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Now that you're committed to making changes to your daily actions, where do you start? We help you develop a plan to make small changes on a weekly or monthly basis, and soon these will be part of your daily routine. Starting on this page, you can build a climate change program to reduce your own emissions. Remember - this is a new way to live - these are changes you will make for a lifetime, not just a few months or years. We must start thinking sustainably to make this work.
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The first step is to determine how much carbon dioxide you are emitting today as a result of your activities. This includes driving, the size of your house and how it is heated, how often you fly, and more. Calculate your carbon footprint, then enter the number in the Emissions Chart.
One in four Americans have renewable energy sources – solar, wind, water or biomass – available to them for their electricity. Sign up now for part or all of your electric to be renewable.
Check the packaging of items you buy and make sure you get recyclable materials – for plastics, #1 or #2 is best. In addition, while it’s great to recycle, make sure you help close the circle by buying recycled goods. There are high quality consumer paper goods that are 100% recycled, and demand that food companies and others start using recycled plastic as well.
Most of American manufacturing, food included, runs on oil, either for ,manufacture, harvest, transportation or other parts of the product lifecycle. By buying less (buy quality not quantity) you can help cut overall emissions. It is just not possible to “buy” our way out of climate change, even if we switch to “green” goods.
When you buy local goods, you are reducing the overall impact of transportation of goods across the planet, as well as helping to build local support systems for your community both for food and other daily needs. Buying local produce, for example, means CO2 is not release by shipping from South America, New Zealand or China.
Talk to friends, family, neighbors and your community to see what initiatives are already started, and to join in or start taking steps as a community in your area. Email this site to people you know. Motivate your municipality, school district or local business owners’ group to do more to stop climate change.
Driving - auto emissions in the US - is one of the three major causes of CO2 release. We are used to buying large, luxury cars, and driving them whenever the whim strikes. We can still drive large cars - but we must drive them less, and opt for the smaller car, or trade them in for hybrids. As Americans are getting more obese, a switch to walking or biking has health benefits too! See more ideas here.
Turn down your thermostat three degrees in winter, and turn it up three degrees in summer. Relying on an additional layer instead of your heating or cooling system can help cut your CO2 emissions.
Air travel is one of the worst offenders when it comes to emissions. There are no good renewable options yet for airline fuel. The best alternative is to limit your air travel if at all possible. Try discovering the wonderful places in your own backyard – attractions, parks, and other places you’ve never been to. When you do have to fly, offset your air miles by buying carbon offsets.
Plastic requires oil, and that means CO2 to produce. Because it does not biodegrade, plastic use is not sustainable. Less plastic is recycled, and less recycled plastic finds its way to the consumer market. Don't use disposable water bottles, use canvas shopping bags instead of plastic grocery bags, and generally be on the lookout for packaging and other items that put excess plastic into the environment.
Remember to shut off lights, electronics, appliances and all things electric when not in use. Leaving lights on of course uses electricity, which results in CO2 emissions. But keeping things plugged in also pulls current. Remotes, clocks, timers and other little features continue to use electricity even if you have shut off your unit. Unplug toasters, televisions, computers and printers, and any other items until you need to use them. And remember, even if you install compact fluorescent light bulbs, if they’re not off, they’re emitting CO2!
Action Plan To Stop Global Warming
Just by adding one of the above items to your daily habits every week, you can reduce your energy consumption by 20% or more. After you've calculated your carbon footprint, set a goal to reduce your carbon emissions by 50% over the next 5 years. If all Americans did the same, we could solve the global warming crisis - all without new technology and small lifestyle impact.