Personal decisions and lifestyle changes are the best ways to combat global warming. Go for a walk. – Just going to the mailbox or to a friend close by. Get out of the routine of driving everywhere and go for a walk, It might take an extra 20 minutes but I guarantee you wont regret it. Limiting vehicle use to only when necessary can save tones of GHG emissions and walking has tremendous health benefits.

Start a household compost. – A large percentage of household waste is made up of compost. When organic materials are sent to garbage dumps they rot and release methane gas into the atmosphere. By implementing proper compostin you can limit your household garbage by approximately 40% as well as use the compost as fertilizer.

Read a book. –Believe it or not they do still exist. Theirs even building full of them that will let you borrow them for free. Take a break from the TV/ video games / computer and pick up a good book. Causes no carbon emissions and stimulates the mind in ways that TV can not.

Use your bike. -Almost every household has one, it’s that dusty / rusty thing behind practically everything that has accumulated in the garage. Dig it out wipe it off and simply go for an enjoyable cruise. This age old form of transportation also works very well for errands and commuting. The best part, No carbon emissions and a healthier lifestyle. Biking to work, school or friends can save hundreds on fuel costs as well.

Plant trees or a garden. -Your local nursery is guaranteed to have a selection of trees you can choose from, Plant one in your yard and slowly see it grow. Over its lifespan 1 tree consumes approx. 2 tones of C02. Instead or as well a great summer activity is to plant and take care of a vegetable garden. Along with a sense of pride and money savings, the C02 released in the transportation of foods is eliminated.

Recycle. -Proper recycling can divert tones of waste from local landfills to facilities that can reuse these materials. This also cuts down on the emissions produce to make more virgin materials.

Pick up local litter. –Almost every neighborhood has some litterbugs. That plastic bag or candy bar you see every morning / night on your way to work, Take a bag and glove with you every once and a while and pick it up. No, you didn’t put it there, And , Yes there probably gonna be more next month, but you do get immediate satisfaction and a cleaner neighborhood. As your neighbors see you doing this routinely some might pitch in or at least they’ll think twice before kicking their soda can to the curb.

Use sandwich containers. –Plastic wrap and Ziploc bags take up to 30 years to fully degrade by packing your lunch into Tupperware you eliminate the waste associated with disposables.

Use refillable water bottles. –Besides saving money from buying bottled water, using a refillable bottle such as a Nalgene allows for repeated use and does something even more important than recycling a plastic bottle. It reduces the amount of good consumed which can go a lot further in making a sustainable lifestyle.

Use a refillable coffee cup. -I do love my coffee, seeing as I work with computers I think it’s a requirement to drink too much coffee and stay up till 4am in the morning working. A while ago I began to notice all the garbage bins in my school overflowing with coffee cups day after day. I made a personal decision to start using refillable coffee cups to limit the amount of garbage. One person doesn’t make a whole lot of difference but I Talked with some friend and a group of us began using mugs instead of disposable cups. A small group of only 10 people diverted 1500 coffee cups in one school year. Sounds high eh…. Approximately 30 weeks in a school year 1 cup 5 days a week (30 x 5 = 150 x 10people =1500 cups eliminated). Don’t wanna start using a travel mug yet? I also save 15cents per coffee so in total my group saved $225 dollars (1500 x 0.15= 225).

Coming next week 10 more climate saving ideas.
Have an idea for next weeks list or simply wanna let people know about it? Leave it in a comment below : )

-Jeff Radecki – Editor / admin.