Small Steps to Reduce Your Footprint
Maren Forrest ’25
Sydney Robinow ’25
All around us, our planet is sending signs that it is struggling to survive under the weight of human activity. Taking action for the climate can often be daunting, but as cliché as it sounds, everyone can take simple steps to help the environment.
A relatively easy way to impact the environment is to eat foods lower on the food chain, such as fruits, vegetables, and non-meat proteins. According to the Columbia Climate School, meat and dairy are “responsible for 14.5 percent of manmade global greenhouse gas emissions” due to feed production, deforestation caused by the expansion of pastureland, and methane released by livestock (Cho, 2018). Although going vegan or vegetarian are common ways to eliminate meat, these options may not be feasible for everyone due to varying reasons. Therefore, some easy alternatives include eating a plant-based diet or participating in Meatless Mondays.
Another way to help is to minimize or eliminate fast fashion purchases, such as companies like Shein and Forever 21. Due to fast fashion’s affordable and trendy nature, they have been increasingly popular in recent years. However, as trends only last a month or two, they are often quickly discarded into landfills. Here, these clothing items produce methane that accumulates in the air, contributing to the detrimental effects of climate change. The Columbia Climate school stated that every year “the average American discards about 80 pounds of clothing… 85 percent of which ends up in landfills” (Cho, 2018). Additionally, these clothes are typically imported to the U.S. from across the world, requiring fossil fuels to make the trip, further damaging the environment. Therefore, shopping at a local thrift shop or exchanging clothes with family and friends are great alternatives to fast fashion while maintaining style and affordability.
Transportation, a sector that is one of the main contributors to the current climate crisis, accounts for “around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions,” according to the United Nations Environment Programme. Therefore, using a sustainable method of transportation such as walking, riding a bike, and taking public transportation such as the bus or train for longer trips helps minimize the release of greenhouse gasses. Avoiding air travel is also beneficial, as it emits more greenhouse gasses than traveling by car.
There are also a variety of ways that you can make your home more sustainable. These methods can be as simple as lowering the heat by a few degrees or turning off the appliances and lights when they are not in use. Using electricity efficiently reduces “the amount of fuel needed to generate electricity and the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted,” according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Other simple habits like turning your faucet off when brushing your teeth, avoiding single-use plastic, and unsubscribing from unnecessary mail to save paper can also make a difference.
Arguably, the easiest way to make a difference is to spread the word to others about how they can help the environment. Joining and supporting movements like Count Us In, which aims to “inspire 1 billion people to take practical steps and challenge their leaders to act more boldly on climate,” is also beneficial (UNEP, n.d.). Overall, by performing these simple tasks, you can contribute to a road of recovery to undo the damages that the human race has placed on the planet.
References
Cho, R. (2018, December 27). The 35 Easiest Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint. State of the Planet.
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/12/27/35-ways-reduce-carbon-footprint/
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2015). Learn about Energy and its
Impact on the Environment. EPA. https://www.epa.gov/energy/learn-about-energy-and-its-impact-environment
United Nations. (n.d.). 10 ways you can help fight the Climate Crisis. UNEP.
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/10-ways-you-can-help-fight-climate-crisis
