So what can we do?
1) Conserve Water
Wars are going to be fought over water. In India, regions now have no water at all. I am lucky as I have a well and don't pay for water but what happens if my well goes dry? Don't water the lawn, wash your car as often, take fewer showers and baths. Don't leave the water in the sink running ever (guilty here). Run the dishwasher only when full and save the laundry for full loads.
2) Pay Attention to What You Eat
Americans are ignorant about what it costs to produce food. It takes 80 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef. Really. We cannot sustain the amounts of meat we eat in the US if we are to bring down emissions that are changing our climate. The emissions created by growing cows and and other farm animals are immense. I will only eat organic chicken and refuse to support the poultry industry's inhumane methods raising chickens in football field long indoor houses. It takes massive amounts of water to grow chickens this way. Where does your food come from? How is it produced? Is is adding to climate change? We all need to start asking these questions every single day and act accordingly. Think what would happen if all supported only sustainable farming (for the planet that is).
Our consumer culture needs to stop. So you shop on-line - your purchases are trucked in massive tractor-trailers down some interstate to a UPS depot where it's trucked again to your doorstep. Factor this time millions every day and you get the picture. We don't need all this stuff. You can't even drive down the major interstates anymore due to all the trucks. And the waste. What happens to that?
4) Quit Buying Bottled Water
Why do we have to buy huge cartons of bottled water? What happens to all of those non-biodegradable plastic bottles? A hundred years from now they will still be here. Put a filter on your tap water and learn to love it.
Trees produce oxygen that we need. Now if those storms will just quit taking them out.
6) Turn Out the Lights
Why do you need lights on in a room that you are using? Turn them off! Use energy efficient light bulbs in every lamp, every fixture. When I visit my parents I turn off 10 lights each visit - every room in the house is lighted but they only use two rooms. It makes a difference if we all do it.
7) Walk, Bike, Run, or Use Public Transport
Most Americans don't get enough exercise.Walk to the store instead taking the car. Don't circle the parking lot 10 times to get a closer parking spot. Take public transportation in lieu of taking your own vehicle. Think about the best way to get there that's best for the environment and your bulging waistline. It's a win-win.
8) Turn Your Computer Off
If you turn your computer off every night it will save you an average of $14 a year in electricity costs. Not a lot of money but if we all do this, think of how much less our utility company will earn?
9) Donate Your Outcasts
I donate a lot of stuff each year to the local Goodwill. One man's trash is another man's treasure. And have you ever shopped there? Recycle your clothing, your old furniture, books, CDs, etc.
10) Use Your Local Car Wash
Did you know that if each of us used the car wash once a year it would save 8.7 billion gallons of water a year? Car washes tend to be masters at knowing how to conserve water, many recycle it. So instead of washing your car at home this weekend use the local car wash instead.
You don't address the most serious issue--we have an administration in power that denies climate change, pulled us out of the Paris Accord, put coal and big oil lobbyists in charge of the EPA, rolled back regulations on pesticides that kill pollinators, have gutted federal agencies of climate scientists and data, and refused to allow intel analysts to refer to climate change as a national security risk.
ReplyDeleteYou want to know what you can do? Vote them out!