{"id":31707,"date":"2018-11-16T13:45:51","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T11:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/?p=31707"},"modified":"2018-11-16T13:47:09","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T11:47:09","slug":"climate-change-is-real-7-simple-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.faithful-to-nature.co.za\/blog\/climate-change-is-real-7-simple-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Change is Real: 7 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know at least one climate change denier whose biggest mission in life is to prove that all the rest of us are crazy for wanting to fix something that ain\u2019t broke.<\/p>\n

Typically, they will argue that the earth has gone through various cycles of climate change and that our current situation is just another natural occurrence. They will say that it\u2019s got nothing to do with the industrial, agricultural and daily household activities of human beings and that \u201creally, what\u2019s the fuss about things getting a degree or 2 warmer, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

We also know how useless arguing with a climate change denier can be. And, unless you find these sorts of debates thrilling (nothing wrong with that) and have the tenacity of a Pitbull, you might want to consider leading by example instead of getting caught up in a battle of wits.<\/p>\n

The fact of the matter is climate change is real and carbon emissions from human activity are the main driving force behind it. \u201cMost climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the \u2018greenhouse effect\u2019 \u2014 warming that results when the atmosphere traps heat radiating from Earth toward space,\u201d the NASA website<\/a> reads.<\/p>\n

Now, while climate change certainly requires serious intervention from the highest tiers of government, business and industry, there\u2019s also an individual aspect to it. While many of us may not have the means to switch to greener energy in our homes right away, there are a few small things we can do on a daily basis to help reduce our own carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

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7 WAYS YOU CAN IMPACT CLIMATE CHANGE POSITIVELY:<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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  1. \n

    FIND ALTERNATIVES TO DRIVING<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    One of the main way\u2019s humans have contributed to climate change is through the burning of fossil fuels, which on an individual basis, happens mostly when driving our own cars, heating our homes or using electricity.<\/p>\n

    Many of us love the freedom that having a vehicle of our own offers, however, if our mission is to live more consciously, we simply have to cut down on trips. An easy way of doing this is setting concrete reduction goals and sticking to them.<\/p>\n

    For instance, you can set a goal of walking or cycling anywhere you need to be within 3km of your home. Also, instea<\/p>\n

    d of driving your own car to work, set up a car pool with people who live in the same area as you. Finally, make use of public transport whenever possible. Familiarise yourself with the bus routes and schedules in your vicinity and opt to hop on board whenever possible.<\/p>\n

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    1. \n

      EAT LESS MEAT <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined. Supporting this finding, a new report published in the journal Nature<\/em><\/a> called for a massive reduction in the quantity of meat being consumed, so as not to push our planet to the edge of extinction by 2050.<\/p>\n

      Fortunately, cutting down on carnivorous habits seems to have caught on over the past few years, as more and more people are opting for a vegan<\/a>\/vegetarian<\/a> lifestyle.<\/p>\n

      If you aren\u2019t quite there yet (or never plan on being), no judgies! The report mentioned above suggests that people start opting for a flexitarian diet, which is mainly plant-based but does allow for the consumption of meat and\u00a0other animal products in moderation.<\/p>\n

      But what does moderation mean? Well, preferably only once a week or so. If this still sounds too drastic, why not start with meat-free Mondays<\/a>?<\/p>\n

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      1. \n

        UNPLUG <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        While we often talk about \u2018unplugging\u2019 in a metaphorical sense, many of us may be overlooking the importance of literally unplugging our devices on a daily basis. Even when you\u2019ve flipped the switch on the power supply, any chord plugged into a socket is still drawing a small amount of energy. Now, if you have multiple chords drawing energy across the home on a daily basis this could add up to quite a lot of energy being burned for absolutely no reason.<\/p>\n

        So, start changing that today by simply unplugging the following appliances before leaving your home:<\/p>\n