Climate change is an issue that is hanging like a sword above all of our heads. The planet is suffering due to the rising level of carbon pollution. We must try to reduce our carbon footprint to reduce some pressure on the environment. Let us look at 8 ways to do so.
Reduce your Driving
Ditch your car and walk or ride a bike whenever possible. Carpool to work or school and choose public transport as much as you can. Simple steps like that help in cutting down CO2 emissions significantly by spreading them out over many riders.
Reduce Water Usage
You can reduce your water consumption by washing your car less often, installing drip irrigation to ensure that the plants receive only the amount they need and using climate-appropriate plants at your home. You must make water-efficient choices when you purchase bathroom and kitchen fixtures such as shower heads, dishwashers, faucet heats, etc. I
Reuse and Recycle
When you make any product from scratch, you have to use a lot of energy on extracting resources, manufacturing them, packaging and transporting them. You can help in reducing the carbon footprint by using recycled products and reusing goods such as plastic bottles and glass containers.
Use Alternative Sources of Energy
You can increase your use of alternative sources of energy like wind and solar. Moreover you can reduce your consumption of fossil fuels by using alternative sources of energy. Use wind, hydro, solar and geothermal energy and try to advocate about the same.
Light Up Differently
Switch your light bulbs at home with light emitting diodes (LED). One LED helps in reducing up to 2000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution during its lifetime. Therefore, by switching every light bulb with them you can drastically reduce the amount of electricity required to light up your house. Imagine what would happen if every house in the country did that!
Read the News Thoughtfully
There has been an ongoing debate of whether consuming news digitally is actually better than its print cousin. It has been said that reading the news digitally helps in saving trees as you no longer have to cut them to make paper, however, at the same time it has been argued that even surfing the web expends various amounts of energy depending on the device being used. The best way to go about it is to be mindful of how you choose to get your news. If you prefer print, recycle your papers instead of throwing them out. If you like the digital medium, opt for an unplugged laptop instead of a plugged-in device for the majority of your browsing time.
Telecommute and Teleconference
Telecommuting is the practice of doing work remotely using the internet instead of fighting against the traffic to do the same work in an office. More and more companies are encouraging their employees to telecommute as it is quite effective. Long gone are the days when companies would send their employees to long distances via flights just to attend one meeting. It’s a waste of time and burdens the environment with huge amounts of CO2. Cut down a few trips and teleconference instead. You can’t completely reduce your CO2 footprint through these practices, but as they say — something is better than nothing.
Plant a tree
Sounds obvious, but it is still one of the most efficient ways to slashing your carbon footprint. Trees not only provide shade and oxygen but also consume carbon dioxide. According to Urban Forestry Network, a single young tree is responsible for absorbing 13 pounds of carbon dioxide every year. As the tree grows, this amount adds up to 48 pounds. A 10 year old tree releases enough oxygen to support two human beings. So, go ahead and plant more trees!
By making smart and informed decisions such like recycling waste will go a long way in making the planet a little greener.
Author Bio
Erich Lawson is passionate about saving environment by effective recycling. He has written a wide array of articles on how modern recycling equipments can be used by industries to reduce monthly garbage bills and increase recycling revenue. You can learn more about environment savings techniques by visiting Northern California Compactors, Inc blog
