How to Live a Low-Carbon Life

A carbon footprint refers to the impact that human activities have on the environment. It measures the amount of greenhouse gases produced in units of carbon dioxide. Making small life changes goes a long way to making a difference for the environment. A bonus is that a majority of the changes you can make toward a low-carbon life will have great health benefits for you.

Instructions

• 1

  Burn less fossil fuels and use muscle power instead. Walk, bike or take public transportation for your commute. Combine errands when you have to drive, and find a carpool to participate in for work.

• 2

  Eat more thoughtfully. Replace one or more of your weekly meals with a meatless option. Choose less-processed foods, or switch to purchasing organic, free-range meats.

• 3

  Drink tap water rather than buying bottled water. Buy a water filter if you are concerned about the quality of your tap water.

• 4

  Free yourself from junk mail and reduce the need for paper consumption. A simple Web search will lead you to an opt-out form to send to marketing preference organizations (see Resources below).

• 5

  Reduce the amount of water you use in your home. Your local hardware store has faucet aerators and high-efficiency showerheads that will reduce your utility bills.

• 6

  Install compact fluorescent lightbulbs to save money, use less energy and create less pollution. These low-mercury lightbulbs are easily available and come in a variety of options for your light fixtures.

• 7

  Inform yourself about replacing commercial pesticides with nontoxic options. This will reduce the pollution to our water resources.