There are people who still deny it, but every day we see climate events that we have never seen, or that haven’t happened in hundreds of years.
They are increasingly stronger and more frequent, they may be part of nature, but there is no denying that there is a large damage component from global warming.
What has been most in the news is extreme events in the south, extreme drought in the Amazon.
Rains never seen in the northeast, etc.
See this article from Unifesp about extreme winds off the coast of Brazil.
It’s in Portuguese, but you can translate it in your browser.
Looking outside the country, things are much worse.
See this report on extreme heat in the world. 2023 was the hottest in history.
It’s time for all of us to act now and there are things we can all do to help.
Remember that these actions and solutions depend on you and not on the other person.
Of course, the biggest steps in the fight against climate change have to happen governmentally, but even these actions depend on you demanding them from your governments.
If there’s any good news, it’s that taking action doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.
Here are 12 ways you can start protecting the environment today:
1 – Change your habits.
Certainly everything we talk about about sustainability, climate change, ecology and improving health requires some changes in habits.
So it is the most important of all, because without it there is no way to change the course of any other situation.
It is also the most difficult to do, as it requires a lot of willpower.
Every change brings with it the feeling of loss, but also enormous gains, especially when we are talking about survival, your survival and that of your loved ones and consequently the planet.
2 – Travel responsibly.
Transport is one of the most polluting sectors in the world. Reduce your environmental impact by walking or cycling instead of driving, choosing trains over planes.
If you need to travel for work, consider using video conferencing. For trips within the same country or continent, take the train or explore electric car options.
When flying is unavoidable, pay a little more for carbon offsetting.
Fly economy class, on average a passenger in business class has a carbon footprint three times larger than someone in economy class.
In Traveler’s life beyond travel, I show many other aspects to reduce your carbon footprint, in addition to savings and lifestyle.
3 – Make your opinion heard and respected by those in power
Vote for people who represent your values and make the environment a priority.
Hold local and national politicians accountable by making calls or writing letters. Attend constituent meetings and speak out about important issues on social media.
Remember, measures to reduce carbon emissions will have a positive impact on other local issues, such as improving air quality and public health, creating jobs and reducing inequality.
4 - Keep informed.
Staying up to date with the latest news about the state of our natural world gives you the information you need to have important conversations with your friends and family.
Try to confirm the information before disclosing it, as there is a lot of false data and ideas.
5 – Eat less meat and dairy products and improve your health.
As we know, the food industry is one of the biggest polluters.
Together with ultra-processed foods, they are the biggest cause of disease.
Furthermore, science shows that excessive meat consumption is harmful to your health.
So eating less meat and dairy products, in addition to helping the environment, will also lead to better health.
Even the excuse that vegetarian food is not good has lost its meaning.
But we are not talking about being vegetarian but rather reducing excess consumption.
6 - Be careful with your wallet.
Check out the brands you buy from and find out how their products are manufactured and distributed.
Switch to more conscious brands or request changes to your favorite brands by sending an email or using social media to understand exactly what you are asking for.
In Brazil, we still don’t have much of an option to choose cleaner energy sources.
Check with your local energy supplier to see if this is an option for your home or office.
Also think about installing solar energy.
7 - Reduce your home’s emissions.
Small changes to your behavior at home will help you use less energy, reducing your carbon footprint and energy bills:
Like taking shorter showers, not sleeping with the TV on, understanding how to best use the washing machine, investing in natural lighting.
You can also change the light bulbs and appliances for new, more efficient ones.
8 – Move to a green bank.
Choose a bank that reflects your values and invest in the types of things you agree with. Exclude funds that invest in fossil fuels and socially irresponsible companies.
9 - Reduce consumption and waste.
Be aware that everything we use as consumers has an environmental footprint.
Brazil is among the ten countries that waste the most and, according to Embrapa data from 2018, currently, each Brazilian throws 41.6 kilos of food in the trash
Extend the useful life of your product, no need to change it every year
Use less single-use plastics and packaging with bags.
Use the 5 R’S of sustainability.
- Rethinking each of our habits is extremely important, as it is essential to analyze what we consume and how we dispose of it, this is the beginning of this change.
- Reusing is increasing the life of the product reused in another function.
- Reduce waste reduction and whether you really need to purchase the product. Is it really necessary?
- Recycling is reusing materials, reducing the consumption of raw materials
- Refuse products that harm the environment,
10 - Leave the car at home, go on foot or by bike.
Instead of getting in the car, walk or bike – and enjoy the physical and mental health benefits and money saved.
I know that cities like São Paulo don’t help, but we often go to the bakery 200 meters from home by car.
We can also demand from governments more conditions for bicycles and everything involved.
This will reduce the amount of tires, gasoline and a lot of products.
Several studies show that poor air quality in the capital leads to dozens of admissions to hospitals in the capital
If driving is unavoidable…
Investigate changing your car for a less polluting one and, if possible, an electric one.
When you’re behind the wheel, think about the way you drive, there are ways to save money and pollute less, depending on your driving style.
We know that correct tire inflation can reduce fuel consumption by 30%.
11 - Respect and protect green spaces.
Green spaces, such as parks and gardens, are important. They absorb carbon dioxide and are associated with lower levels of air pollution.
They help regulate temperature by cooling overheated urban areas, can reduce the risk of flooding by absorbing surface rainwater, and can provide important habitats for a wide variety of insects, animals, birds and amphibians.
They also provide multiple benefits to public health, with studies linking green spaces to reduced levels of stress.
Create your own green space. Add potted plants to your windowsill or porch, and if you have your own outdoor space, don’t replace the grass with pavers or artificial grass.
Help protect and conserve green spaces like local parks, lakes or community gardens.
Do not throw garbage in the streets and parks, this makes the city very ugly, causes major problems during the rains, as well as polluting the rivers and seas, causing the death of animals.
12 - Talk about the changes you make.
Conversations are a great way to get big ideas out there.
Seeing others take action helps change the course of what is seen as “normal.” And people make more confident choices when they can learn from the experiences of others. As you make these positive changes to reduce your environmental impact, share your experience with your family, friends, clients and customers. Speak positively and be honest about the ups and downs.
Here’s what I did, but I need to update as I made more changes.
