Drive Less

Being car conscious can reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. As per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we can reduce your gas emissions by staying off the road two days a week or more. You can combine your errands in one trip. Working from home is also another option that you can entertain. Being car conscious also means maintaining your car properly, using less air conditioning, and upgrading to a fuel-efficient vehicle. It’s also good to remember that a lighter car is more fuel-efficient so clean out your car and remove items you won’t need to be there.

Don’t forget to carpool with family and friends, or better yet – bike!

Plant a Tree

Carbon Dioxide is widely considered as the major contributor to the greenhouse effect, warming the earth’s surface, and creating an invisible layer that causes global warming. One young tree can absorb five kilos of carbon dioxide. And by the time this tree reaches 10 years old, it can already absorb 21 kilograms of CO2 per year.

Planting trees is good as they are renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable.

Volunteer

Volunteering for the environment is easier than you think. There are many organizations focused on saving our natural resources. Tree planting, beach clean-up, helping out on an urban farm, and even being a trekking guide – all are awesome ways to volunteer and take your environmental stewardship to a new level.

Don’t send chemicals into our waterways

While many of us think that industrial factories are the major culprit in dumping chemicals into our water system, the truth is many of these toxic pollutants come from our roofs, driveways, sidewalks, and lawns.

If you intend to change your car’s oil yourself, be mindful not to dump the old oil on the sidewalk or in your lawn. Many auto parts stores will take your used oil and recycle it properly. When changing your pool water, make sure to sit your water untreated for several days before draining them. Inside our home, we can do our part by not using toxic chemicals usually found on cleaning products or dumping our used oil in the sink. By doing this, you can avoid a huge wrench into the sewage treatment process.

Educate Yourself

When you further your own education, it would be easier to help others understand the value and importance of our natural resources. By educating yourself, you would understand better the problems faced by Mother Nature and the solutions to counter these issues.

There are many free online resources available that can help you research and understand what’s going on with the planet.

Use Your Voice

Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do especially if it is for the greater good. Talking to the right people who can actually make change is better. By reaching out to our local government to implement and create laws to protect the environment, to contacting your favorite brands and ask how their products are sourced – you can make your voice heard and effect change.

You don’t need to be a WWF ambassador to use your voice. Simply by being more outspoken during dinner parties or gatherings with family and friends, and subtly educating them on ways to save the environment, you are already doing your part.

Buy Local Products

Whenever possible, buy local products. Not only you get fresher produce and help your local community, but it also reduces the environmental impact caused by transporting goods long distances. This is exactly what companies like Credit Cop nonprofit are doing with their eco-friendly offerings. It stops so much use of fossil fuel. By supporting small scale farms, there are fewer fertilizers, GMOs, and pesticides used.

Find Ways to Donate

There are many environmental charities that you can donate to and supporting these organizations help them carry out their projects. The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and Environmental Defense Fund are considered as the most trusted nonprofit organizations that you can check.

Aside from donating money, you can also check out your local food banks/food kitchens and check what kinds of food they accept. Donate your used items to your local goodwill store, too.

Bottom line

Saving the planet seems like a difficult battle to win, especially if you’re doing it alone. But if everyone does just a little bit, over time, these small changes will add up to a big impact on the environment.

No effort is too small – so pick one of these new habits and start now!