10 Actions You Can Take Today to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

1. Article 3: 10 Actions You Can Take Today to
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
We hear a lot of talk about climate change and the devastating effects carbon pollution is having
on the planet. From devastating storms to food insecurity caused by altered weather patterns,
there's no questioning that carbon pollution is leaving its toll on the planet.
We came up with a list of 10 actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
 An easy fix you can make that will help the planet every day is to switch all of the lights
in your house to compact fluorescent bulbs. One bulb can reduce up to 1,300 pounds of
carbon dioxide pollution during its lifetime.
 If you're someone who always leaves your phone charger dangling from the wall, many
of your tech behaviors can use some adapting. According to the U.S. Department of
Energy, adopting these practices can save you $100 each year on your energy bill.
 One car uses less gas than two and much less than three. Similarly, riding the bus or train
to work helps to slash down the number of cards on the road.
 Laptops, unlike desktop computers, are designed to be energy-efficient, because battery
life is a major factor to laptop design. According to Energy Star, a laptop can be up to
80% more energy-efficient than a desktop.
 Filter your own water, just consider just how far your water was transported before you
bought it in the supermarket. If you live in most western countries, tap water is perfectly
suitable for consumption,
 Keep your curtains open during the day in the winter to let in sunlight, and close them at
night to keep in warmth. During the summer, close the curtains during the day to keep out
extra sunlight and open them at night to moderate the temperature.
 Purchasing foods that are both in season and grown locally can drastically cut down the
carbon emissions of the vehicles used to transport your winter watermelon across the
country.
 Trees provide shade and oxygen while consuming carbon dioxide. According to the
Urban Forestry Network, a single young tree absorbs 13 pounds of carbon dioxide each
year.
 Newspapers, according to one study, cause roughly their weight in carbon emissions.
That said, surfing the web expends energy, the amount of which varies based on the
device you use.
 Microwaving your food is faster and often uses less energy than the stove. If a meal takes
15 minutes to cook in the microwave versus one hour in the stove, you'll save roughly 20
cents off your energy bill each time.