing to just one thing over time can make a huge difference. I’ve outlined four tips below that can help you lighten your carbon load.  

Measure it

The first step toward changing any habit, action etc. is to first understand its outcome. Most people [myself included] do many things every day on autopilot becoming so used to the habit or action that we don’t even think about it. We lose sight of the consequences of our actions, and while those outcomes may not be bad, it’s hard to change anything without first knowing what those actions produce. This ignorance is further complicated when products and services feed on this vulnerability. Most people have no idea how much water or electricity they use on a daily bases because their consequence is hidden behind wires and pipes. The saying “what gets measured, gets managed.” is very true in this case. You can’t change an action no matter how small until you can understand its results. This is the first and most important step in lowering your carbon footprint- understanding the consequences of your actions.  

Meatonomics

It’s been said that the single most carbon-intensive thing people do is drive a car. While yes driving does produce carbon emissions [13% Globally], it doesn’t even come close to the impact livestock have on the environment.  The meat and dairy industry are by far and away the heaviest offenders of climate change for 55% of all greenhouse emissions come from livestock and their byproducts. Not to mention the deforestation, land, and water use livestock consume through their lifecycle. In fact, if you cut out meat and dairy completely from your diet, you would produce 50% fewer carbon emissions. All from a seemingly small dietary adjustment. That’s pretty mind-blowing. Does this mean everyone should cut meat from their diet? No. They’re plenty of people that love meat and that’s totally fine, not everyone will or should go vegan. This really comes down to watching how much you consume. Even if you cut out meat once or twice a week, that small step can make a huge difference overall.

Less wheel time

Driving is probably the most well-known contributor to global emissions. While it’s easy to say “just don’t drive”, it’s a lot harder pill to swallow, especially for Americans. So much of our modern day life and infrastructure is based around cars, it’s hard not to find solutions without people feeling like they are losing their freedom. As autonomous and electric vehicles do have the potential to cut transport emissions drastically, mainstream use is still a ways off. And as good as these technologies are, they won’t be the saving grace of the industry. I think it will take every person collectively making deliberate decisions to transform our current habits. The great thing is, there are options, and that list is growing constantly. Personal electric devices are starting to change the way we move especially within cities as electric bikes, scooters, and longboards are making it easier for people to get around without breaking a sweat. As transportation needs vary from person to person, the best questions to ask is, what are my own needs and options? Can I take mass transit, carpool, walk, ride a bike, scooter etc? Choosing other forms of greener transport, just once or twice a week can make a big difference in helping lighten the emissions load. 

Harness those electrons

Another big player contributing to global emissions is electricity. Not all electricity is created equal, as their energy sources vary greatly throughout the world. For example, where I live about 40% of my energy comes from renewable sources, more specifically hydropower from dams.[which carries its own environmental costs that I won’t get into in this article] And for many other areas in the world, renewable numbers are much lower. There are things we can do though. One is energy credits. Many power companies have green programs where you can “buy” green energy credits that essentially offset your current usage while investing in renewable projects. If your power provider doesn’t have any green programs, there are many good alternatives options out there. One of my favorites is from Sunport. It’s a small smart outlet that works just like any other smart plug except it allows you to use 100% solar energy in the form of green energy credits. There are many other ways you can save on energy, for example, switching to LED light bulbs reduces your power usage by 75% when compared to incandescent lighting. Another thing I like to do is use small solar panels to charge most of my small electronics including my phone. As the options are almost endless on saving those precious electrons, nothing can beat just unplugging.

This is by no means an exhaustive examination of things we can do to slow climate change for the list is long and continues to grow. While some will go to great lengths to lower their footprint, others will be more conservative, and that’s fine. There is no right or wrong answer here so remember, no matter what you choose to do even small changes can make a huge impact over time.