Help Stop Climate Change

Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

 

I think most of us realize that we are facing some dire times when it comes to climate change. We are at an emergency level and each of us can play our part in reducing our carbon footprint. Those of us in Sonoma County that have lived through the last few years of fires, evacuations, and floods know that the bill is now due to the choices the world has made for decades. We have seen extreme weather all over the world and especially in the United States with flooding, extended hurricane seasons, and snow blanketing Texas with freezing temperatures. The time is now for change!

There are big changes we can make to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, such as insulating our homes, investing in solar panels, planting trees, and buying eco-friendly vehicles. The suggestions we want to share with you today are simple changes that are not costly that you can start doing today! Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases that are emitted into the atmosphere; carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and more, that you produce in your day-to-day choices and lifestyle.

What Is Your Carbon Footprint?

Many climate organizations have stated that we need to hold the global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celcius or less. In order to meet that objective, everyone on the planet would need to average only a carbon footprint of 1.87 tons by 2050. Many scholars say we need to meet that deadline much sooner than 2050 to stave off unalterable consequences. At this time in the United States, the average carbon footprint per person is 16 tons a year, one of the highest rates in the entire world. Globally, the average is closer to 4 tons per person. The Nature Conservancy has a Carbon Calculator where you can see what your current personal carbon footprint is; it’s fascinating what goes into all the calculations.

 

Simple Choices Create Positive Impact

Most of the ideas we will share with you today are simple, cost-effective, and easy to maintain. Easy is good because new habits take at least 21 days of repetition to ingrain them into your lifestyle and make them stick.

 

Your Travel:

• Flying for either work or pleasure adds to the largest part of your carbon footprint. Avoid flying when you can on shorter trips and opt for car travel.
• Fly non-stop since take-off and landings create the most emissions.
• Going economy will save you money plus it saves carbon emissions. Business-class and first-class create three and nine times more carbon emissions than an economy class flight.
• If you can’t avoid flying, buy carbon offsets to negate your travel footprint.

 

Your Vehicles:

Experts have weighed in and the average car driven an average amount of miles per year creates approximately five tons of C02 emissions a year. Making changes in how much you drive, your vehicle, and also maintenance of your vehicles makes a large difference in C02 emissions.

• Drive less, take public transportation, carpool or bike to your destination when possible. I know with COVID-19 some of these suggestions become harder, but some are also still doable.
• I was amazed that unnecessary braking and accelerations can result in 40% more fuel consumption and more C02 emissions. 
• A properly maintained car increases fuel efficiency.
• Try to piggyback errands and eliminate frequent trips to the store.
• Use less air conditioning when driving and roll down the windows.
• If you are considering a new vehicle consider a hybrid or electric vehicle. Gasoline engine vehicles are being phased out in California and two of the largest US automakers has pledged no more gas vehicles by 2030 and 2035.

Your Home:

• Change incandescent light bulbs for LED; LED light bulbs use a quarter of the energy and last 25 times longer.
• Turn off your computers at the end of your workday and switch off lights when you leave a room.
• Try turning down your water heater to 120 degrees F, it can save 550 pounds of C02 a year and lower utility costs.
• Install a low-flow showerhead or install a flow restrictor on your current showerheads. Reducing hot water use can save 350 pounds of C02 a year.
• Lower your thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer; opt for fans in the summer which use less electricity. 
• Sign up for a local clean energy source at your utility company; we have many options in Sonoma County for renewable energy providers.

 

Your Shopping:

 

We need to shift our spending habits if we are going to shift climate change. Being a consumer-oriented society for decades has taken a toll on the environment. It’s time to reuse, recycle and repurpose what we buy.

• Buy less, recycle, reuse, and repurpose more. There is a whole trend on repurposed fashions, just check out Etsy!
• Use reusable bags shopping.
• If you are ending a new computer opt for a laptop over a desktop; laptops take less energy to charge and operate plus they are mobile for remote work.
• When shopping for new appliances look for the Energy Star Rating before buying. Check out the average life expectancy of the appliance you are buying, longer use means less C02 emissions. 
• Support your local resale shops, flea markets and buy from companies that are environmentally responsible.

 

Your Clothing:

• Recycle, repurpose, and reuse-don’t buy fast clothing cheap. 85% of cheap clothes end up in landfills. Instead buy vintage or recycled clothing from a local consignment shop or an online consignment shop.
• Washing our clothes in cold water saves a lot of energy and can save up to 500 pounds of C02 a year compared to washing in warm water. Cold water washing also has your clothes lasting longer.
• Opt for a clothesline or drying rack for some or all of your clothes. I use a drying rack year-round inside the house and my clothes last so much longer and keep looking great year after year.

 

Your Food:

• Buy local and frequent Farmer’s Markets for local produce and meats. Choosing organic and local that are in season saves so many carbon emissions. Transporting food is one of the largest emitters of C02. Container ships and their cargo are some of the biggest polluters in the world.
• Eat low on the food chain, vegan is the most C02 friendly, next vegetarian, and then eating only chicken and fish. Starting to add in beef and lamb and the C02 emissions go way up. Every day you forgo meat and dairy you can save 8 pounds of C02 emissions. Livestock can be regenerative and new methods are emerging in food, grazing, and management to lower methane. Livestock is responsible for 14.5% of manmade global greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Grow your own vegetables and fruit or be part of a community garden. They have found that children eat more vegetables when they have grown them and pick them.
• Reduce food waste, plans meals, make big batches and freeze the extras for instant meals later in the week.
• What does go to waste, set up a backyard compost bin that will make you healthy mulch for your plants and vegetables.

Some of the data in our article was obtained through the Columbia Climate School and Nature Conservancy websites and then added to with our years of experience in green living practices. We are all in this together and one of the prime reasons from the beginning that Crystal Clear Home made the conscious choice to be an eco-friendly cleaning company. A clean home supports your health both mental and physical. Give us a call at 707-827-3316 for a free estimate or fill out our Free Estimate Form and one of our cleaning experts will get back to you with a free estimate in a timely manner.