5 Ways to Save the Planet
Meaghan Weeden | October 15, 2020 | 3 min read
HOW YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE PLANET
With everything that’s happening in the world right now, you may be wondering how you can help our planet? The answer is yes. All of us, working together, can take actions, big and small, that will have lasting positive environmental impact.
Every day we, as individuals, make choices that may seem inconsequential in the moment, but that can add up over time. The good news is that by making some simple changes to our habits, we can all live a sustainable life and help the environment.
5 ways to help the environment
1. EAT LESS MEAT, MORE PLANTS
It's no secret that industrial agriculture and factory farmed meat is bad for the environment. If possible, adopt a more sustainable diet: cut down on read meats, get most of your food from local farmers who use sustainable practices, and eat more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts to reduce your impact. This action will help reduce global GHG emissions, decrease deforestation, and protect our global freshwater supply. It's also good for your health!
2. BUY LESS STUFF
Our overconsumption of cheaply made, single-use goods is wrecking the planet and creating 60,000 garbage trucks full of waste every day. Check out our tips on zero-waste living and adopt habits such as repairing what you have, purchasing long-lasting items, and thinking about the entire life cycle of each item you buy. After all, knowing that plastic toothbrush will take at least 300 years to break down should change your perspective. When you do need to make purchases, try to get the most eco-friendly version to reduce your impact.
3. REDUCE WATER WASTE
Have a leaky faucet? You could be pouring 90 gallons of water down the drain. Every. Single. Day. If you aren’t sure how to fix it, there’s a YouTube video for that! While we’re on the subject, avoid buying bottled water. The micro plastics are bad for you, and people around the world buy 1 million plastic drinking bottles every minute, which go right into our oceans to harm aquatic life. The best solution? Install a filter on your tap and keep learning for more ways to reduce water waste.
Looking for even more ways to help our planet?
4. SUPPORT RENEWABLE ENERGY
Over the next few decades, global energy demand is expected to increase by at least 56% — and to meet the emissions targets agreed to in the Paris Climate Agreement, we need to shift 85% of the world’s energy supply to non fossil-fuel sources. That’s a big goal, but if we all reduce energy consumption and demand that our energy come from renewable energy sources like solar and wind, we'll be too loud to ignore.
5. PLANT A TREE WITH US!
Reforestation has consistently ranked as a #1 climate change solution, and not just because trees are capable of absorbing carbon from the atmosphere (around 22lbs/year for a mature tree!). Healthy forests give wildlife a home, provide food and sustainable income for communities, support the water cycle, hold soil together, clean the air, provide medicines, and so much more. So plant a tree with us today – it’s an awesome feeling!
There you have it! We hope that the next time some asks “can we save the planet?” you’ll answer with a resounding YES and refer them to this list.
