10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth

The United Nations claims that climate change is not just the defining issue of our time, but we are also at a defining moment in history. What we humans choose to do now will change the face of the Earth forever. All around the world weather patterns are changing and this is threatening food production. If you visit any farmer or farms around your area and meet 2 generations of farmers, they can easily testify to this. Adding to this, sea levels are rising to cause and in the future could cause major catastrophic flooding across the globe. Countries must take drastic actions to avoid a future with irreversible damage to major ecosystems and planetary climate.

But what about us, individuals? What can we do to pitch in and help save the Earth? There are plenty of things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and your carbon footprint to make a less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility, it's a necessity. ­In that spirit, HowStuffWorks has come up with 10 things you can do now to help save the planet.

1. Conserve Water

The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you're brushing your teeth, you're doing something good. Got a leaky faucet? You might be dripping as much as 340 liters of water down the drain every day. So fix it! It's easy and cheap and current tap mechanics are so simple that you don't need to call a plumber to do so. And stop drinking bottled water. We can't stress this point enough. While leaving for trips or traveling, it's easy to just purchase relatively cheap bottled water but the after-effects of purchasing bottled water are enormous. Switch to filtered tap water if you have access to one. If not, get one! You'll save a ton of cash in the long run and help reduce a ton of single-time use plastic waste in the process. Aquatic life will thank you for this!

2. Be Car-conscious

If you can, stay off the road two days a week or more. You'll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds (721 kilograms) per year and it's much easier than you think. Combining tasks is another great way to save on fuel and time. You can combine your errands — hit the school, local store, and dog daycare in one trip. Apart from the covid pandemic forcing everyone to work from home, it's a boon for you and the earth.

Being car conscious also means maintaining your car regularly. You can improve your gas mileage by 0.6 percent to 3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure, and be sure to make necessary repairs if your car fails emission.

3. Walk, Bike, or Take Public Transit

Walking and biking are obvious ways to reduce greenhouse gases. Plus you'll get some good cardio and burn some calories while you do it. If you live in an area that's not walkable, take advantage of your local public transit if you can. Even carpooling with colleagues contributes to it. Even one car off on the road makes a difference. This further helps in the decongestion of road traffic which further reduces the emission per vehicle.

In addition to less release of fuels and gas, using public transport can also help in saving money.

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in the recycling bin. It does make a difference. Paper, too. Case in point: If an office building of 7,000 workers recycled all of its office paper waste for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400 cars off the road. But you can also take reusable bags to the grocery, and avoid using disposable plates, spoons, glass, cups, and napkins. They create huge amounts of waste. And buy products that are made of recycled materials. It all makes a difference.

5. Be Informed

One of the best things you can do is to keep yourself informed and updated – the more you know the better. It leaves you better equipped to have those conversations with your friends and family and the people you want to influence. Get yourself clued up on the facts, stay up to date with recent news on the state of our natural world and work out what you can do.

We have the world at our fingertips, so learn from influential people, keep up with the news, and research organizations that are working to make our planet a better place.

6. Switch to LEDs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are great. They can last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and they use at least two-thirds less energy, but even CFLS have issues. But they're hard to dispose of because they contain mercury. Enter light-emitting diode or LED bulbs. They emit light in a very narrow band wavelength so they're super energy-efficient. Start replacing your old incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs now (if you haven't already). They do cost more than CFLs and incandescents, but an equivalent LED bulb can last around 25,000 hours compared to the 1,000 hours that an incandescent bulb might have lasted.

Though renewable energy is being rapidly adopted by people all over the world, the primary source of energy is still conventional means. All the conventional means of energy production release air pollution as their byproduct and consume a lot of water during operation. The energy that the lights our homes and offices take also contribute to air pollution, thus less consumption of electricity can save energy.

7. Live Energy Wise

Make your home more energy-efficient (and save money). Your home's windows are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of residential heat gain and heat loss. If they're old and inefficient, consider replacing them. Proper placing of natural light openings can save your lighting bills. Also, be sure your home has the proper insulation. Insulation is measured in terms of its thermal resistance or R-value — the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation. The amount of insulation your home needs depends on the climate, type of HVAC system, and where you're adding the insulation. Smaller things you can do right away include replacing your air filter regularly so your HVAC system doesn't have to work overtime. Keep your window treatments closed when it's extremely hot and cold outside.

The latest technology in Air conditioners, inverter technology saves a lot of energy while cooling your house or office. They might be expensive now, but save up on electricity bills and consume much less energy saving on air pollution.

8. Eat Sustainable Foods

Today, large-scale food production accounts for as much as 25 percent of the greenhouse emissions. So how do you eat sustainably? Choosing food from farmers that aim to conserve the natural resources and have as little impact on the land as possible. But even buying as much as you can from local farmers makes a difference. Eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts, and less red meats and processed foods does too. Grow your fruits and vegetables. You can grow a garden!

9. Plant a Tree (or Two)

We have only one planet to live on and trees make our life possible here. Sadly, humans have been continually deforesting the earth at an alarming rate which might leave the plant unhabitable for our future generations. In 2018 the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the U.N. suggests an additional 2.5 billion acres (1 billion hectares) of forest in the world could limit global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) by 2050. That's a lot of trees, but you could plant one or two, right? One young tree can absorb CO2 at a rate of 13 pounds (5 kilograms) per tree. Every. Single. Year. And that's just an itty bitty baby tree. Once that tree reaches about 10 years old, it's at its most productive stage of carbon storage. Then it can absorb 48 pounds (21 kilograms) of CO2 per year. Trees also remove all other kinds of junk from the air, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and small particles. So go ahead, plant a tree. It's good for everybody.

10. Give Up Plastics

The widespread use of plastic products could be extremely harmful to the environment as they take a very long time to decompose, due to their material being made up of oil. The use of paper bags instead is a better alternative as they decompose easily and are recyclable. The statistics are shocking: People around the world buy 1 million plastic drinking bottles every minute and use up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags every year. Humans are addicted to plastic, and hardly any of it — about 9 percent — gets recycled. A staggering 8 million tons (7.25 metric tons) end up in the ocean every year. Break the cycle. Stop buying bottled water. Say no to plastic shopping bags and use cloth bags instead. Don't use plastic straws. Drink from a reusable cup instead of a plastic one. Avoiding plastic can divert a ton of waste from the oceans and landfills.

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Installing solar rooftop plants also help in reducing air pollution and extending life of our wonderful planet.

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