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.
Urbanette has a lot of avid readers and I hope they could all be enlightened to do the right thing.
I’m guilty of being always busy and I don’t think I can also do volunteering even in my spare time because that would be for resting and other activities. Changing my habits, especially my financial and shoping habits would be difficult but it’s worth trying. The challenge here is to change our priorities for a bigger cause. I was told by a mentor before that nobody is too busy for anything. We just don’t want to prioritize it or we don’t want to give time for it.
All we need is a little change in our behaviors and we can already help the environment. It’s very easy if you look at it that way. ?
I don’t understand why others won’t even lift a finger about doing something for the environment. It’s also for us!
Yeah, me too. It could be easier if we worked together. The impact would also be greater.
Plant-based options are way better than meat products and dairy. I try my best to stick to my vegetarian diet as much as possible. I even have to make sure that the restaurants we go to have vegan/vegetarian options other than “salad”.
I like that Radius doesn’t require a maintaining balance. I hate that I get deducted with that fee whenever I’m transferring money to other accounts. I usually have multiple accounts for saving purposes, so there are times where I transfer almost all the money to another bank after receiving my paycheck. I don’t always want to be paying them an amount that big just because I do something like that. I haven’t heard of Radius before and I was skeptical at first but it’s honestly the best bank I’ve tried up to date.
I don’t have the time to do so much in helping the planet. I do want to help in my own little way though!
I didn’t know there was something like Arcadia Power. Companies are getting really smart about their products now.
What made me register to Radius is the Analyze Spending option. I usually have a separate budgeting app but it works better when it’s all in one.
It’s difficult to pick a charity that we should help to save the environment. Every charity needs help but we can’t give to all. I suggest that you pick something that’s really close to your heart or at least close to where you are so it’s easier to make your commitments possible. If you donate clothes and other items, even with your busy schedule, take the time to really go there and deliver your goods. Nothing feels better than actually seeing the people whom you are helping! Mailing your goods isn’t as fulfilling as seeing where your goods go to their new home.