Climate Change: Can You Help Reduce Its Effects?
Climate change has started to impact our planet in many ways. Temperatures are rising, icebergs are melting, and cities are getting washed away. The changes in the precipitation patterns have never been seen before, and the effects are proving to be disastrous. It’s a huge developmental issue that exacerbates poverty and threatens economic growth. Some of the main causes of climate change include pollution, vehicle emissions, and manufacturing waste.
We can do many things to fight this change—it’s our responsibility to save the environment and act against these horrible changes so that we can preserve the planet for future generations.
From putting a price on carbon to shifting towards using organic cotton mesh bags, here’s how you can reduce the effects of climate change:
Switch your commute
People drive to work every single day—it’s an unavoidable part of life in this modern society. Unfortunately, this convenient mode of transportation comes at a cost. Millions of cars emit dangerous greenhouse gases, which end up destroying the atmosphere. One of the top causes of climate change is vehicle emissions.
Apart from ruining the environment, air pollution from exhaust fumes can seriously threaten public health. There have been links between air pollution and an increased risk of developing dementia and an increased risk to the health of babies that are still in the womb. According to research, poor air quality is associated with more than 30,000 deaths in the U.S, as well as decreased life expectancy.
There are many other options that you can take advantage of to make your daily commute a little bit eco-friendlier. You can take public transportation such as buses or trains to cut down on emissions. If you want to go even greener, and if it’s a safe and viable option, you can also ride a bike to work! It’s great for the environment and can help you get your daily exercise without putting aside extra hours to go to the gym.
If it’s unavoidable for you to drive, you can look into trading your petrol or diesel car for a hybrid or electric model. Many companies also rent out electric cars in case you need one for a short time.
Once you’re behind the wheel, there are still many ways that you can help the environment. Switch the engine off as soon as you park, and make sure that your tires are pumped with the oxygen sensors in good working condition. This can increase your car’s efficiency and fuel mileage by up to 40%!
Conserve energy
If you want to prevent pollution, it’s time to shift towards becoming more energy efficient. Power plants expend a lot of energy to provide electricity to homes—cutting down on your energy usage can lead to a decrease in the emission of greenhouse gases.
There are many things that you can do to conserve energy in your household—turn off any lights when you’re leaving a room, unplug your devices when they’re not in use, and replace all your light bulbs with high-quality energy-efficient bulbs to help you cut down on your electricity bills.
If you live in a colder area, you can put on a few extra layers of clothing, turn the heating down by a few degrees to save energy, and buy a showerhead that’s water-efficient to change how you use your hot water.
Take things a few steps further by ensuring that your building has draught-proofed doors and windows, your walls have proper insulation, and that there isn’t any unnecessary flow of air between the indoor and outdoor areas. If you live on rent, you can lobby the landlord to ensure that their property adheres to certain rules and regulations.
Vote!
It’s important to play an active role in changing the world beyond your personal sphere. Help people who fight against climate change by voting for politicians and legislation that help the environment and fight against the negative effects of climate change.
Many corporations with political connections lobby against any legislation that would impose more regulations on their industry processes. Voting to get the right people into positions of power can help them pass helpful legislation that can help people fight against large corporations—the main perpetrator behind climate change.
Recycle
Manufacturing plants produce a huge amount of greenhouse gases every year. It’s an unavoidable side effect of producing goods used daily; however, investing in green alternatives such as recycling is much more helpful.
Recycling can reduce the number of harmful gases produced in the manufacturing process in an eco-friendly and cost-effective manner. Collect your waste plastic, glass, paper, and electronics and take them to a recycling center in your area. Recycling professionals will take the items to another processing plant to be remade into different recyclable materials.
Eat less dairy and meat
One of the best ways that you can reduce your environmental impact on this planet is by avoiding dairy and meat products. According to studies, a diet that has more fiber and plants is a lot better for your health, so it’s a win for both you and your environment,
If you don’t want to switch to veganism, you can try controlling the amount of meat and dairy you ingest in your everyday life. Go for smaller or fewer portions of red meat and switch to non-dairy alternatives—cattle farming has a huge environmental impact that’s supported by unhealthy diet choices.
You can also go for seasonal, fresh produce that’s locally grown to reduce your carbon footprint. Prolonged refrigeration, preservation, and transportation are extremely harmful to the planet, especially over long distances and for longer periods of time.
Stop flying
Instead of flying to another country or state for a corporate meeting, take advantage of modern technology and have a video conference instead. If you need to travel to the same continent or country, consider taking the train or an electric car. You can also pay a little extra to offset any carbon emissions if your flight is unavoidable.
If you’re going on a trip for leisure, try exploring options that are closer to home. You might be pleasantly surprised at the beauty and culture you can find in your own country! You can also opt for economy class flights to cut down on carbon emissions—a business class passenger has three times the carbon footprint of an economy class passenger.
Protect green spaces
Gardens and parks are some examples of green spaces that need to be protected. These important areas decrease the level of carbon dioxide in the air, which helps decrease air pollution. They’re also great for regulating the temperature by causing a cooling effect in overheated urban cities and reducing flood risks by absorbing rainwater. Green spaces are essential habitats for various amphibians, birds, animals, and insects as well.
The general public can also benefit from green spaces in a variety of ways. According to research, green spaces are associated with decreased stress and symptoms of depression.
If you want to support the growth and expansion of green spaces, start planting trees! Even a single tree in your garden can make a difference in the long run. Create a beautiful green space in your home by placing potted plants on your balcony or windowsill, and don’t replace the natural grass in your garden with artificial turf.
You can help conserve and protect green spaces such as community gardens, ponds, and parks by supporting different organizations and volunteering to create a happier, healthier community.
Invest responsibly
You need to know where your money’s going. Don’t be afraid of voicing your concerns! Write to your pension provider or bank and ask to opt out of any funds that invest in fossil fuels. There are many ethical banks that you can work with instead.
Many large corporates, pension funds, and banks hold investments in a variety of companies that dig up fossil fuels. Fortunately, there is a growing consideration regarding responsible investment, which weighs the governance, social, and environmental factors before investing money.
Encourage others to use renewable energy
Renewable energy is an absolute must in the modern world. Almost everything that we own relies on electricity in some shape or form. The world is running out of natural resources such as coal, gas, and oil, and it’s time to stop digging up these greenhouse gas-producing materials.
Inform others about the benefits of using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels to sway them into investing in this resource. You can also talk about the financial benefits of investing in things like solar panels for your home! Large solar panels in sunny areas can reduce your utility bill by a significant percentage—some homes can even function solely from the power produced by their solar panels.
Cut waste and consumption
Everything that you use as a consumer leaves a carbon footprint. Stay away from fast fashion and single-use items—don’t buy anything more than what you need! Explore second-hand stores to find quality items that you can repurpose or reuse for a long time. You can take advantage of your purchasing power by investing in brands that share your morals and values.
Unfortunately, modern society is obsessed with buying the newest models and following the latest trends. Don’t be afraid of repairing and reusing! If your favorite shirt tore at the sleeve, patch it up—learning how to repair items is an important skill that can help you save money in the long run.
If you have any items you don’t want to keep anymore, you can give them new life by selling or donating them—maybe someone else can find some use for them. It’s a much better future for your items than ending up in a landfill.
Food Waste
You should also avoid wasting your food as much as possible. Take only as much as you know you will eat, and save any leftovers in the fridge for the next meal. Also make sure you only buy what you plan on using; 40 percent of all food ends up getting binned.
Thousands of pounds of food end up getting thrown away every year because people don’t like reheating their food. You can also provide feedback to brands to let them know if you believe they’re using too much plastic or paper packaging—some companies tend to take their feedback more seriously than others.
Spread awareness
Educating yourself and others about the impact and causes of climate change is extremely important. There are many different platforms that you can use for this cause! Spread the message through social media or simply by word of mouth. Have intellectual debates with your friends and family and get them thinking about their lifestyle and choices.
The best battles are fought with a pen—you can protect the planet by spreading awareness and education about switching to a greener lifestyle to prevent climate change and its dangerous impact.
Buy Eco-friendly reusable bags
500 billion plastic bags are used every year, with over a million bags being used per minute. This is extremely damaging to our environment. Plastic bags are extremely costly and difficult to recycle, with most of them ending up in landfills where they can take up to 300 years to biodegrade. Once they degrade, their toxic particles seep into the soil and contaminate the waterways and soil, eventually becoming a part of the food chain after getting ingested by animals.
Plastic bags are also one of the top items to pollute coastlines around the world. Sea creatures and animals are killed or hurt every single day because of discarded bags. Every plastic bag that ends up getting washed down the drain when it rains eventually ends up in the sea.
If you’re looking for a more environmentally-friendly option for when you’re going on a shopping trip, Sammy Shopping Bags has got you covered!
They provide stylish, high-quality, and multipurpose shopping bags to help save the environment. Their bags are recyclable and reusable and can be disposed of without harming the environment in any way. Visit their online store to shop for their reusable grocery bags, or reach out to them today to find out more about their products.