Growing up in Florida there was never really any discussions around climate change or how to reduce our impact on the environment. Now, I do several things in my everyday life that helps reduce my negative impact on the planet. When I first moved to California in 2009, my family and I started to habitually use reusable bags when we would go to the grocery stores. We also started to shop locally and go to the farmer's market weekly. I still do all those things even though I haven’t lived with my family in years.
When I first moved out on my own, I decided to buy glass reusable Tupperware, metal measuring spoons, wooden utensils, reusable 3-gallon glass jugs for water, and only purchased glass cups and ceramic travel mugs. I try to avoid buying anything that is made out of plastics. For me, it is really important to use low-impact cleaning products and toilet paper. I know that several years ago that Seventh Generation was one of the few companies that didn’t use rainforest destructed trees in their paper products, so I have been buying their toilet paper and laundry detergent for years.
My most recent decision to change my diet to plant-based foods has the most significant beneficial impact on our planet than anything I have ever done for our environment. The meat and dairy industry are frankly unsustainable. Raising cattle takes enormous amounts of natural resources like water and land. Since the demand for livestock is so high, places like the Amazon slash down the rainforest at alarming rates to provide land for ranches. Cutting down the rainforest emits more greenhouse gases than all of the world's transportation put together, that is all the cars, trains, planes, and anything with a motor. Then add all of the methane that the cows create when they fart, it is destroying our ozone layer.
Check out this website for more information on Veganism and its impact on the planet:
https://thehumaneleague.org/article/environmental-benefits-of-veganism (External Link)
Below is an image of some of the reusable glass jugs I use regularly.
