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.
I’ve been using Arcadia Power since it was released and I find that it makes me more aware of my energy consumption. It’s good because it makes you think of ways in order to consume less.
Really? I’m going to try too. Is it updated real time? It might also help me save money.
Everybody should go vegan cause reducing meat consumption is not enough. ALL animal products are bad for the environment, and it is estimated that between 18% to 54% of all greenhouse emissions are from the animal agriculture.
This is the sort of stuff that should be trending. Too bad a lot of people don’t even believe in climate change anymore…
I told my friends that we as a society should stop eating as much meat they replied saying “if we aren’t supposed to eat meat why do cows exist?” they actually argued with me about this…
nothings going to change because people are ignorant and greedy and so eventually the human race will wipe itself out due to their own ignorance. people are going to continue living the way that they do and the planet will rebuild itself after we’re gone.
It’s pretty impossible to do this in Florida. No recycling, it’s too hot to walk because everything is far away, and if you turn the AC down, you suffocate in your sleep.
Honestly, if people stopped using cars when they didn’t need them and rode a bike instead (when it’s not too far away) then we would help climate change so much, and obesity levels will drop faster than my grades. There should be laws on how senselessly we use our vehicles.
Climate change won’t ruin the world, after maybe 1000 years of global warming the Earth will adapt like it has done many times before. But humans… Us humans will have a problem.
Recycling and awareness is what I do the most out of all of the things that can be done to help the environment. Unfortunately I work in a big city so driving everywhere is pretty much necessary.
Plant trees, adopt a vegan diet, don’t ever travel by plane, grow a garden, start a compost pile, reuse your urine on said garden and compost pile, ride a bike or walk to places you need to go, use energy-efficient appliances and electronics, invest in green technology.