As a lover of national parks, mountains, and pretty much anything outdoors or related to nature, it’s hard not to feel hopeless when seeing things related to climate change in the media. I find myself wondering what I can do to help combat climate change since I am only one person. The good news is there are so many easy switches we can make in our daily routines! If enough people made these small changes, it could truly make such a big impact, so make sure to share these ideas with your friends and family!
1. Carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go! This will encourage you to drink more water, which is good for you, and you won’t need to purchase or use a single-use plastic water bottle which is even better for mother nature!
2. Instead of donating clothes, which oftentimes don’t stay at the thrift or secondhand store you donate them to, trade clothes with your friends or peers at school! You could get some new outfits in the process and you know your clothes won’t end up in the garbage.
3. Walk, walk, walk! Another one that is good for you and mother nature. Walk whenever you can instead of driving. I know it’s so convenient to drive places, but think about all the extra steps you’ll be getting in and you’ll be lessening your carbon footprint!
4. Switch to plastic-free and reusable essentials like bamboo toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner bars, laundry detergent sheets, chewable table toothpaste, and reusable cotton rounds and q-tips are great places to start!
5. Switch your search engine from Google or Bing to Ecosia (ecosia.org). Their goal is to offset carbon emissions by donating 80% or more of profits to nonprofit organizations aimed at reforestation projects. Next time you need to look something up, consider planting a tree while you’re at it!
6. Vote! So much of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions come from big business. Support wisely and vote for politicians who have your future in mind.
Anyone can incorporate more than half of these tips into their everyday lifestyle without much effort at all. It is so important that we all try to do our part, even if we feel like we aren’t always making a difference. Everyone has to start somewhere and small changes really can make big differences. We only have one home, so let’s take care of our Mother together :-)