Gardening and buying vegetables from local farms is healthy for you and the planet.
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Scientists and world political leaders will gather this week at the United Nations’ COP29 conference in Azerbaijan to discuss how much money to give developing countries to deal with the effects of climate change. It’s a difficult task for even the most powerful governments on earth.
The fight to reduce catastrophic natural disasters and stop biodiversity loss does not have to rely solely on governments. There are steps we ourselves can take to live more sustainably and reduce our carbon footprint.
COP29 will also discuss how AI can slow global warming and how global and regional policies will future-proof infrastructure while encouraging governments to invest more in renewable energy industries. Consideration will also be given to whether improvements can be made to make tourism more sustainable.
All of these efforts are aimed at strengthening the 2016 Paris Agreement. More than eight years later, it is clear that the best way to reduce the effects of climate change involves a collective and individual commitment to climate solutions.
reduce carbon footprint
Carbon footprint is a measure of the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by a person, organization, product, or service. The nonprofit Nature Conservancy offers a free carbon footprint calculator, as does the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Once you know your impact, you can start helping.
Buying an electric vehicle, at least in the U.S., reduces your environmental impact while saving you money on gas and federal tax rebates, says Anna Broell, a Forbes energy contributor and lecturer at Johns Hopkins University. suggests that this is one way.
Choosing non-stop flights instead of connecting flights when traveling is another way to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, says Ted Reid, aerospace contributor at Forbes magazine. is writing. American airline United Airlines allows customers to donate to a sustainable ticket account when booking a trip. “Funds will be invested in the research and purchase of sustainable aviation fuels,” Reed wrote, referring to industry efforts to develop sustainable aviation fuels.
buy vegetables instead of beef
When choosing to shop more environmentally friendly, experts generally advise buying local and artisan-made products rather than mass-produced foods and fast fashion.
David Carlin, a sustainability contributor at Forbes magazine and a research fellow at King’s College London, and Daphne Ewing Chow, a food contributor at Forbes magazine, suggest that high-carbon foods, such as beef, are replaced by lower-carbon foods, such as vegetables. They agree that substituting food products can quickly and cheaply reduce a household’s carbon footprint.
“Livestock are a major source of methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide,” Carlin wrote. “Therefore, changing the protein in your diet from meat-based to plant-based has the potential to reduce your food footprint by 50-80%, a much greater benefit than simply choosing locally sourced beef. .”
For those who want to eat meat as the centerpiece of their diet, chicken and locally raised beef are more sustainable options than factory-farmed beef. For people in the UK, the Marine Stewardship Council offers tips for choosing sustainable seafood. For people in the United States, the Community Supported Agriculture directory helps them find local farmers who sell healthy fruits and vegetables, as well as meat, eggs, and dairy products. When it comes to eating out, Zero Foodprint offers a directory of restaurants that donate a portion of each sale to regenerative agriculture projects.
Wear wool instead of synthetic fast fashion
Clothing shopping is an opportunity to establish eco-friendly habits. Olivia Pinnock, sustainability contributor for Forbes magazine and lecturer at London College of Fashion, writes that the wool sector has better sustainability standards than other textile options. Buying wool knit sweaters instead of clothing made from synthetics or mass-produced cotton is one way to incorporate sustainability into your shopping preferences.
It doesn’t seem to matter much whether the sweater is designer or recycled. “Price is clearly not a proxy for quality, and no product can be considered ‘inherently sustainable,'” writes Forbes sustainability contributor Brooke Roberts Islam. But challenges remain in changing consumer perceptions and behavior to care for Primark as carefully as they do for Prada. ”
Investing in sustainable business practices
Reducing your carbon footprint also provides an opportunity to connect with neighbors and colleagues who share your concerns about climate change.
According to Anjali Chaudhry, a Forbes leadership strategy contributor and a professor of sustainability at University College Cork in Ireland, employees can petition their bosses to create an employee resource group, allowing colleagues to Instead of being paralyzed by anxiety, it can help people feel empowered to take action. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Compass provides a practical guide for entrepreneurs and managers who want to promote greener processes in their workplaces.
“Helping employees cope with the stress and uncertainty brought on by environmental concerns can be a winning strategy for developing employees as powerful allies in your organization’s climate efforts.” ”Chowdhury wrote.
All things considered, Chaudhry says being more deliberate and strategic about how we vote, shop, and even socialize and work can have a real impact on the environment.
“Employees can lead disruptive change by advocating for policies that reduce environmental impact and improve corporate transparency. At Scripps Health, employee-led The Sustainability Council has led to operational improvements across a variety of areas including construction, energy, food, grounds, recycling, supply chain, transportation and vendor partnerships.”
Another step you can take, according to the EPA, is to replace old incandescent bulbs with ENERGY Star-certified bulbs, which can reduce the power consumption of your lighting fixtures by 90%.
From the workplace to the shopping mall, there are ways to express environmental values through everyday choices. Whether it’s buying hummus instead of a hamburger or a sporty electric car instead of a gasoline-fueled truck, there are plenty of affordable options to help mitigate climate change.
