The weather has been pretty erratic lately, which has got me thinking about global warming and how we are negatively affecting our planet. I feel like I could be doing a lot more to minimize my carbon footprint and reached out to my Instagram followers for advice. I was so pleased with the results, that I compiled people’s suggestions here for everyone to read. Here is what we all came up with:
1) Recycle
Okay, we all know about the three R’s. I think this was engrained in us from elementary school. Recycling is a no brainer and something that is pretty easy to do, so no excuses! Most cities and municipalities have recycling pick ups or drop off bins. We have a bin just a couple blocks away, which makes things easy and convenient.
2) Reuse
Instead of throwing away single use items, try to find products you can use over and over again. Some recommendations that were made included reusable shopping bags, sandwich bags, straws and water bottles. Most grocery stores have started to charge for bags to encourage reuse.
3) Reduce
According to the EPA, the average household produces 4.4 pounds of trash a day, which is 1600 pounds a year! There are people that have started a zero waste lifestyle, so I think we can make an effort to meet somewhere in the middle. Some of the recommendations made were using glass jars to store bulk items to eliminate packaging, composting organic waste, using plastic free items, refillable household items such as soaps and laundry detergents and avoiding fast fashion.
4) Eating a Plant Based Diet
The evidence shows that eating a plant based diet greatly decreases emissions and land usage. And while some people see these diets as fads, recent changes to the Canada Food Guide show that this may be the way of the future. The health benefits alone make this a change that everyone should consider.
5) Minimizing Fuel Emissions
It boggles my mind that with all the technological advances in the world, we are still utilizing fossil fuels for our vehicles. We could all make improvements in this area, especially myself, who lives and works in a rural area. Some recommendations that were made include walking, riding a bike, using public transportation, car pooling, purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle.
This is the little list that we came up with, but I know there are more suggestions out there. If you have anything to add please let me know in the comments.
Happy Day,
Kira
Kira Canadian Girl 