6 Things You Didn’t Know Contribute to Climate Action

It’s #EarthMonth. So take a moment to educate yourself about ways you might be contributing to climate change. By making simple changes, you can create a healthier planet for all living things!

1. Register to Vote

Your voice is your vote. By making sure you are registered to vote, you’re taking action to speak on behalf of the planet. Casting your vote toward representatives who prioritize the climate and climate action is a crucial step in creating a healthy planet for everyone. Make sure you’re registered right here!

2. Delete your emails

That’s right! Getting your inbox to zero (or as close as you can) contributes toward reducing climate change. According to The Good Planet, “If we deleted 500 unread emails (assuming they’re not important emails), that would delete 175 grams of carbon dioxide if each email contributes 0.3 grams of CO2." Unsubscribing, getting rid of spam emails, and even deleting emails after reading them are all ways to lower your digital impact on the climate.

3. Shop Local

When you shop locally, you reduce the carbon emissions the products take to reach you in transport and minimize the waste of shipping materials. Who doesn’t want to support their local community and the planet at the same time? Local businesses help to create jobs and economic opportunities, which can strengthen local economies and help to create a more sustainable future for all.

4. Charge your devices during the day

Once your device is charged, it simply wastes energy by still being plugged in. By charging your phone during the daytime, instead of when you go to bed, you will not just save energy, but money too.

5. Bringing your own chopsticks

For those who enjoy sushi and other Asian cuisines bring your own reusable chopsticks. You can help cut down on the almost 4 million trees that are being sacrificed each year to produce 57 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks (Greenpeace). Besides being treated with chemicals that can cause respiratory disorders, disposable chopsticks have also reportedly been produced in labor camps, according to Amnesty International.

6. Wear your clothes out

Clothing trends change so fast, it’s hard to keep up! So don’t. Not only are there environmental costs to fast fashion, but numerous human rights abuses as well. The clothing industry puts a heavy emphasis on carbon, as approximately two-thirds of our clothing comes from systems that use fossil fuels. “Even extending the life of our garments by an extra nine months of active use would reduce the carbon, water, and waste footprint by around 20% to 30% each.” -WBUR Save money and the environment!

Have a favorite climate action that we missed? Let us know in the comments!