Globally combating carbon emission and climate change is a huge challenge, but most people can take some simple, quick acts.
Many of the changes required to quickly slow climate change are outside the control of any one person, ranging from enhancing the infrastructure for renewable energy sources to hastening the phase-out of fossil fuels. However, little things can pile up.
We take a look at the most significant, immediate improvements you can make right now to reduce your carbon emissions in honor of Earth Day.
Fewer flights will lower carbon emissions
At least 2.5% of all Carbon emissions would be immediately stopped if all aircraft on Earth were to be abruptly halted.
Each year, the aviation industry produces about one billion tonnes of carbon emissions. The International Council on Clean Transportation found that the aviation industry’s emissions increased by 30% between 2013 and 2019. Despite a pandemic-related decline, its emissions are presently increasing once more.
Despite the fact that aviation emissions are generally quite low, a lot of greenhouse gases are released during each trip. For instance, a round-trip flight from London to New York releases approximately a tonne of CO2, and other non-CO2 emissions from aircraft increase the climate impact even further.
Of course, a complete ban on flying is unthinkable. However, it is absolutely possible to lower the demand for flights while maintaining your ability to travel. Instead, you could travel one way or both ways by bus or train, which have significantly fewer emissions. Alternately, you may fly twice as far and less frequently. Flying in economy produces significantly fewer emissions than traveling in first or business class.
A change in how some airplanes are powered may soon be possible. Soon, smaller aircraft might be powered by electric motors. For instance, Norway wants all short-distance flights departing its airports to be powered by electricity by 2040. Larger aircraft might transition to alternative fuels such as biofuels, synthetic fuels derived from renewable energy, or hydrogen in the long run in the interim.
Food
You may save about 0.8 tonnes of CO2e annually by eating more plants. If everyone switched to a plant-based diet, 75% of the world’s agricultural land might be used for other purposes, such as a variety of biodiverse and carbon-capturing ecosystems.
However, even if you don’t move to a completely plant-based diet, substituting particular items with fewer carbon emissions is one way to minimize emissions from your diet. Cow’s milk, for instance, performs worse than plant-based alternatives in terms of land use, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and fertilizer pollution, while various forms of protein can also produce variable amounts of emissions.
Small changes to your diet and cooking style, such as batch cooking or focusing on using fewer animal products rather than food miles, can have a big impact, as Future Planet has examined.
Avoiding food waste, which totals 900 million tonnes annually (or 23 million huge truckloads), is another strategy to reduce emissions.
Finance
Although it might not seem like the most obvious method to do so, the way you save, invest, and donate your money can have a significant impact on the fight against climate change.
Numerous banks have a well-documented history of funding fossil fuel extraction and contributing trillions of dollars to the climate issue. Although the money you deposit in the bank isn’t directly used for this (banks normally segregate their consumer banking operations from their investment operations), experts and activists contend that where you invest your money can nevertheless have an impact on the bank’s ability to operate legally. Alternative banks, including credit unions or building societies, are frequently less likely to be supporting solutions although there are an increasing number of alternative banks portraying themselves as ethical funders of solutions.
Transport
In nations like the UK and the US, the transportation sector, which is dominated by automobiles, trucks, buses, and motorcycles, is now responsible for producing more greenhouse gases than any other. Private transportation is one of the greatest producers of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.
If you drive a car, simply limiting your usage might be an excellent starting step in lowering your emissions. Most car trips are only short distances in many locations, so walking or biking are fantastic alternatives that can also promote health.
If available, public transportation has a far lower carbon footprint than driving for longer distances.
Reducing carbon emissions in the home
Certain adjustments to your regular daily routine at home have a greater impact than others. One of the biggest causes of emissions is home heating, particularly in nations where burning fossil fuels for space heating is the norm. In the EU, 63% of residential energy use goes toward heating. In the US, about half of homes are heated with gas, compared to a third of emissions in the UK coming from heating. If we’re going to stop global warming, that needs to change substantially.
However, lowering your thermostat by only a few degrees can lower carbon emissions and cut your heating expense by 10%. Less summer air conditioning use in hot climes can reduce expenses and carbon emissions.
Installing a heat pump, which, rather of burning fuel, concentrates heat energy already present in the air, ground, or water and pumps it through pipes, is another efficient approach to lower your heating emissions. Heat pumps emit no carbon if the electricity is produced using renewable resources.
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Another significant factor in climate change is home cooling. Globally, the need for air conditioning is growing, and by 2050, the number of AC units is predicted to have more than tripled. These appliances utilize a significant amount of electricity and contain powerful greenhouse gas refrigerants. But there are more environmentally friendly options. There are various techniques to keep buildings cool without adding to global warming, from historic architectural design, like the jaali architecture in India, to green roofs, planting trees, or, in some circumstances, simply closing curtains in hot weather.
Other modifications, like as washing your clothing in cold water and air-drying them as opposed to using a tumble dryer, can also reduce carbon in your home by over 0.5 tonnes CO2e annually.
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