Small resolutions can have a big impact on the planet
Making small changes in your daily life can have a big impact on the environment.
As we begin a new year, we also begin to think about what our New Year’s resolutions might be.
Many will focus on ways we can improve ourselves, such as exercising more often or having a healthier diet. Other resolutions might be to spend more time with loved ones or to save more money.
One resolution that is frequently overlooked, though, is to become more environmentally friendly. By making small changes in our daily routines, we can collectively have a large and positive impact.
In addition to being beneficial for the environment, many “green” decisions can also save money!
Reducing energy usage is a great way to save both money and the Earth. Replacing regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs is one simple energy reducing method. CFLs last approximately 10 times longer than traditional bulbs, reducing the amount of waste created, all the while being more energy efficient.
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Turning off lights when leaving a room for more than 15 minutes and unplugging appliances that are not in use also saves on energy costs.
Adjust your thermostat to be a few degrees warmer in the summer and few degrees cooler in the winter. For each degree change, your energy bill can be reduced 1 percent to 3 percent.
Washing clothes in cold water can save a considerable amount of energy; up to 85 percent of energy used by washing machines goes to heating water. Air drying your clothes saves energy and money — and at the same time, keeps your clothes in better condition than machine drying.
Water conservation is a critical aspect to going green and saving money.
Taking shorter showers is an easy way to conserve water and energy. By reducing your shower time by two minutes, you can conserve more than 10 gallons of water — and save on water and heating bills. Installing a low-flow shower head will also decrease the amount of water used.
Turning off the water while brushing your teeth can save up to 5 gallons of water a day. If everyone in the United States did this, it would save 1.5 billion gallons of water every day.
You can also find ways to conserve water in your yard. Planting drought-tolerant native plants reduces the amount of watering needed. Collecting rainwater in a barrel to water plants also is an effortless way to save water.
By changing habits on your daily commute, you can help reduce your environmental impact. Using cruise control when possible can get up to 15 percent better gas mileage for your car. Keeping your tires inflated and maintaining your engine can increase your miles per gallon by up to 7 percent.
When feasible, walk or bike to your destination to save on gas — and get exercise! Limiting use of our cars greatly reduces our carbon footprint.
Reducing, reusing and recycling limits the consumption of raw materials. Instead of using bottled water or a disposable coffee cup, purchase reusable cups and mugs to reduce the amount of waste created. Almost 90 percent of all plastic bottles are not recycled and end up in a landfill or polluting the environment.
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Every year in the United States alone, 84 billion plastic bags are used. These bags are not biodegradable and often end up in the ocean as pollution. When shopping, use reusable shopping bags and encourage your state legislature to ban plastic bags. In the office, reduce waste by printing double-sided and recycling used paper.
Each year, American businesses throw away more than 21 million tons of paper. Recycle old newspapers and magazines — or better yet, read them online. The majority of newspapers will be thrown away; by recycling just Sunday newspapers, more than half a million trees would be saved each week.
Adjusting what we buy at the grocery store is an easy way to reduce our carbon footprint. Buying locally grown or sourced food limits the use of transportation. Purchasing food at your local farmers market supports local businesses — and the local economy.
Consuming less red meat and dairy has an even larger environmental impact than eating local. Eating one meatless meal a week or replacing 30 percent of calories from red meat and dairy consumption with a combination of chicken, fish, and eggs will save more carbon than eating locally for a whole year.
When choosing meats to eat, it’s also important to choose animals low on the food chain. Instead of choosing tuna or mahi, choose sustainably raised tilapia or catfish to lessen the environmental impact.
Roughly 40 percent of food in America is thrown away. Limiting the amount of food waste reduces the amount of food that needs to be produced. Instead of throwing away unwanted food, consider starting a compost pile. By using plant and kitchen waste, you can create nutrient rich material for your garden or yard.
By making small changes in your daily life, you can make a big impact on a healthier environment. Larger changes, however, are still necessary to prevent additional severe damage to the environment.
Until these fundamental changes can be made, it is important to do our part to create a healthy environment for ourselves and the generations to come.
Katherine Phillips is the program manager for the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.
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