Many Australians are busier than ever. Longer hours, children, study and time for social fulfilment leave us feeling ‘time poor’. In the context of climate change, finding the time to make a positive environmental impact can seem an impossible task. But making an impact need not disrupt your daily life.
Here we’ve listed four easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Meat Free Monday
Taking meat out of your diet just one day a week will make a huge environmental impact. Greenhouse gas emissions from agribusinesses is a bigger problem than fossil fuels according to a report from the United Nations University. Animal agriculture is the number one user of freshwater in the world and increasing the issue of water scarcity. If people go vegetarian, or even vegan, at least one day a week it will significantly help the environment.
Take your canvas bags to the supermarket
Even though a lot of supermarkets have gotten rid of their single-use plastic shopping bags, their reusable plastic bags can’t compare to your canvas bags. Avoiding plastic bags, not only at the checkouts but also inside the supermarkets to contain our fruit and veggies, will decrease our plastic landfill. Canvas and mesh reusable veggie bags can be bought online or in a local greengrocer, and plastic wrapped items are usually avoidable.
Drive less
Walking, biking, or taking the bus has immediate results. Choosing to walk or ride your bike to work or school can make a huge difference not only to the health of the planet but to your personal health too. Not to mention, taking public transport is cheaper than your car, and in peak hour traffic sometimes quicker.
A green superfund
Consider not just how well your super fund invests your money but where it invests it. Super Funds that invest your money into renewable energy projects are making a big difference to our environment. Moving forward, they’re likely to be strong financial investments too, given a global shift towards eschewing fossil fuels in favour of renewables. It’s an easy fix, set your super fund and then forget about it.
By D’arcy McGregor and Billy Phillips
