The Amazon rainforest is burning, youth are marching against poor climate change leadership, summer storm intensity has turned up, and here in Louisiana we are losing wetlands at a rate of a football field every 100 minutes (not to mention the more regular flooding we’ve experienced this year in New Orleans). It’s enough to send us into an emotional tropical depression!
On a personal note, I’ve been thinking about our planet’s health a lot as I am very pregnant and due any day now. Bringing a child into this world has its own environmental impact & risks – our family’s carbon footprint will immediately grow, and what kind of climate changes and challenges will my child experience over the course of his or her life?
With our current federal leadership not exactly supporting long term environmental solutions and security, I felt compelled to do research on my own personal impact. A fun first step here is to try out this carbon footprint calculator by the Cool Climate Network to see how your current daily choices measure up. My family’s current score is 40 tons per year (about 20 tons per person since our babe isn’t in the world yet) and luckily 40% better than the US average… but scarily way more than the rest of the civilized world!
Next step is to identify areas of impactful change & take some action! Here are the top 6 areas of impact I put together based largely on a helpful BBC article I found. I’ve sprinkled in some local New Orleanian suggestions & recommendations for positive change, and would love to hear if you have additional info or suggestions to share!
#1 – ALTERNATIVE COMMUTES + THOUGHTFUL TRAVEL
WHY?
The number one goal here is to limit the use of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions (oil, carbon, natural gas). Goal 13 of the Paris Agreement is to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius (1.5 degrees is the stretch goal). To achieve this, the world will have to cut our CO2 emissions by almost half by year 2030… that’s coming up quick!
BEST INDIVIDUAL ACTION:
- Drive Less – or better yet, give up your car altogether! “Going car free is the number-one most effective action an individual could take.” This is easier for some than others…as a good first step, consider riding your bike or taking public transportation more often in your daily life. We suggest the Streetcar & Ferry! Both romantic and charming options here in NOLA to substitute a car ride when you're not in a rush.
- Fly Less - If you’re like me, you live far from your family and seeing each other means hopping on a plane. Try planning longer visits or batching trips to lessen the amount of individual flights you are taking. Think less "weekend warrior jet setter" and more “sabbatical” or "home away from home". If you travel a lot for work, look for ways to meaningfully virtually connect before booking that air travel.
#2 –VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS (& YOUR BALLOT)
WHY?
As individuals, we can help turn the tides by taking our own financial power away from the big fossil fuel industries and support greener alternatives. And of course, utilize our democratic system to award leadership to politicians with common values.
BEST INDIVIDUAL ACTION:
- Invest Wisely – if you are investing in stocks, avoid fossil fuels or banks that invest in high-emission industries. This directly diverts your dollars away from the problem. We suggest checking out Life City for local and "green" financial advisor recommendations.
- Support Renewable Energy – if it’s in your means, consider electric vehicles, solar panels for your home or any other alternative option at the consumer level. And this one can save you some money too! We suggest contacting Joule Energy to find out more about home solar panel installation and savings.
- Participate in Democracy – Consider candidates who care about long term environmental health! We have an opportunity to make a big difference in 2020 ; ).
#3 – Limit Meat & Dairy Intake
WHY?
If cattle represented their own nation, they would be one of the top emitters of greenhouse gases. Not to mention they require lots of water, fertilizers and land.
BEST INDIVIDUAL ACTION:
- Eat & Drink Less Animal Protein – “by reducing your consumption of animal protein by half, you can cut your diet’s carbon footprint by more than 40%”. That includes meat, cheese and milk. We suggest trying out 1000 Figs and these other top rated vegetarian restaurants listed on Nola.Eater.Com.
#4 - Shop Differently
WHY?
Everything we buy has a carbon footprint – it could be made from fossil fuel based materials, and traveling great lengths to reach you. More specifically, the clothing sector represents around 3% of the world’s global production emissions of CO2.
BEST INDIVIDUAL ACTION:
- Buy Local & Seasonal Food – food & goods that don’t need to travel across the world will automatically have a lower footprint, and eating seasonally means there were less artificial environments or additional resources needed to grow it. We suggest supporting local farmers at the many Crescent City Farmers Markets throughout the week.
- Ban Fast Fashion from your Wardrobe – Fast Fashion (think Target, H&M, Forever 21) is inexpensive clothing that is very of-the-moment trendy. This type of clothing requires constant new production that is made overseas to achieve low pricing. Trends don’t last long, and the quality of garments is usually poor, so they cycle in and out of your wardrobe quicker (and end up in the trash bin sooner). We suggest supporting locally made or conscious brands that use natural or recycled fibers, produce locally, and design for longevity, like Tchoup Industries : ), Passion Lillie, Lekha, and Elizabeth Suzann. More Southern local maker suggestions to come with our next journal entry in November!
- Shop Second Hand – Consider buying used or borrowing/renting whenever possible! We suggest looking for the diamond in the rough at Funky Monkey, Clothes Party, Buffalo Exchange, or Red White & Blue Thrift Store.
- Repair What you Already Have – I am really loving the current craze of visible mending. Have a coveted garment that needs some love? Search the hashtag "visible mending" on instagram for lots of inspiration for creative fixes.
#5 – Family Planning
WHY?
Quite simply, a growing population means more consumers of fossil fuels out in the world; more clothing, more cars, more trips on the airplane. And as I touched on earlier, we Americans produce higher CO2-emitting humans!
BEST INDIVIDUAL ACTION:
- Have Fewer Kids – My wife and I have chosen to only have two kids (replacing ourselves on this earth but not necessarily “multiplying”).
- Make Environmental Ethics A Family Value – Consider raising a steward of the environment. As time marches on, we’ll need more problem-solvers and environmental leaders in future generations! We suggest checking out and supporting local environmental education organizations that work with kids...like T.R.E.E.
#6 – Share & Care
WHY?
“Social scientists have found that when one person makes a sustainability-oriented decision, other people do too.”
BEST INDIVIDUAL ACTION:
- Use Peer Pressure for Positive Impact – Action speaks louder than words, lead by example, and share alternatives you’ve found with friends. (consider sharing this journal post??) And of course, teach your children to do as you do!
- Purchase Offsets – A lot of the actions listed above may take a awhile to work consistently into our daily lives. It’s not the most ideal choice, but can help compensate unavoidable air travel and car commutes. The UN Climate Convention keeps a portfolio of dozens of reputable green projects around the world you can contribute too.
Let us know other tips you might have!
And feel free to check out these helpful references & resources I used to compile this list:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181102-what-can-i-do-about-climate-change
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_carbon_dioxide_emissions_per_capita
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-action/
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/
https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_a97d1f02-9000-556f-81d8-433ee2b46d0d.html
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