We all know how necessary it’s to curb emissions to create a more healthy planet and ecosystems. We will consciously assist the planet by making selections to scale back the emissions we create. We will deal with the local weather change problem in a holistic manner that doesn’t merely shift the burden from one pure system to a different.
Being aware of our carbon footprints might help. A carbon footprint is the full quantity of greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions that come from the life cycle of a services or products. It contains carbon dioxide — the fuel mostly emitted by people — and others, together with methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, which lure warmth within the ambiance, inflicting international warming. Often, the majority of a person’s carbon footprint will come from transportation, housing, and meals.
Let’s look at what every of us did in 2022 towards ramping up renewable power, boosting power effectivity, halting deforestation, and curbing tremendous pollution like hydrofluorocarbons.
I’ll begin.
As a lifelong educator, I acknowledge the significance of modeling my very own experiences, insights, and instruments to assist college students to see pathways so that they, too, can be taught a brand new talent or create a brand new construction. So permit me to explain a few of the cool issues I did in 2022 to assist the planet — after which it’ll be your flip within the Feedback part on the finish so as to add your individual approaches to curbing local weather air pollution.
We all know that, for the reason that Industrial Revolution, people have emitted greater than 2,000 gigatons of carbon dioxide into the ambiance. We all know that we have to maintain international temperature rise to lower than 1.5-2 levels C (2.7-3.6 levels F), which scientists say is important for stopping the worst impacts of local weather change.
After we every take into account our contributions to serving to the planet to scale back emissions, we must always take into account selections we make about what number of miles we journey by automotive, bus, practice, and aircraft; the power utilization in our properties; how a lot we spend procuring; and, the composition of our diets. At the least these are good beginning locations.
I owned an EV with wonderful vary for a full 12 months. The novelty of proudly owning a Tesla Mannequin Y is beginning to diminish and is changing into changed by tales of lengthy journeys, introductions to Supercharging, and simply getting acquainted with state-of-the-art private transportation. However I didn’t cease with private all-electric transportation possession. I additionally was a part of a sales space at an Earth Day occasion to share data with curious audiences. Our Tesla Mannequin Y was the visitor star and an up-front-and-personal icon representing the progress that all-electric transportation has achieved in recent times. A whole lot of individuals meandered by the shiny new all-electric automobile. I used to be in awe: there have been so many issues individuals need to find out about EVs!
I attempted new plant-based meals. A lot of US tradition entails meat: Easter ham, 4th of July barbecues, Thanksgiving turkeys. Purple meat is linked to elevated danger of heart problems and colon most cancers. Livestock contributes to 14.5% of greenhouse fuel emissions globally. A few of us have been vegetarians for a protracted, very long time, however others are newly turning to plant-based options to cut back emissions. It’s nice when an possibility just like the Unattainable Burger is accessible on the native restaurant. To assist new plant-based meals choices showing on the grocery store’s cabinets, I’ve completed some style testing. I attempt to assess new plant-based choices on their very own benefit for style, texture, and dietary worth quite than the diploma to which they reproduce a meat merchandise’s je nes se quois. Various meats are an entry, a portal to desirous about meals with out meal and, as an alternative, with beans and legumes and excessive protein greens. They’re a beginning quite than an ending.
I realized about stormwater retention from the native extension service. The rising frequency of extreme rainstorms in southeast Florida has piqued my curiosity in rain gardens and swales. A bunch of residents in my apartment complicated met with Kate Rotindo from the College of Florida Extension Service, and we realized a lot! Whereas I assumed it might be comparatively easy to pick aquatic and shoreline vegetation for stormwater ponds, it seems that web site circumstances can range significantly and are tough to regulate. For instance, water depth typically fluctuates extensively, creating moist and dry circumstances. Water high quality varies with rainfall and fertilizer inputs. Steep slopes could make plant institution and retention tough. We realized to ask 3 inquiries to ask when deciding on stormwater pond vegetation:
- What environmental circumstances does the plant must develop?
- How would you like the plant to perform?
- What would you like the plant to appear to be?
I purchased an indoor composter. The EPA estimates that every 12 months, US meals loss and waste embodies 170 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equal (million MTCO2e) GHG emissions (excluding landfill emissions) – equal to the annual CO2 emissions of 42 coal-fired energy vegetation. I made a decision to do my half to scale back my household’s meals waste by shopping for an indoor composter. My LOMI is really easy to make use of, clear, and quiet. It creates a mulch-like substance that I place behind a backyard. The result’s greater than decreasing methane in landfills and even returning nitrogen to the earth. EPA knowledge present that meals waste is the only commonest materials landfilled and incinerated within the US, comprising 24 and 22% of landfilled and combusted municipal stable waste, respectively. Decreasing and stopping meals waste can improve meals safety, foster productiveness and financial effectivity, promote useful resource and power conservation, and deal with local weather change, which, in flip, might additionally lower local weather change-related shocks to the availability chain.
I bought an e-bike. I had identified in idea that there have been plenty of sensible causes to experience an e-bike. However in late autumn, I bought an XP™ Lite Lectric Blue. It’s fabulous! I simply like it. It’s stable and durable however not so huge I really feel like I’m driving a bike. It responds simply to turns. It folds up for transport (though, at 45 kilos, I believe it’s nonetheless a bit too cumbersome for me to fold up myself). I purchased it in anticipation of knee surgical procedure however discover it’s already prolonged the time I pedal, helps out within the battle towards offshore winds, and offers me extra choices about experiencing my native space with out getting in a automotive.
I proceed to chop down on packaging each time doable. A part of my recognition in regards to the local weather air pollution inherent in packaging is to do my half to select up litter on the seashore. We’ve a Blue Tube program at our native seashore; individuals put their plastic grocery luggage within the Blue Tube and seize one once they stroll the seashore to have a spot to gather microplastics and different litter that washes up onshore. I by no means bag my groceries in plastic — at all times reusable luggage. I recycle far more in my dwelling than I ever place within the dumpster.
What about you? What did you do in 2022 to assist the planet? I’d love to listen to from you, and Completely happy New 12 months!
Full our 2022 CleanTechnica reader survey for an opportunity to win an electrical bike.
Admire CleanTechnica’s originality and cleantech information protection? Think about changing into a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.
Do not need to miss a cleantech story? Join every day information updates from CleanTechnica on e-mail. Or observe us on Google Information!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, need to promote, or need to counsel a visitor for our CleanTech Discuss podcast? Contact us right here.
