“The climate crisis is both the easiest and the hardest issue we have ever faced,” says Greta Thunberg. For us, it’s the easiest because we can take action and change things in our daily routine. And it’s the hardest because sometimes changing them is not that easy because it’s mainly about changing our mindset. So let’s start from the beginning: What can we do to stop the climate crisis?
We’ve rounded up 10 ways we can help reduce the climate crisis and transform our mindset into a more sustainable one. The way we heat our houses, the way we cook, the food we eat, the stuff we buy: there’s a lot to do. And the good news is that actions can be taken easily. Ready to see how you can mitigate the climate crisis? Keep reading.
What can we do about the climate crisis? 10 ways to help reduce it
The consequences of climate change are pretty known (link a artículo 6):
- A rise in sea levels
- More severe and frequent storms and natural disasters
- More extreme weather (heatwaves and cold spells)
- More severe droughts
- Threatening floods
- More frequent fires
- Heatwaves that put health at risk
Those are just some of the effects that the climate crisis already has caused on our planet and in our lives. It affects us but at the same time, we’re the ones that contribute to it. For instance, in the United States, on average, the production of carbon per year reaches 21 tons, about 4 times the global average.
Although you might think that those numbers can only be changed if the entire world takes action, the truth is, as with other stuff in life, we should start with ourselves first. So what can you do to reduce the climate crisis? Here are 10 things you can do easily.
1. What’s on your dish, makes a difference
Reduce consumption of meat and dairy products or, if you want to go big, leave them completely behind. Following a plant-based diet is better for your health and for the planet because the process of making meat and dairy products means tons of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. More or less 10% of U.S. energy is used for growing, processing, packaging, and shipping food and 40% of it goes to waste in landfills.
Just in case you’re not ready to move entirely to a plant-based diet, you can start by reducing the amount of meat you eat. You can choose non-dairy options too and mix them with the dairy ones.
You can also go with alternatives that can really help both your health and Earth:
- Buy fresh, seasonal products that are grown locally so you support the reduction of transportation, preservation, and prolonged refrigeration and, thus, carbon emissions.
- Grow your own vegetables. You’ll be able to manage the type of pesticides or fertilizers that are in contact with your food. Plus, the vegetables that grow in your yard have more nutrients than the ones you buy in the supermarket.
- Leave meat behind at least one day per week. If you do this, the amount of carbon footprint you’ll reduce yearly is equivalent to not driving your car for a month.
- Plan your meals. Whenever possible, plan ahead so you avoid fast food, and choose wisely what will be on your dish. For instance, the carbon footprint of one single cheeseburger is equivalent to nine falafels in pita.
- Don’t waste food and recycle it by, for example, turning it into compost. Compost also helps by improving soil health and mitigating the effects of droughts.
2. Make some noise in your community
You can spark a conversation with members of your local government. You can offer them ideas and research about green spaces, roads, cycling infrastructure, and even waste, recycling, and energy efficiency. Ideas you bring to your government’s table might help with other issues like job creation, public health, and inequality. Joining a social movement or campaign that’s doing something like that in your community is a good idea too.
Another good way is to spark a conversation with your friends and family. Always take into account that you should have positive conversations and not confrontational ones so they’re more open to hearing what you have to say.
If you’re looking for some input to start those discussions, download our app. It’s available for Android and iOS.
3. If you have other choices, don’t fly
By 2050, 25% of all emissions could be from flying. Sometimes traveling isn’t necessary. For instance, can’t that work meeting be done virtually instead of having to fly from one place to another? And sometimes flying can be replaced with other transport options like a train or an electric car.
Let’s explore this last sentence with an example: one single journey from London to Paris by plane produces 59 kg of carbon dioxide while a train generates 2 kg. Plus it also costs less and it takes you 3 hours to get there instead of almost 5.
If you have no chance, then there are still other things you can do:
- Go with destinations that are near you.
- Fly economy instead of business class. Someone that flies in business class has a carbon footprint that’s 300% higher than someone that chooses economy.
- Choose non-stop flights.
- Investigate airlines before buying your ticket. Some of them are committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and flying with more efficient planes. Plus, they can also support greenhouse gases reduction by flying with fewer or no empty seats.
4. Choose other alternatives instead of driving your car
Using cars means contributing not only to greenhouse gas emissions, but also to air pollution which is a great issue in terms of human health too. For instance, it can have an impact on the health of unborn babies and even increase the risk of dementia. Plus, in the United States, air pollution is connected to more than 30,000 deaths per year, and life expectancy is reduced.
Instead of driving, there are other options you can choose: take public transport, walk, ride a bike, or car-sharing.
But if not getting into your car isn’t an option for you, there are still other things you can do. For example: you can drive smoothly, make sure that your tires are fully pumped, control your oxygen sensors so they’re in good order. This can improve the car's fuel mileage by 3% and efficiency by up to 40%. Also switch off your engine when you park, and change your car for a more efficient one like an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.
5. Reduce the energy that you use at home
By making your house more energy-efficient you’ll not only help reduce the climate crisis, but you’ll also reduce your bills too. Let’s continue: What can we do to reduce the climate crisis from home? Well, take note of these actions that will make a huge difference:
- Switch your gas stove for an electric stove. This will also help reduce indoor air pollution.
- When you’re not using your TV and other electronic devices, unplug them. Did you know that the fact that there are people not unplugging them adds up to the output of 50 large power plants in the United States? You should also turn off the lights when you don’t need them.
- Wash your clothes in cold water and air-dry your clothes whenever it’s possible for you.
- Change your furnace to a heat pump that will extract heat from one place and take it into another.
- Replace your light bulbs with LEDs or other lower-energy lights.
- Choose only Energy-Star-labeled appliances.
- Winterize your home by retrofitting insulation so you make sure that heat and cool don’t escape during the different seasons.
- In winter, use an extra layer of clothes instead of heating too much. By doing so, you can reduce the heating at your house by a degree or two.
- Analyze how you’re using hot water and make changes to be more water-efficient.
- If you’re moving, check that the next property you’ll live at is energy-efficient.
6. Make sure that you’re not wasting water
Yes, reducing the waste of water contributes to reducing carbon pollution. How does this work? Well, it’s mainly because it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat the water you’re using at home. It’s said by the EPA that about 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity would be saved each year if just one out of every 100 U.S. homes were retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures.
You can also help by taking shorter showers, turning off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth, and choosing fixtures and appliances that have the Water Sense label on them.
7. Are you sure that you need to throw that away?
Per day, 4.5 pounds of trash is the average that one single person generates in the United States. Trash means more landfills releasing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, just like we’ve seen in a recent article (link a artículo 5).
But not everything that you don’t need anymore has to end up in a landfill. You can recycle or compost your trash whenever it’s possible. In 2014, by doing so, we saved carbon emissions equivalent to the output of 38 million passenger cars in one year.
So the key here is that you make sure that you’re buying things that you can recycle or compost.
You can also check with your local government about the recycling policies they’re implementing as you might find some support there like recycling bins next to your home or some recycling guidelines that you can follow.
Of course, the first thing we should all mind is reducing what we buy. But we’ll explore that shortly.
8. Green spaces are valuable for reducing climate change, respect and protect them
Parks and gardens: it doesn’t matter how big they are, they all play an important role in absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the levels of air pollution. Plus, green spaces are connected to improving human health by, for example, lowering the levels of stress. This is known as forest therapy or shinrin-yoku, and works even with plants at home.
Keep in mind that green spaces can also support making overheated urban areas cooler, providing important habitats for a wide variety of insects and animals, and even reducing flood risk.
But how do they help with floods? It’s quite simple: they absorb surface rainwater.
What can you do to prevent climate change in terms of green spaces?
- You can plant a tree. Check with your local government about the type of tree you should plant if you’re thinking about doing this in a public area. You should also check with a professional if you’re thinking about doing this at home because not every tree might be the right one for your place. Plus, they will also tell you what place in your garden is the best for your tree. Keep in mind that it must be a native species.
- Build your own green space. Even if you live in an apartment, you can do it on your balcony or your window sill. If you have an outdoor space, don’t cover the grass with paving or artificial turf.
- Join local organizations to protect and conserve green spaces such as community gardens or local parks.
9. Choose wisely where to invest your money and where it’s already being used
The first step is to check out where your money goes. This means that you should ask yourself some questions like: is your bank responsible for the environment? Do they have any program that supports, for example, sustainability? Are they investing in funds connected to fossil fuels? Note that some banks, pension funds, and big corporations are also linked to investments in fossil fuel companies.
If they’re doing so, then you should start researching more ethical banks. There are also a number of ‘ethical banks’ you can investigate. It’s important that you do some research and choose the option that’s taking action for the environment. And it’s not a small number, the number of banks and corporations that are getting involved with this is growing.
10. Put fewer things in your shopping cart
By now you should know that everything we use as consumers has a carbon footprint. Some stuff has more and other stuff has less but all of them contribute to climate change. So here are some actions you can embrace to help:
- Leave single-use items and fast fashion behind. Go with options like second-hand products or products that have more quality so they last for more time.
- Don’t buy more than you need.
- Choose brands that are sustainable and align with your green purpose.
- Minimize waste. If something is broken, try to repair it instead of throwing it away instantly.
- Donate items that you don’t want anymore to charity or sell them to other people.
- If your selected brands are using too much packaging, let them know.
- Focus on activities that fulfill your well-being more than buying and consuming things. For example: spending time in nature and being with your friends and family.
Now the question “What can you do to mitigate the climate crisis?” is answered. But there’s still a community of nature lovers that’s waiting for you: us. At Lemu we take the climate crisis and global warming seriously and want to help make a change in the world.
Download our app and explore the wonders of Earth while you support its environmental protection. It’s available for Android and iOS.
