Climate Change – What can we do as individuals?
I’m sure we have all been impacted by these following statements wherever we are in the World:
- Rising sea levels
- Storms
- Heat waves
- Bush fires
- Drought
- Floods
- Freak weather conditions
These are all results of what is clearly classed as ‘Climate Change. The effects are already threatening our health, our country, our economy, our security, and our children’s children future.
Our actions whether personal or business can make a big difference and if we amalgamated this with Government policies across the world we could reduce carbon emissions considerably. The world needs change and change can only happen when individuals take action. Already in 2019 we have seen our children protesting to government and striking from schools. We even see a young person like Greta Thunberg the Swedish Environmental Activist at the age 16 campaigning in public and direct to government.
So what can we do as an individual:
In the Home –
- Use only LEDs
- Invest in energy-efficient appliances.
- Recycle old appliances.
- Keep your electronics from drawing excess energy. (Unplug when not used)
- Adjust your washing machine settings, and clean the dryer lint filter after each cycle.
- Insulate the walls and all pipes and emersion water heaters
- Replace old windows with double-paned
- Make sure your fridge and freezer doors seal tightly when closed.
- Do not put warm or hot food in your fridge
- Use a programmable thermostat.
- Turn down the temperature on your water heater.
- Do not overbuy food and avoid throwing away food.
- Compost.
- Buy less bottled water.
- Use less water.
- Buy green power (and consider solar panels).
- Plant a tree.
- Drive less.
- Drive a fuel-efficient or a electric vehicle
- Keep your tires properly inflated
- Remove unnecessary accessories from your car roof
- Stop idling
- Service your vehicle regularly
- Fly less often
Now this is possibly a ‘Tongue in Cheek’ as I am a Vegetarian. But if we eat less Beef, we could make a significant saving on ‘Carbon Emissions’ as Cows produce excessive amounts of methane and by eating more staple food like potatoes, wheat and rice this could reduce Greenhouse Gases by at least 11%.
At home is where is should start but we spend 25% of our lifetime at work so we should not ignore making a difference there:
- Use a laptop or mini desktop. Laptops are turned off more often especially when not being used.
- Turn off your computer when you step away from your desk, or have it set to power down after 30 minutes or less of inactivity.
- Break the paper habit.
- Buy you own coffee mug, big coffee shops now give incentives for this.
- Double print paper and where possible promote paperless
- Switch off lights when not in use
- Wear appropriate clothing at work
The above points are all process an individual should do when you are at home or at work. You notice I have used the word ‘Should’ if we do not act now in the future the word ‘Should’ will be exchanged with ‘Must’.
When I was growing up my father would always call-out about all the lights are left on and now as a father I have followed his ways. But it now has more importance, we are looking to save our planet. I have spent all my life working in the ‘Energy Industry’ and since 2000 we have seen some real focus from government legislation, European Directives and a true focus on businesses driving down energy consumption, which ensures cost reduction and now it’s becoming a ‘Green Agenda’
If individuals start making the difference, then the world will follow.