I know, I know. You already recycle and avoid straws, and still, saving the world sounds like a whole lotta pressure! I mean, we’ve all got a lot of other stuff to worry about — like building our careers and figuring out which restaurant to book tonight. But still, as caring people we def want to help. We just don’t want it to use up too much of our already tight schedule. Is that really too much to ask??
For those of us who are (currently) too busy to carve out volunteer-time, here are 5 effective ways to help save the planet, and give the next generation a better future:
GET CLEAN
US electrical power is largely generated by fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas — all terrible polluters and big contributors to climate change). Thankfully, most people have the option of switching from dirty energy to clean, renewable sources. It’s easy! Just check out Arcadia Power. We used them to switch from dirty to clean energy and with 5 minutes of effort it dramatically reduced our carbon footprint while keeping our bills roughly the same.
FREE MONEY!
Ok, I thought that’d get your attention. I’ll tell you how to get free coin, but it’s not for you to spend on another pair of pumps. It’s for you to donate. Here’s how it works: Sign up for a free hybrid checking/savings account at Radius Bank, and start earning interest on the money in your bank account. Unlike most other banks, which slowly drain your accounts via this-and-that fees, Radius puts money into your account by paying you 17x the national interest rate on checking accounts. At the end of the year, you can see how much interest you’ve earned and donate that amount to a charity aimed at helping save the planet.
MAKE A QUICK PHONE CALL (OR THREE)
One of the most effective ways to create change is to call politicians. They assume that for every phone call they receive, there are hundreds of their constituents who feel the same way but didn’t take the time to call. They know that getting re-elected means that they need to listen to what people like you want. Call and tell them!
Bringing change to environmental policies may require regulation combined with proper enforcement, or economic incentives like rewarding companies that focus on sustainability and organic products, instead of giving taxpayer subsidies to high-polluting corporations in oil and factory-farmed agriculture. Either way, widespread support is essential to get these politicians to act.
THINK BEFORE YOU BUY
Do you really need that extra pair of black boots? Probably not. Would the veggie burger be a better option than the beef burger? Definitely. After all, eating one less burger a week is the same as taking your car off of the road for 320 miles, and skipping steak for a week is the equivalent of not driving for almost 3 months! Forgoing meat also saves all of the resources that go into maintaining livestock. The world’s cows eat enough to feed 9 billion people. Approximately, 70% of deforestation of the Amazon is to provide land for cattle ranches and producing an 8 oz steak requires 900 gallons of water.
The biggest intervention people could make towards reducing their carbon footprints would not be to abandon cars, but to eat significantly less meat and dairy.
Every purchase you make has a cost to the planet, animals, and other people (including your future children!) Making the responsible choice gets easier the more you do it. Here are 5 ways to make ethical fashion choices, and this is why what you eat matters to the future of this planet. And since the oceans will have no fish left in them by 2050 if we don’t start making more sustainable choices, bust out the Seafood Watch app before you order to get a handle on which are the most responsible choices.
SELL OR DONATE, DON’T TOSS
Way too much furniture, clothing and appliances are tossed out in favor of something new. That’s all stuff that could be repaired or could prevent someone else from buying something new. Not to mention, well, the landfills (ie. the ocean!)
When my husband and I decided to try life in Europe, we donated all our furniture to charity. It saved us a lot of time and gave us a nice tax write-off. When I clean out my closet, I give the stuff I don’t want to charity. It takes a little more effort, but not much, and it makes me feel good to know that it’ll have another life with someone else.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but the most important thing to remember is that every choice you make has a direct impact on the planet and its inhabitants.
Not only going vegan help save the planet but other animals too. Not just cows or pigs or chicken, but ranchers are killing wild horses because “they’re taking the food from their livestock”. Just a little fact.
Should we treat the planet better? Yes. Do we have to do it immediately? No. In 2002 8.9% of the energy the United States generated came from renewable sources. In 2013 it was 12.87%. Things are getting better every year and even Trump can’t effect that world wide.
This is a huge issue and I wish people could take it more serious. I try to help the best, I walk to work and not drive I recycle or make something different out of it. Please try and help our planet people!!!!
I’ve been slowly making changes in life little by little. Nothing happens overnight. I bought a collapsible crate to put my shopping items in, no more plastic bags. I started up a recycle system for baby sister to learn this summer and quitting meat is something most people already do out of financial reasons. ?
We are on a living planet. The climate does change, but not because of humans. The planet has been through ice ages and extreme heat, and the idea that today’s “issue” is caused by the human race is completely bizarre.
Every little thing helps! On Earth day, someone in my community went around with flyers letting everyone know about the recycling bins, what colors go with what materials and whatnot– I didn’t even know we had recycling available! My family and I recycle literally everything we can now. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge and reminder. We can do it.
Earth is in no danger, humans are. We are so obsessed with ourselves that we think earth is actually linked to us while in reality humans are barely noticeable in the grand scheme of things. Earth has been through many many environmental destructions far worse than the current “climate change” and yet it still stands solid. The only predictable way “Earth” will die is when the sun is going to die, and that’s a fact. Now if you’re talking about our own survival that’s a whole different story, one which in the end may not include Earth at all…hopefully
Here is an idea of helping the earth! Let’s use hydrogen fuel instead of oil fuel. With hydrogen fuel, your vehicle will convert the hydrogen to water instead of carbon dioxide. This water would transport to it’s way to a nearby lake, ocean, pond (etc) which is part of the water cycle. If we need this to happen, we need companies to build hydrogen cars and hydrogen fuel stations for everyone around the globe for a better future. Also, hydrogen fuel is a big amount in our planet and we obtain it by separating the two elements from water/h2o, hydrogen and oxygen. 100% recyclable and guaranteed greater for earth. We might have to deal with it IN THE FUTURE because if we do it now, it might be unstable. We can make future improvements to our universe in order to make this happen. Right now, it just needs to wait. We can’t start straight forward.
Killing innocent animals for greed, killing our health, killing our planet, all for what? “Cheese taste good” “bacon tho?” ???
You do not have to kill a cow to make cheese, I freaking love cheese, even though it still involves animals ?
Hmmm… Calling politicians huh. That only works if we know mutual friends or colleagues!