It Sounds Overwhelming, But We Are Not Powerless

It is amazing how my perception of the world has changed as I have grown older. I remember learning in Biology class about photosynthesis. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Humans breathe oxygen and produce carbon dioxide. It seemed like a perfect partnership to me.

Now a days it has become clear to me that we are destroying the plants and increasing the amount of carbon dioxide released. The plants are not able to absorb all the carbon dioxide that humans are producing. The excess carbon dioxide attracts infrared radiation from the sun, causing global warming. This causes an increase in wildfires and rising sea levels and the extinction of certain animals as their habitat changes. The excess carbon dioxide also makes the ocean water more acidic contributing to the extinction of certain species.

Humans make carbon dioxide in direct and indirect ways. They release carbon dioxide when they breathe but almost everything they do produces carbon dioxide.

Burning fuel: running your air conditioner, heating your apartment, washing clothes, watching television, can release carbon dioxide. Traveling on an airplane or in a car, plowing the field to produce your food, transporting the food to the market, shipping the supplies to the farmers or retailers. Almost everything in the mall and grocery store requires releasing carbon dioxide, to make and sell. But we are not powerless. The situation is not reversible. I have made a list of things I have done or am planning to do to reduce my Carbon Footprint.

The first thing to do is to make this project personal. Add it to the list of items I consider when deciding which candidate to vote for. And make it a factor I consider when deciding what to buy, and how to maintain my apartment.

a) Maintaining the household

1. Unplug Energy Vampires, when not in use. Household items that consume energy (while plugged in) but not in use.

2. Be mindful of the thermostat. a) In the winter wear warmer clothes and reduce the heat. b) In the summer wear shorts and use the air conditioner less. c) At night: turn down the heat- in winter, and open the porch door and turn off the air conditioner- in the summer.

3. Decorate with used merchandise such as rugs, curtains, Christmas decorations, vases, fake flowers.

4. Buy Energy Star-rated appliances. When my oven broke I started looking for a new one. There are low-energy stoves, refrigerators, and vacuums.

5. Water filter yes, Bottled water no. a) Drink tap water instead of bottled water.

6. Desk Computer - no, Laptop- yes A laptop is a low-energy electronic device. A desk computer is not.

7. Bamboo plants - They soak up more carbon dioxide than other trees

8. Buy LED lightbulbs

b) Shopping and buying habits 1. Avoid using single-use plastics. a) Takeout - Use your own silverware, do not take the plastic-eating utensils the restaurant offers. 2. Bring your own cloth reusable shopping bag. Do not use the paper or plastic bags supplied by the store. Do this for department stores as well as grocery stores. When I go to a Thrift Store, I use my own bags instead of the stores. 3. Minimize the number of trips you make. Plan your errands in a manner that reduces the number of miles driven. 4. If you are going a few blocks, to the local coffee shop, or drugstore walk instead of driving. 5. Ride public transportation. 6. Buy local groceries and artwork

There are other items not on my list, which do not apply to my lifestyle. If I owned a house I would install solar panels and maybe investigate how to utilize wind power. I would also landscape my property. I would plant trees and other plants. If I flew regularly on airplanes, I would probably try to reduce my air travel. Now a days so much interaction can be carried out on the internet. I know that a virtual trip to Paris is not the same as an actual week in Paris. But a zoom meeting is usually just as productive as an in-person meeting. But everybody can take that first step of realizing the importance of reducing their carbon footprint and protecting our environment. The next step is to make your own list, and take action. Try to work with your friends, and never believe that preserving our air and oceans is impossible.