Avoid fast fashion
Buying a wardrobe-full of clothing with changing trends accumulates tons of items in landfills when discarded quickly after use. This increases methane production on account of decomposition. As of today, an annual 80 pound of clothing is discarded by an average American, of which as much as 85 percent finds its way into landfills.
Also, guess where this cheap clothing comes from? China! Shipping these cheap clothes also requires fossil fuels, which makes matters even worse. So, stick to quality clothing that lasts longer.
Drive less
Carbon dioxide emissions from transportation are the biggest cause of greenhouse gases. Whenever possible, try to take public transit, or walk to your destination. This is not only better for the planet, but as an added bonus you may find yourself shedding a few pounds.
If you absolutely must drive a car, try to go easy on the gas and brakes, as well as air conditioning. Also try to carpool whenever possible to save fuel. Tiny changes can make all the difference when there are literal tons of carbon dioxide being emitted from cars each year.
Minimize water usage
Minimize the frequency of car washes as appropriate to lower the energy consumed for treating, pumping, and heating water. For watering your plants, switch to drip irrigation to make efficient use of water. When shopping for faucets, showerheads, washing machines, dishwashers, or toilets – make choices that are water efficient.
Don’t rely on disposables
Yes, they are more convenient. But if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, you’re going to have to step up and put in some effort into washing your dinnerware.
Washing your dishes by hand (the best way to go) or in a dishwasher (preferably energy-efficient) is far more environment-friendly than using disposables.
However, if you must use disposables (sometimes they are necessary) when you’re going for a picnic or something, there are some climate-friendly options (like disposables made out of biodegradable or compostable materials) that you can opt for. If you’re ordering take out from a restaurant and you get a bunch of plastic containers, don’t throw them away. Store them so you can use them later.
Eat Less Meat
While there are a lot of complicated elements at play when it comes to producing the food we eat every day, eating less meat has been proven to reduce the production of harmful greenhouse gases that affect Earth's atmosphere.
Cows actually give off methane emissions which are considered harmful to the environment. The production of meat also involves the use of large quantities of feed, water and land. The best diet for the environment is likely the vegan diet.
