POLLUTION AWARENESS AND ACTIVISM
Lifestyle Changes
Besides shopping and eating differently, there are many other small lifestyle changes an individual can incorporate in order to reduce pollution. Scroll through the list below and pick out a few changes that you can make in your own life-- and try to find some that you already do!
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Laundry
- Invest in a water- and energy-efficient washing machine and use eco-friendly detergent (like Dropps, Cleancult, Grove Collaborative, and others you can find here) that won't harm plants or animals.
- To reduce the amount of water used, wear clothes multiple times before washing them and fill up the washing machine every time it runs.
- Rather than putting clothes in the dryer, save energy by hanging them up on a drying rack.
- Use cold water to wash laundry in order to avoid the extra energy used when heating up the water.
Transportation
- Carpool or use public transportation in order to limit the amount of vehicles polluting the air.
- Maintain your vehicle and keep it in the best possible shape to most efficiently use gas and reduce emissions.
- If you're sitting at a long red light, waiting for someone, or just sitting in your parked car, turn off the car to avoid unnecessary emissions and pollution.
- Turn down or turn off your car's air conditioning and open the windows to reduce emissions.
- Walk whenever possible, or combine multiple stops into one trip so your car runs for less time and therefore produces less exhaust.
Lawn Care
- Use manual or electric lawn appliances rather than gas-powered and maintain your appliances to lower their pollution.
- Compost leaf piles rather than letting them sit in your yard (read more about starting a compost pile here). Leaves absorb carbon from the air, but when they fall and start to break down, they will discharge the absorbed carbon back into the atmosphere, increasing the amount of greenhouse gases. Also try to avoid burning leaves and wood whenever possible, as they will emit more carbon into the air.
- Avoid lighting campfires in cities as the pollution from fires can harm many people's health within a city. If you do have to light a fire, keep it small and use dry firewood while refraining from starting any fires while there is an air quality alert.
Home
- Purchase energy efficient appliances for your home. Look for the "Energy Star" label to verify the appliance will reduce emissions.
- Turn off lights and unplug devices when not in use to reduce the amount of power you consume. This will further reduce the amount of power plant emissions you are responsible for.
Food
- Don't waste or throw away food as greenhouse gases were released in the production of that food, and eating all of the food you buy will help you avoid unnecessary waste.
- Buy more organic food. It uses less energy and pesticides to produce, reducing the amount of pollution created. Organic food is also better for your health as it is exposed to less pesticides.
- The agricultural industry produces "7 gigatons of carbon" annually (rd.com). Limit your meat consumption to avoid contributing to this number.
- Buy local produce and other food whenever possible so it travels a shorter distance to reach you, therefore spending less time on a carbon-emitting transportation vehicle.