These action items get more radical as you go down the list. The last one is the worst.
- Program our thermostats – Winter: 20℃ (68°F) when we’re at home (lower for nighttime) and 13℃ (55°F) when we’re away. Summer: of 25℃ (78°F) when we’re at home (lower for nighttime) and 28℃ (82°F) when we’re away.
- Wash clothes in cold water, fluff in the dryer for 5 to 10 minutes, then hang them to dry
- unplug electronics when not in use
- eliminate or reduce meat consumption; use meat-stretching recipes
- use a bicycle to get to and from work, run errands and get your groceries
- stop buying imported goods when locally-produced goods will do
- stop buying new clothes – buy second hand
- stop buying new fossil fuel vehicles. Save up for an electric vehicle
- replace your gas-guzzling lawn mower with a push mower
- minimize hydro use as well because putting in more dams means destroying precious wildlife habitat and valuable farmland, as well as flooding a major carbon sink and setting off a massive methane bomb that will contribute significantly to global warming. “The world’s 50,000 dams may be responsible for 23 percent of all methane emissions from human economies.”
- stop thinking recycling is going to save the world. The global recycling bin is full to overflowing. Reduce and reuse! Stop buying so much stuff. Fix stuff that’s broken.
- don’t buy or use an air conditioner unless it’s absolutely necessary – use fans at night to draw cool air in; close and cover windows during the day
- stop using hair spray or anything in an aerosol can that contains hydrofluorocarbon (a chemical that is up to 14,000 times worse than CO2 in terms of global warming). Dimethyl ether is an alternative propellant that is much better for the environment. My Aussie hairspray uses Dimethyl ether (Phew! – for the approximately three times a year I use hairspray 😉
- get used to dodging potholes or driving on gravel because pavement uses bitumen to stick the aggregate together
- stop using plastic, especially single-use plastic; B.Y.O.Water Bottle, shopping bags, cutlery, straw and take-home containers.
- no Christmas lights or decorative lights unless they’re solar powered
- stop using disposable tissues and start using hankies
- stop using disposable diapers on babies and switch to cloth
- cancel tourism unless you can get there by bicycle, rowboat, paddle boat or electric vehicle or train; give up on the dream of seeing the world, going on a cruise or going to Costa Rica for a yoga retreat.
- cancel jet boat races, car races, motocross races, air shows
- stop going on joy rides using fossil-fuel powered vehicles, boats or planes
- stop driving and flying teams around to play sports
- stop bringing in musicians for concerts or holding any non-essential events that require travel, either for the presenter or the audience/participants; support local entertainment.
- cancel all fireworks displays; shout and bang pots and pans in the street to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
- stop having campfires unless we’re actually camping and need the fire to stay warm or cook our food
- stop drinking wine, beer, hard liquor and soft drinks and just drink water from the tap
https://emagazine.com/environmental-impact-of-alcohol/
On second thought, this is too much to ask from consumers living in the age of entitlement. Let’s just go back to blaming the government and demonizing the companies that supply us with the stuff we use. Is there an emoji for “tongue in cheek”?