So, What Can I Do?
A lot of people ask me how they can live more sustainably, and help tackle environmental issues like climate change in their own lives. Here’s my advice.
As someone who has worked on global environmental issues for decades — from climate change, to water resources, to deforestation, to sustainable agriculture — I get asked a lot of questions. Most of all, folks genuinely want to know how they can tackle our environmental challenges.
Of course, it depends what environmental issue you are trying to solve.
Do you care about whales? Or your local watershed? Or climate change? They all require different solutions.
But, no matter what, I encourage people to think about their use of food, water, and energy.
Why? Well, the vast majority of Earth’s species extinctions, ecological degradation, resource depletion, freshwater decline, climate change, and unraveling planetary systems are caused by how we use and produce food, water, and energy.
Other stuff matters too, but food, water, and energy are the big ones. If we don’t get these right, solving the other issues won’t matter all that much.
Moreover, it’s important to recognize that we can’t do everything as individuals, or through our daily lives. We can make a big difference, to be sure, but we still need new policy, new technologies, new markets and business approaches, new political and social movements, and continued advances in science.
But our individual actions are needed too, and together, they can scale to be a big part of the solutions we need. Most importantly, I think individual actions are a catalyst for change, and can help us ultimately get better policy and better practice from governments, businesses, and other institutional players.
Knowing that people are very busy, and most don’t really want long, complicated lists of things to do, here are my suggestions.
Three things. In five categories.
I. Food. Nothing impacts the planet more than the use and production of food. Agriculture already uses up 35–40% of our planet’s land area, drives 70% of our freshwater withdrawals worldwide, and produces nearly 25% of our greenhouse gas emissions, mainly through deforestation, methane emissions from cattle and rice, and nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer overuse. It also drives more species extinctions, and causes more ecological damage to land and water, than anything else we do.
Animal agriculture is a big part of the story. For example, 75% of all the land used to grow food on Earth is used to raise animals (pastures and rangeland) or feed them (cropland devoted to animal feed). The impacts of animal agriculture on water resources and climate change are quite large too.
Fixing the food system is job number one.
What can we do to help?
1. Reduce food waste. Nearly 30–50% of the food we grow — and all of the resources it took to grow it — is wasted. Let’s start there. Make and serve smaller portions. Reuse those left-overs. Give your extra food to other folks. And take home leftover food from restaurants, work functions, parties, and so on. Be especially mindful not to waste meat, dairy, and other resource-intensive food items.
2. Eat less meat, especially feed-lot beef, and dairy. Meat and dairy production can cause a very large fraction of agriculture’s environmental impact — especially in terms of land use, water use and water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. And they can be cut back dramatically, while improving our own health too. Vegan, Vegetarian or Flexitarian, it’s your call — but it all helps.
3. Support more sustainable farming systems, including grass-fed beef (instead of feed-lots) that can help offset their greenhouse gas emissions by restoring carbon-rich grassland soils, organic farming systems (which aren’t perfect, but have many environmental benefits, especially to biodiversity, soils, local ecosystems, and water), and other well-run farms. Seasonally-appropriate and local food is good too, but “food miles” aren’t that big a factor in global greenhouse gas emissions, it turns out. For seafood, check out the Seafood Watch program to make the best choices.
II. Water. While most of our use of water is through growing food, we can also help reduce water consumption through our household practices.
Here’s where I would start:
1. Replace your irrigated lawn with drought tolerant garden plantings, heavy mulches, and highly rich, organic soils. Use drip irrigation systems if you need additional watering.
2. High efficiency toilets are a good idea. If you rent, see if your landlord will change them.
3. Low flow shower heads and sink faucets are a must, and very inexpensive (less than $10). Also, when it’s time to update your washing machine, get one with a horizontal spin axis (usually a “front loading” model), which use far less water and energy, get your clothes just as clean, and are gentler on fabric.
III. Energy. Our use of energy has many impacts on the environment, but the overriding concern for energy use worldwide right now is the emission of carbon dioxide, and the rising impacts of climate change. We need to be far more efficient with our use of energy first, and then transition our remaining uses to renewable, non-carbon sources.
But efficiency always comes first, then non-carbon energy.
Here is where I’d start at home:
A. Transportation
1. Drive less. Walk, bike, or take a bus or subway when you can. Or share a ride, or carpool, when you can.
2. Drive 40 mpg or better vehicle. And maybe consider a hybrid or electric car, when and where that makes sense for you. (They’re getting a lot cheaper, but are still more expensive than some other cars. But you can look at tax breaks for some of these.) In the meantime, there are a lot of excellent cars that get at least 40 miles per gallon. (If you occasionally need a bigger vehicle for hauling stuff, or weekend trips, consider getting a more efficient car anyway — and simply rent a truck or SUV when it’s actually needed. You probably don’t need it for day-to-day uses.)
3. Fly less. Flying uses a lot of fuel, and when we can avoid it easily, it’s worth a try. Sure, go on vacation, but can some work-related travel be done instead through a video or phone conference?
B. Electricity
1. Air Conditioning is often our biggest use of electricity, especially in warmer, humid climates. AC units should be as efficient as possible, operated with programmable thermostats. Avoid over-conditioning your space, and try skipping it altogether when possible. Use windows, shade trees, and attic fans where possible.
2. Switch your place to high-efficient lighting (LED or CFL bulbs only) and efficient appliances (especially your refrigerator, washing machine, and other energy-intensive items). The light bulbs are a good deal (see if you can coupons from your local utility) and pay for themselves quickly, and are a good first step. Appliances can be expensive; wait until your current one needs replacing.
3. Start using renewable electricity if your utility offers it. Sometimes you can buy solar- or wind-powered electricity from your power company for a small extra fee, often as little as $5. Why not support the early stages of the renewable transition in your community, keeping jobs and money in your town while protecting the environment? And, down the road, maybe add solar to your own place, if costs permit.
C. Heating, Hot Water
1. Weatherize your doors and windows, to keep out the drafts. This is hugely beneficial, especially in colder climates. Even a little (costing $10–20 in weatherstripping and caulk) can help a lot her. And, later on, try to insulate your attic, basement, and then your walls as you can afford it. Also, get a home energy audit — often free or heavily discounted from your utility — to find out where your place can be easily retrofitted. You’ll save a lot of money here. You may also qualify for tax breaks for some of this work if you’re a homeowner.
2. Get a programmable thermostat. You can save enormous amounts of energy (and money) by turning down the heat (or up the AC) when you’re not home, or asleep. Set your home to 55˚F at night, and while people are gone for more than a few hours. Programmable thermostats are pretty cheap, about $20 for a basic one, and there often discounts available for these from your local utility. And they are super easy to install. This will save you a lot of fuel and money. If you rent, see if your landlord will install one.
3. Turn your water heater down to 120˚F, and insulate the tank if it’s an older unit. Also, consider insulating the hot water supply pipes, especially if they are in a cold basement or crawl space. And don’t waste hot water: for example, always wash your clothes in cold water.
These are the top 15 things I strongly recommend folks start with.
Two other ideas:
- Consider having a smaller family. Obviously there are more issues than just the environment in play here, but population growth (especially with very resource-intensive American lifestyles) is an important issue.
- Plant trees. Lots of them. Or maybe give money to people who do. I sometimes have trees planted in people’s name as a Christmas present.
If everyone did some of these things, we will significantly reduce our collective footprint, especially by reducing our impact on land, water, and climate across the planet.
The actions listed here were selected because they are all relatively doable today, reasonably cheap (if timed right, or when you can get help or discounts from your local utility or city), and have considerable impact. Most of them will also save you a lot of money, quickly, and many will improve your quality of life.
Of course, some of these things are harder to do for renters and students. I’d recommend talking to your landlord / dorm manager, utility, and local government to see where you might get some help. But some of these are wise investments for everyone, even for renters on a tight budget, like replacing shower heads and light bulbs. They will pay for themselves in a year or two, and keep saving you money for years to come.
More is possible, of course, but this is a good starting point for most folks. You can keep going, finding even more ways to be mindful of your impact in food, water, and energy. Be creative. Try new things. Always learn more, and share what you learn with others.
Living a little more sustainably can be good for you, your pocketbook, and the world around you. So why not start today?
Dr. Jonathan Foley (@GlobalEcoGuy) is a climate & environmental scientist, writer, and speaker. He is also the Executive Director of Project Drawdown, the world’s leading resource for climate solutions.
These views are his own.
Copyright © 2015–2020, Jonathan Foley. All rights reserved.
