Every April 22 people around the world celebrate Earth day, but only one day a year of environmental consciousness is not enough. In 2019, a United Nations meeting was held where it was shared that there are only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change. That’s right, irreversible. As of now, there are only 9 years left for people to prevent this damage from happening. Today, Thursday April 22 is Earth Day and the theme is “Restore Our Earth”, so here are 5 ways that you and your family can reduce carbon pollution and help the environment. 

Don’t Waste Water: 

Wasting water causes carbon pollution. It takes tons of energy in order to heat, pump and treat your water so if you are not using it there is tons of wasted energy. You can reduce the water you waste by taking shorter showers, turning off the water as you brush your teeth and making sure that dishwashers and washing machines are full before running a cycle.

Buy Better Light bulbs:

Energy saving light bulbs such as LED light bulbs use 80% less energy than a regular incandescent light bulb. While they may be more expensive they save you money in the long run because they last longer and do not use as much energy.

Unplug Outlets:

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) the outlets in your home are most likely powering about 65 different devices. Some devices even use energy while they are not plugged in such as cordless vacuums, audio and video devices, power tools and other electronics. When you use energy like electricity, the electric power industry emits carbon dioxide into the air and that results in carbon pollution. So if you unplug devices once they are fully charged, unplug devices that you do not use on a regular basis and put your devices on low power mode, you can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is emitted into the air.

Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances:

For all appliances and devices there are ways to be more energy efficient but you can also buy items that are specifically made to be energy efficient. Energy Star is a government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, if you see appliances that have the energy star label then they are energy efficient. Talk to your families about using energy efficient appliances.

Eat the Food You Buy:

When people don’t eat the food that they buy it ends up being thrown away and that wastes the water and energy that it took to grow, harvest and transport the food. Once it is thrown away it most likely goes into landfills where the food then produces methane which is a greenhouse gas even worse than carbon dioxide. If your food goes bad or you are not going to eat it consider composting. Composting is when you gather food scraps like fruits,vegetables, eggshells and coffee grounds and you use them to create organic material that fertilizes soil. Composting is a great alternative to throwing out food that you don’t want. The food does not end up in landfills therefore you reduce the amount of methane put into the atmosphere.

As a student it may seem as though you can’t do some of these things, but another way to help the environment is to just talk about the issues that the earth is facing. If you sit down and talk with your family or friends about the issue of climate change you could prompt them to make changes in their lives as well which will eventually help everyone. So just remember to be conscious about the things you do because even little things can make a big difference in the world. 

To learn more ways to prevent climate change go to: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming