15 Oct 10 Simple Ways to Diminish Your Carbon Footprint
We talk a lot about reducing our carbon footprints, but what are you doing to actively diminish the negative impact you leave on our planet?
There are a lot of ways to go about it, and in small increments, you can leave a positive difference on our planet.
Here are 10 smart and easy ways to diminish your carbon footprint.
1. Turn off your lights.
Turning off your lights when yore not using them, or when you exit the room, can save you a lot of money on energy consumption. Be cognizant whenever you leave an area.
2. Say no to urban sprawl.
Urban sprawl is essentially the uncontrolled growth of urban areas. Over 80% of North Americans live in urban areas, and it leads to us being dependent on cars to get to where we need to go, like work. The best way to counter is this to choose to move to a place that’s within a 30-minute walk, bike, or bus ride to the places you frequent most (work, school, shopping).
Taking the bike or bus are also good alternatives when you’re not moving anytime soon.
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3. Maintain your car.
Maintain up-keep of your car to ensure that you’re not wasting oil or expelling unnecessary fumes. Keeping it tuned up and running efficiently will reduce your carbon footprint. On top of that, make sure to routinely replace your oil, air, and fuel filters, and keep your tires properly inflated. That latter point can save around 400 to 700 pounds of CO2 per year.
4. Travel like a pro.
If you live far away from your work place, carpooling is a great alternative. Walking, bussing, or cycling are also good ways to get to and from!
5. Eat wisely.
Instead of purchasing from big box grocery stores, pick foods that are local, organic, and seasonal.
6. Reuse, reduce, recycle.
As we’ve been taught over and over, always reuse and recycle. roughly 29% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions stem from unnecessary waste. Reduce your carbon footprint by bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store, or reuse mason jars.
7. Change your lightbulbs.
Switch up your lightbulbs and use compact fluorescent bulbs to reduce CO2 pollution and energy costs.
8. Use a laptop over a desktop.
Laptops are designed to be energy-efficient as the batteries are built to last long, and can be almost 80% more energy-efficient than a desktop set-up.
9. Be smart about how you get your news.
The debate between print and digital news has existed ever since the internet, but both have the potential to cause damage to the environment. So, be sure to recycle your papers, or use an unplugged laptop while you browse the news.
10. Grow your own food!
One of the easiest change to make is to grow your own food! With an Urban Cultivator Residential, you can grow healthy, fresh, organic produce 365 days a year.
Many people are concerned over how much energy you would have to use on each machine, but it only costs around $10 per year.
It’s the next level of eating wisely.
Do you have any tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint? Let us know in the comments section below!