A recent New York Times climate forward email discussed the result on greenhouse gas emissions if everyone in the US reduced the number of miles traveled in their cars. In 2017, light-duty vehicles in the US (cars, SUVs, pickups, etc.) produced about one-fifth of the country’s total emissions footprint. The email suggested that if each person reduced the number of miles they drive each year by 10 percent, the result would be similar to taking 28 coal-fired power plants offline for a year. The article also pointed out that more than one-third of all car trips are less than two miles. In many areas of the US, it isn’t practical to live without a car, as public transportation options are not available and distances to work and school are farther than practical walking distance. However, you can reduce how many miles you drive your car. Here are some ideas for reducing the use of your car:
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Recycling is important, but it’s also very important to recycle correctly. An entire batch of recyclable material can be ruined for reuse if prohibited items or garbage get mixed in. The machinery at the sorting facility can be jammed by materials that it’s not designed to handle. Food residue can drip or smear on paper or cardboard, preventing it from being recycled. Greasy cardboard (think pizza box) can ruin an entire batch of potentially recyclable cardboard. So, don’t sneak things into the recycling bins or put them in hoping that perhaps the recycler will find a use for it. Find out what your recycling service/facility will accept and then follow the rules. If you have curbside recycling, your recycler has likely provided information, or has information on their website, about what items they will accept and how to prepare them for recycling. If you go to a drop-off station, signs on the bins will tell you the rules. Here’s a link to a great article on recycling plastic, how to recycle it and how sorting facilities work.
http://apps.npr.org/plastics-recycling Many people are reducing the amount of animal protein they eat or adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. Protein is essential for a healthy body so if you are cutting back on animal protein you will want to pay more attention to your diet choices. Check some health websites to see how much protein you need based on your age and activity level. Then check how much protein is in the various foods you eat. And eat a wide variety of healthy foods to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need. Here are some thoughts if you are significantly reducing the levels of meat and animal products in your diet:
I see many articles and blog posts that state that if “everyone” made a certain change in their lifestyle, it would be the best thing to save the earth or to reduce climate change. However, each of those articles describes a different change, ranging from becoming a vegan to ending use of plastics to implementing zero waste. So what is the best thing for you to do? It’s the thing(s) that you WILL do. Making any sort of earth-friendly lifestyle change is better than thinking about making a change. If you choose something that you really don’t want to do, then you won’t. If you choose to make a change that will be easy or fun for you, you are likely to continue that lifestyle change and then look for another change you can make. Also, you can choose to make many small lifestyle changes of all types (see past topics in my blog for lots of ideas) rather than one big change. Explore the various options for reducing your impact on the earth and implement the ones that will work for you. Start simple and tackle the hard stuff when you are ready.
Some zero-waste households have reduced the waste they send to the landfill in a year to the amount that will fit in single quart-size glass jar. However, not all of us are ready or able to fully embrace zero waste as a goal. You may have a disability or medical condition that requires disposable equipment or supplies. You may want to try one thing at a time or spread your time and energy across multiple sustainability efforts including energy reduction or habitat restoration. We can use ideas from the zero-waste movement to reduce the waste that we send to the landfill. An internet search on zero waste will provide thousands of ideas. Here are a few general thoughts to get you started:
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