Green Living: 6 Ways You Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Climate change is impacting the globe at an alarming rate and requires real effort from everyone in order to reverse its effects and save the environment.
It may seem inconsequential to you, but there are ways that you can do your part in making the world a better and safer place. By reducing your carbon footprint through green living, you can make a real difference!
Keep reading for six ways that you can contribute to helping the earth by becoming more environmentally conscious and reducing your carbon footprint.
What Is a Carbon Footprint?
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by daily actions. Your footprint can be calculated by analyzing your mileage, energy, spending, and diet. There are tools available such as the carbon footprint calculator to help you get an accurate depiction of your contributions to the environment.
1. Travel Smarter
Traveling is a way to take in the beauty of the world and explore other cultures, but it can also add to air pollution. That's why it's best to take trains or drive whenever possible instead of flying in airplanes. Flying is responsible for five percent of global warming and is on track to triple by the year 2050.
You can also travel smarter by using public transportation, biking, walking, and carpooling whenever possible around the city that you live in. Another way to travel smarter is by investing in an eco-friendly car which emits less greenhouse gases and air pollutants than traditional cars. You could fit these cars with lithium-iron batteries. A lithium-ion battery contains fewer toxic metals than other batteries, which can contain cadmium and lead. As a result, lithium-ion batteries are usually regarded as non-hazardous waste. You can check this article to know more about how this battery is leading the green energy change.
2. Consume Less Meat
Both beef and lamb emit large amounts of methane gas during their production due to them producing it while digesting foods.
Methane is responsible for ninety percent of greenhouse gas from farming, and it's been said that cutting down on meat consumption and even practicing a vegan or vegetation diet can reduce emissions by twenty percent.
If you do choose to eat meat, it's better to eat lean grass-fed kinds. This is because the animals are raised on less grains, are usually local, and contain healthy omega-3s.
3. Conserve Energy at Home
The simplest way to cut down your carbon footprint is to turn off lights and appliances at home when they aren't in use. Also, unplugging cellphone chargers, TVs, and even air conditioning units while you're away can make a positive impact on the environment.
While you are at home though, you can cut down on gaming and stream TV shows and movies through your TV instead of your game console. Gaming takes up a considerable amount of energy and the average gamer will use anywhere between five and 375 kWh per year.
You can also save energy by deciding to go solar and power your home by using the sun's energy instead of gas.
4. Recycle Properly
Recycling is great for the environment, but it's important to make sure that it's done correctly so the earth can reap its benefits.
Recycling is more than throwing things into your bin, it's also finding ways to reuse and donate items instead of trashing them. Look into ways that you can recycle old cell phones and laptops and keep your devices as long as you possibly can.
5. Reusable Water Bottles
Disposable water bottles take up large amounts of space in our landfills and seventeen million barrels of oil are needed to produce a year's worth of them.
Disposable water bottles may be convenient, but by using a water filtration system or a reusable water bottle you can help the environment. On an annual basis, America uses over fifty billion plastic bottles. One person using reusable bottles can help save 167 bottles in just one year.
6. Plant More Trees
Lastly, you can reduce your carbon footprint by planting more trees.
Planting trees helps to offset your footprint by using carbon sequestration which is the removal of carbon from the atmosphere through trees, shrubs, and organic soil. You can do this by simply planting one in your yard, community garden, or by joining a planting group.
Are You Ready to Start Your Green Living Journey?
Reducing your carbon footprint is easier than you think and it's important to do what you can to lower your footprint to reduce pollution, save wildlife, and decrease premature deaths.
We hope our list was helpful and that you picked up some new ways to do your part in saving the earth. After reading our recommendations do you feel ready to start your green living journey?
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