5 Speedy Ways to Start Decreasing Your Carbon Footprint

With the hustle and bustle of modern life, chances are the environmental lover inside of you wants to be greener, but you don’t have the time or the money to build a 1,584 square foot green home like Ed Begley, Jr. Luckily, there’s still plenty you can do to start decreasing your carbon footprint. Here are five quick ways to do just that, with at least four being pretty darn cheap.

Say goodbye to bottled water

Here are some facts about bottled water:

– Municipal water costs around a cent per gallon, while bottled water works out to at least five cents an ounce.
– Every year, bottled water accounts for 1.5 million tons of plastic waste.
– Bottled water isn’t any healthier than tap water, so why waste your money and hurt the environment? Invest in a reusable water bottle and a water filter.

Say hello to local organic produce delivery

Full Circle, an organic produce delivery service in the Pacific Northwest where I live, grows many of its products on local farms. It’s a wonderful example of farm-to-table. You’ll likely be able to find organic produce delivery services where you live that will deliver fresh, locally-grown produce to your front door. Not only does this take away from weekly trips to the supermarket, but buying local helps reduce your carbon footprint.

Replace those old light bulbs

Switch your light bulbs from traditional, incandescent bulbs to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs last up to 10 times longer and use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs. And when CFLs do finally burn out, be sure to research local recycling options.

Replace those old batteries

Some people might think that using rechargeable batteries is just as bad for their carbon footprint as using alkaline batteries, since you have to plug rechargeable batteries into the power grid. However, according to Wired Magazine, rechargeable batteries are easier to recycle and potentially have up to 28 times less impact on global warming compared to alkalines.

Use a laptop or tablet instead of that energy-hogging, constantly plugged-in desktop

With the strides laptops and tablets have made in the past few years, this piece of advice just continues to make more sense. If you can get around having to use a desktop computer, use a laptop or tablet. Plus, you can take them on the go.

This post was written by Bryden McGrath, a freelance journalist and photographer, intern, and recent college graduate from Seattle.