Every single one of us can help fight global warming by acting in an environmentally friendly way and reducing our environmental footprint.
ENERGY
- Evaluate how (much) electricity is used in your home - find out which appliance is the biggest energy consumer and where energy is being wasted. There are several gadgets on the market to help you assess power consumption and heat loss.
- Exchange appliances that use a lot of energy for more energy-efficient ones, for instance, a water boiler that uses solar power or that runs on biomass, solar panels for electricity generation, LED light bulbs.
- Generate your own renewable energy - households which produce their own energy (for instance with solar panels or wind turbines) can deliver energy back to the main power grid and use electricity from the net when they don’t produce enough themselves. You only pay for the netto amount used.
MOBILITY & TRANSPORT
- For everyday transport in the city, walk, ride your bike or use public transport as much as possible.
- For longer distances, use public transport – choose the bus or train.
- When possible, avoid large, old cars running on fossil fuels.
- When selecting a new car, buy a hybrid or electric car.
- Fly as little as possible and compensate your emissions – various NGOs and airlines offer the possibility to pay a small amount of money to an international CO2 compensation fund for each flight you take.
FOOD
- Choose local vegetables; find out which food products are available locally and seasonally, and get to know your local farmer or farmer’s market.
- Store vegetables in a cellar; old-fashioned underground cellars use the earth’s natural ability to store heat and cool air, conserving your food at no charge at all.
- Reduce consumption of meat and other animal products; particularly, avoid imported beef and pork from far-away origens.
- Buy products with a short food chain, pay attention to whether a product is in season, how it was produced and where from and how is was shipped.
- Support local organic farmers and farming organisations and co-ops.
- Try to grow your own food; at least part of it yourself.
- Don’t throw away food.
SHOPPING
- Buy less stuff, especially products which have a long supply chain.
- When buying something new, choose a product made from environmentally friendly or recycled materials.
- Consider borrowing appliances, games or tools, if you will only use them a couple of times.
- Select products which were produced in a fair way.
- Explore your local second-hand shop.
WASTE
Follow the five zero waste principles:
- Reduce - choose products with little or no packaging; don’t throw away food.
- Re-use - don’t throw away items which might be used again or given away.
- Repair - before buying something new, see if you can fix the old one.
- Convert - give new life to objects by changing their function.
- Recycle - select (packaging) materials which can be separated and recycled.
LIFESTYLE
- Take care of your body, follow your BMI (body mass index), heart condition and general health, and take regular physical exercise in fresh air.
- Follow the news about the climate, the environment, and new technologies.
- Get to know, support and help popularize best practices in your own town or neighbourhood.
- Plant some trees in springtime.
- Be socially active.
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