Pandemic Limits Emissions?

What is there to do during a global pandemic besides playing UNO with your five-year-old son, painting with your fourteen-year-old daughter, and preserving our Mother Nature?

My wife and I bought a 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE AWD but, we refused to drive anywhere. The Black Beauty has less than three thousand miles after a year in our driveway. Funny thing, we’ve let our daughter, Gemini, take it around the neighborhood—driver’s Ed in the pandemic!

Her mother and I showed her the benefit of driving efficiently when using a not-so-eco-friendly car, and with us being in the neighborhood, there was less of her foot on the gas, thank God.

Our carbon footprint has declined significantly, and each night we can sleep well knowing that our amazing kids will benefit.

The pandemic gave many of us another benefit: Stimulus checks. My wife and I used this money to purchase new energy-efficient appliances because she loves to cook. While restaurants remained closed to public dining, we learned to eat more of the food we bought at home. Often eating leftovers—over and over—and over again. That sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not, at least not when my wife’s around. Whoever said reducing your carbon footprint would be easy?

We were privileged to watch President Joe Biden speak on the future for our children, where we discovered that many Americans had joined us in reducing their carbon footprint. While watching him, we remembered our best practices, unplugged our other TVs and other devices that would not be in use for the next half hour.

Then, a magical wave of pictures began circulating online showing animals thriving in their habitats, dolphins in the canal of Venice, and oceans recovering to their bluest pride; the most noticeable absence was the people, us!

We can each do our part; my family and I have begun. We’re currently researching renewable energy. A local company claims to reduce power bills with solar energy and, living in the Sunshine State is great for solar energy.

I told you earlier about playing Uno with my son and painting with my daughter. After I won every game and made him draw four a half dozen times, he decided to destroy our cards. Who could blame him? Drawing cards while the other players stare at you with their grinning-winning faces is awful. It’s torture to a young boy who hadn’t even lost his first tooth yet. So, he destroyed our cards—crumbled into basketball shapes. I recycled the deck with our other paper recycling. Then, I brought out the Uno flip game, “let’s try this one. I think it’s easier for you.”

I have not been carbon-conscious for most of my life. If it were not for a global pandemic, maybe the Earth knew it needed to heal; I don’t think I would have decreased my footprint. Sometimes we are coerced by forces surpassing our understanding but, we must act of our own volition to sustain this planet. That’s what I’m doing to give the gifts of this planet to our kids.

Here are a few things you can begin doing to save our oceans. Eat less meat unless you’re on a keto diet or need the protein for a healthier you. Always remember to unplug all of your unused devices. Drive less, even if your fourteen-year-old daughter needs to learn how to drive—teach her about cruise control early on. Plant a garden. I can’t say that I’ve planted a garden, but whenever my brother passed away in September of 2020, we had a tree planted in his honor. Last, be conscious of the actions you’re taking to reduce carbon emissions.