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Slow down climate change

Rising sea levels. Raging storms. Searing heat. Ferocious fires. Severe drought. Punishing floods. The effects of climate change are already threatening our health, our communities, our economy, and our children’s future.

What can you do? A whole lot, as it turns out. Americans, on average, produce 21 tons of carbon a year, about four times the global average. Personal action is, of course, no substitute for meaningful government policies. We still must limit carbon pollution and move away from dirty fossil fuels and toward cleaner power.

But it’s important to remember the equally vital contributions that can be made by private citizens — which is to say, by you. “Change only happens when individuals take action,” says clean energy advocate Emily Dain. “There’s no other way, if it doesn’t start with people.” Here are some easy, effective ways each one of us can make a difference.

First, weatherize. Building heating and cooling are among the biggest uses of energy. Indeed, heating and air-conditioning account for almost half of home energy use. You can make your space more energy efficient by sealing drafts and ensuring it’s adequately insulated. In the USA it is possible to claim federal tax credits for many energy efficiency home improvements. 

Next, invest in energy-efficient appliances. Since they were first implemented in 1987, efficiency standards for dozens of appliances and products have kept 2.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the air. That’s about the same amount as the annual carbon pollution coughed up by nearly 440 million cars. Energy efficiency is the lowest-cost way to reduce emissions. When shopping for refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, and other appliances, look for the Energy Eco label. It will tell you which of them are the most efficient. 

And when you’re ready to swap out your old machines, don’t just put them on the curb. Recycling an old refrigerator through a special appliance disposal program can prevent an additional 10,000 pounds of carbon pollution because the global-warming pollutants in the refrigerants and foam would be properly captured, rather than vented to the air.  

Reduce water waste. Saving water reduces carbon pollution, too. That's because it takes a lot of energy to pump, heat, and treat your water. So take shorter showers, turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, and switch to water-efficient appliances. It is estimated that if just one out of every 100 homes were equipped with water-efficient fixtures, about 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year would be saved.  

As for other spheres, eat the food you buy — and compost what you can’t. Approximately 10 percent of energy use goes into growing, processing, packaging, and shipping food — about 40 percent of which winds up in a landfill. If you’re wasting less food, you're likely cutting down on energy consumption. As for the scraps you can’t eat or the leftovers you don’t get to, collect them in a compost bin instead of sending them to a landfill where they release methane. Recycling food and other organic waste into compost provides a range of environmental benefits, including improving soil health, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling nutrients, and mitigating the impact of droughts.   

We need to make urgent changes to address the climate crisis — from adapting to the damage we can no longer avoid to preventing the worst-of-the-worst from happening. And while the urgency surrounding climate action should inspire us all into action - so should the progress we're already making.