Global warming has caused major changes on Earth, such as extreme weather, rising sea levels, the loss of forests, and the extinction of species. But by making little, more sustainable changes in our community, we can all do our part to slow down global warming. Here are some strategies to combat climate change and even support a just, eco-friendly economy!
Going vegan can reduce your carbon footprint more than switching to a vegetarian diet. A University of Oxford study found that your footprint can be cut by a third just by eating less meat instead of more. We could cut carbon emissions by 66 gigatons if half of the world’s people stopped eating meat and stopped the deforestation caused by agriculture.
Reduce food waste
The majority of the food that is thrown out in the United Kingdom is either spoiled before it can be consumed or spoiled before it can be purchased. This occurs most frequently in households and retail establishments. According to the findings of a survey conducted by the NRDC, Americans throw away up to forty per cent of the food they buy.
We can stop food from going to waste by only buying what we need, composting food scraps, eating leftovers, and giving extra food to food banks. Project Drawdown says that cutting down on food waste could save a huge 70.5 gigatons of CO2. That is even more than if 435 million acres of tropical forest were brought back to their original state.
Make Use Of Green Energy
In order to power the planet as we transition away from fossil fuels, renewable energy is essential. Clean Energy Victory Bonds, a bill proposed to Congress by Reps. Lofgren (D-CA), Sen. Udall (D-NM), and Rep. Matsui (D-CA) would sell Treasury bonds as cheap as $25 to fund the government’s clean energy initiatives. They would be modelled after Second World War “war bonds.”
Ask your elected officials to support this legislation so that Clean Energy Victory Bonds can be issued. Additionally, you can connect to renewable utilities like Arcadia Power and Clean Choice Energy and buy renewable energy via installers like RGS Energy and Blue Pacific Solar, which doesn’t require you to install any new gear in your home to obtain solar and wind power.
Recycle and spend less
When gaining new resources, like when clearing forests or mining minerals, more resources are depleted; for example, it takes 95% less energy to make recycled aluminium products than it does to make new ones. About half of the materials that are recycled are done so at home. If that number went up to 65%, 2.8 gigatons of carbon emissions could be avoided.
The classic money-saving adage is to choose to buy less or none at all. The three Rs — Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle — now include “refuse”. Additionally, by not purchasing, you reduce the quantity of waste you put in landfills. Resources such as footprintcalculator.org can help you assess your current ecological footprint and provide you with practical options for change, such as purchasing less.
Take part in democratic processes and support climate change
On local, national, and global scales, climate change has effects. While the typical person isn’t in charge of running a country, they are of choosing who does. Vote for a climate activist, back comprehensive climate measures, and contact politicians with your citizen’s voices when you disagree. How you and your elected officials handle catastrophic climate change depends on who you vote for.
Divest
Fossil fuels are the main source of greenhouse gas emissions. Divesting entails withdrawing your funds from organizations that support the development of fossil fuels, which could eventually cause financing for those initiatives to dry up. By institutional divestments and 58,000 individual divestments, the fossil fuel divestment campaign has so far taken $9.94 trillion from fossil fuel businesses and brought in $5.2 billion.
Improving insulation and using LED lighting
Improved insulation is among the most affordable and widely available strategies to tackle climate catastrophe. Up to 35% of the heat within older homes can escape through the walls. Modern insulation lowers the amount of energy required to heat a house, which lowers emissions and lowers heating costs. 8.3 gigatons of emissions might be reduced if 50% of buildings were better insulated.
Compared to incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lights, LEDs (light-emitting diodes) consume 90% less energy. By converting electrons into photons, they are able to produce light while avoiding the energy-wasting production of heat. Changing to LED lights will lower your cooling costs. Additionally, they outlast other bulbs, thus choosing them will result in long-term savings. LED adoption could reduce carbon emissions significantly.
Reconsider Transportation for the sake of climate change
One billion acres of regenerative agriculture might reduce as much CO2 as a complete overhaul of the world’s commercial and personal transportation systems. More than all the emissions from airlines combined, commercial trucks alone are responsible for 6% of global emissions. Using public transportation, driving electric vehicles, and limiting the number of trips we take overall can help in reducing carbon emissions.
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