Five Ways to Cut Down Your Negative Impact on the Environment

When you are looking for ways to decrease your so-called carbon footprint and mitigate your impact on the environment, it can be difficult to know what to do first. There are plenty of ways that you can cut down on your energy use and limit your affect on the carbon entering the atmosphere, but you must make a concerted effort. The best places to start are in the home and on the road. Below are five ways you can cut down on your negative impact on the environment.

Exercise Out

When you have a home gym with plenty of expensive exercise equipment, the room requires a lot of power. The machines are often plugged in and turned on, ready to be used. One thing you can do to cut down on the power you are using from gym equipment is to exercise outside. First, you can take a run or a bike ride on a trail. You can take group exercise classes and utilize the weights your local gym has. There are also options to use gym equipment that is in a park or another common area. Instead of powering the expensive equipment, try exercising outside of the house.

Change Your Driving Habits

Depending on what you do for a living and what your situation is, another thing you can do is change your driving habits. Is it possible to commute to work another way? What about taking the train? Can you carpool? What about riding your bike? When you have a car with standard gasoline, you should try to drive less and think of new solutions to your transportation issues. Whether you are relocating to a more central location or could work from home, there are plenty of situations where changing your driving habits is possible. If you simply can’t change your schedule and need to drive, think about investing in an electric car.

Invest in an Electric Car

If you are in the market for a new car or simply want to stop buying gas, investing in an electric car is a good way to lower your carbon footprint and overall impact on the environment. Electric cars are getting cheaper by-the-day. They’re becoming more accessible. Do you have enough money to buy a new car? Can you sell your car to put the money into buying an electric vehicle? When you are focused about your effect on the carbon warming of our atmosphere, driving is a huge culprit. Eventually the majority of cars on the road will be electric, why not get ahead of the curve?

Mind Your Food

Believe it or not, the food industry makes up for a huge portion of greenhouse gasses that enter the atmosphere, causing the climate to warm over time. You should think about what you eat and how much food you waste. For example, the beef industry alone accounts for over 14 percent of manmade emissions. Beyond cattle, the rest of the factory farming industry and even the growth of fruits, vegetables, and nuts have an outsized impact on the climate. 

For instance, almonds grown in California use an inordinate amount of water in a state known for droughts. Water is essential to say the least. Even the way we store our food has an affect on our carbon footprint. Food waste contributes to the problem because we buy more food we don’t need to buy. Finally, if you are looking to save food for longer and cut back on energy usage, a smart refrigerator will kill two birds with one stone.

Invest in Smart Appliances

Like refrigerators, there are plenty of other smart appliances that can decrease the amount of water, power, and gas you are using in your home. Smart washers reduce water and energy use. A smart thermostat will enable you to control the temperature from your home wherever you are on your smartphone. This provides the ability to avoid wasting power and gas by heating the home all day. You will be able to return to a comfortable home at the right temperature without waste.

The modern world is full of complications and our impact on the environment is one that glares. If you are like many of us and want to reduce your overall effect on the planet, there are luckily plenty of ways to do this. When you are trying to mitigate your negative impact on the environment, try these simple things.