Countries all across the world are leveling up their game to fight against global warming. But, real change can only happen when every citizen of every country understands their responsibility towards climate change.
The main goal of climate change is to reduce the production of global warming gases such as carbon dioxide. It is our worst enemy.
It’s released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burned for energy, that we use to run our cars, smartphones, or home appliances.
By decreasing the usage, in our homes, we can contribute to climate change as individuals thus fulfilling our duty towards nature.
Many American mayors, state leaders, country officials, governors, major corporations have pledged even after President Trump’s irrational decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement that supports the goal of limiting global warming to below two degrees Celsius.
Moreover, the former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has asked mayors from hundreds of populous cities in the country to come up with ideas for making their buildings and transportation systems green and efficient.
Twenty cities will share seventy million dollars in technical assistance funding supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and partners.
Here are a few ways you can contribute to climate change in your way:
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Speak Yourself
It’s about time we take global warming seriously and start speaking about it actively. Speaking on worldwide platforms is not enough. We have been doing that for years.
We are barely making any difference. So, we can talk to our family and friends about climate-related issues. We can also actively voice our concerns on social media platforms or directly to our elected authorities.
Aliya Haq says, ” The foremost reason the elected authorities take action is that their constituents make them.”
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Bring Renewable energy home
Starting with your electricity bill, many utilities are now supporting renewable sources on their monthly statements and websites.
You can also choose utility companies that develop at least half of their power from wind or solar and are certified by Green-e Energy. Green-e Energy is an organization that uses renewable energy options.
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Refine your surroundings
Heating and cooling summarise almost half of home energy use. You can make your home space or office space more energy efficient by sealing drafts and confirming it’s sufficiently insulated. One more way is to claim federal tax credits for more energy-efficiency home advancements.
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Entrust energy-efficient appliances
Energy-efficient appliances were first implemented nationally in 1987. Dozens of appliances and products have kept 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air due to their efficiency standards.
That’s almost equal to the annual carbon pollution produced by four hundred forty million cars. You should always look for the energy star label while buying refrigerators, washing machines, or any other appliances. It tells how efficient the appliance is.
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Decrease Water Waste
Did you know that you can reduce carbon pollution by saving water? The reason is that it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat water. This, stop wasting water!
The basics are important such as closing the tap while brushing, taking short showers, using less water for washing dishes. Switch to WaterSense labeled appliances.
According to the EPA estimation, if just one out of a hundred American homes were upgraded with water-efficient fixtures, then about one hundred million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year would be saved. This, preventing eighty thousand tons of global warming pollution.
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Stop Wasting Food
Livestock products are among the most resource-intensive to manufacture. Eating meat-free meals can also help in making a big difference.
Approximately, ten percent of US energy is used in producing, processing, packaging, and shipping food and about forty percent of it ends up in landfills.
As said by Aliya Haq, “If you are wasting less food, you’re most probably reducing your energy consumption.
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Change your bulbs
Conventional incandescent uses eighty percent more energy than LED light bulbs. Moreover, they are also cheaper. Thus, switch to LED. A ten-watt LED bulb instead of a conventional sixty-watt bulb can save up to one hunted five dollars.
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Switch to fuel-efficient automobile
According to the 2025s clean car standards, the new average should be 54.5 miles per gallon.
For this to become a reality we need to switch to gas-smart cars like hybrids and electric vehicles. Thus, saving both money and fuel.
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Redesign planes, trains, and automobiles
Aliya Haq advises using trains instead of airplanes if you can because air transport is the major source of climate pollution & choose to settle down in walkable smart-growth cities and towns with decent public transportation, with less money spent on fuels and less pollution in the air.
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Subside your Carbon Outline
By purchasing carbon offsets instead of power from fossil fuels. This also adds clean power to the national energy grid. But not all carbon offset companies are genuine. Look out for the best supplier.
In addition, there are many other ways too you can contribute to stopping global warming such as keeping your tyres inflated properly, unplugging the charger when your device is fully charged, and adjusting your computers and monitors to automatically power down when not in use.