We all know what needs to happen in order to combat climate change. Huge changes need to be made to society as a whole, but we all know that’s harder than it sounds. Sometimes I find myself wondering what I can do to help combat climate change. I’ll be honest I kinda push it aside and hope for the best. But in reality, there are so many smaller steps that I can incorporate into my daily routine that is better for our earth. It may not save the world, but at least I’m doing the best that I can with what I have.
1. First things first, use your voice! Educating and spreading facts and awareness regarding climate change will forever be the most important aspect. When Greta Thunberg said “the vast majority doesn’t have a clue about the actual consequences of our everyday life”, I really believe that education is the most important part of combating climate change. Go out and educate others with the education that you received.
2. Saving energy at home: There are a few things that we can do around our homes that will be healthier for the environment. Most of our electricity and heat is powered by coal, oil, and gas. We can reduce our energy use in a few different ways:
- Switching to LED lightbulbs
- Unplugging, unused appliances/chargers
- Switching to energy efficient appliances
- Hanging things to dry rather than using a dryer
- Washing clothes in cold water
3. When it comes to transportation, most vehicles burn gasoline or diesel. Now that summer is almost here, there are a few ways that we can make small differences. Including walking, riding a bike, public transportation, carpooling, etc., will in the end help reduce your carbon footprint by up to 2 tons of CO2 per year, compared to using a car.
4. Changing your diet and avoiding wasteful eating as much as possible. Try to incorporate more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and trying to eat less meat and dairy can significantly lower your environmental impact. It is shown that switching to a vegetarian diet can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 500 kg of CO2 per year. I’m not saying go vegetarian, but I am saying by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet as well as cutting down on meat and dairy can still significantly help the environment. Globally people waste 1 billion tons of food each year which accounts for around 8 to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Doing your best to only buy what you need, and not waste extra food can seriously help with greenhouse gas emissions.
There are so many different ways that we all can contribute to combating climate change. These are just a few ways that I found I can easily incorporate into my daily life. I believe that if everyone became cautious and educated on all of these things, we can all make a noticeable difference.
It is always good to hear about how I can make small changes to my lifestyle to help combat climate change. Using our voices is definitely the best way to insight change by making sure politicians know that we care and want change.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of this post because sometimes, as individuals, we feel hopeless in the fight to save our planet. The amount of food wasted from grocery stores is always mind-boggling.
ReplyDeleteSmall steps in the right direction are huge! Everything adds up. I read that one Vegan saves nearly 150 animals a year and 1000m^2 of forests a year.
ReplyDeleteWow really well put it actually makes you see how the small steps add up 150 animals saved a year by just one person is such a huge thing so imagine if the majority was that way.
DeleteThere is a lot of good information here. I would love to see cities becoming more walkable and having better public transportation. I talk to people often and just try and get the idea seed planted into their head about climate change in a way that does not back them into a corner. These are all good ideas!
ReplyDeleteI really like the point about education being key! Even if we can't change everything overnight, doing our part with what we have is still meaningful and impactful.
ReplyDeleteWhere I'm from, this blog is what you would call a "G checking" As adults we may need this from time to time. I'm glad we know this stuff but we must spread this information
ReplyDeleteI like that you pointed out ways that I can change my life in small ways that won't inconvenience me and it will still make a difference. I feel like if we keep spreading these ideas maybe there will be a major change in the world.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you mentioning steps that can be taken in the household, I just moved into my first apartment this year so it is good to learn more about steps that I can take to be more responsible over my energy usage.
ReplyDeleteI am always opening to hearing about how I can take action myself, I had never considered how much energy could be saved simply by washing things on cold. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI love how you gave the reader ways to make changes at home and in daily life. At this stage in climate change, we need everyone we can get to help raise awareness and activate change. This isth simple steps on how to make a difference in the fossil fuel burning an easy blog wi and climate change rebellion.
ReplyDeleteYour speech is well-structured and clearly conveys the importance of resistance training in older adults. Let me know if you’d like to refine any sections, add more details, or adjust the tone!
ReplyDeleteI wish more people would follow these guidelines so that climate action can take the world's attention and together we can change.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, Brooke. I like how you showed that small changes can still make a difference. From my view, it sometimes feels like individual actions aren’t enough, but I see how they matter when more people join in. It’s a good reminder that we all have a part to play, even if the big changes are harder to control.
ReplyDeleteThese are all good suggestions. Notice how much of a difference it makes if your electricity comes from solar or wind, vs a fossil fuel. Transforming the energy grid profoundly changes the way our daily activities impact climate.
ReplyDeleteThis has always been a question I've had and it's that if I decrease the amount of meat or dairy products I buy, then what does that really do? There will still be other families who pick up the portion that I've left, or it will get thrown away when it's not bought. What does this do? I think all the other suggestions are great and straightforward, but I've always wondered about this.
ReplyDeleteI agree that education and using your voice is the best way to combat climate, this also works well with almost any problem. Especially when it is something we cannot fix on our own. Learning the facts about climate change can be extremely depressing but when we work together and share our hope and strength with each other amazing things do happen.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! You laid out some great ideas that are a great start for individuals to become advocates for the changing climate. I believe that education is one of the most crucial, as people need to be aware of the conditions of our current political administration and large corporations that are impacting our ability to reduce carbon emissions.
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ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you focus on different ways that we can make small changes to help reduce our personal environmental impacts. It can be overwhelming and difficult to know where to start and I think people forget that doing something will always be better than doing nothing.
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