2020 has been a pretty crazy year. However, it’s important to remember that, while our attention has been on the coronavirus pandemic, there are also other issues at play. One big one is how to reduce our carbon footprint.
Climate change, for instance, hasn’t suddenly disappeared just because we’ve had to think about something else for a while! We still need to think about how to reduce our carbon footprint.
With the end of COVID-19 on the horizon, perhaps now could be the time to get back to making positive changes in other areas of our lives. Do you want to reduce your carbon footprint? Then take a read of the most effective ways to do so below.
Get Walking
One of the primary reasons why we’re facing such a climate emergency is because of our over-reliance on cars. There will, of course, be times when you have no choice other than to get behind the wheel. It might not always be quite as necessary as you think. Could you, for example, walk to where you need to get to? Or perhaps cycle there? You might be less inclined to do this when it’s raining or chilly, but if it’s a beautiful warm day, then you’ll find that it can be a pretty life-affirming way to move around.
Grow Your Own Food
The way we live and the need to reduce our carbon footprint would seem pretty unusual to our ancestors. They would be in charge of getting their own food; they didn’t wait for someone else to grow it for them. There’s a convenience to the supermarket, no doubt, but a lot of food has a high carbon footprint because it’s grown a long distance from where it’s eventually sold. One highly environmentally-friendly practice is to grow your own food. It’s a lot easier than you might think, and it can be highly satisfying too — there’s nothing like using ingredients in your meal that you grew yourself.
Reduce Energy Consumption
It seems unlikely that you’ll be able to move to an off-grid lifestyle, at least not immediately. However, it’s pretty straightforward to reduce how much energy you use. Just because you need some, doesn’t mean you have to consume it all. As a base, you should be conscious of the amount of energy you’re using — are you turning lights off when they’re not in use, for example? After that, it’s about taking things even further. Underdeck tanks allow you to harvest rainwater for free, while upgrading your windows will help to keep more warm/cold air in your home. These changes aren’t just better for the planet, either — they’ll also reduce the cost of your energy bills, too.
Second-Hand Furniture
You’ll want to have a beautiful home; that desire is likely to override your desire to reduce our carbon footprint. And that’s fair. Did you know that you can have both, just by making a subtle change? Instead of buying new furniture, look at getting second-hand furniture that has been refurbished. These typically look better than new options, cost less, and have a very small carbon footprint, because they’re made from existing items that don’t use natural resources.
