We cannot accomplish this with a snap of fingers, but we can make adjustments here and there and eventually reach the goal.
- Stop burning fuel for transportation. Transportation is a complicated thing for our society, fixing this problem is not as easy as everyone switching to EV’s. But we must do whatever we can now.
- Walk or bike. Be sure to learn your local safety guidelines, and wear helmets when biking!
- Take mass transit whenever possible. Look up “local mass transit district” online, lots of times you can get free rides wherever you need to go.
- Sell your car and rent (preferably an EV or hybrid) when you need a car.
- If you must drive, try and switch to a used electric vehicle or a hybrid (Prius). Or, get in to an agreement with family or friends, sell all your old cars, and go in together on an EV or hybrid. Our cars sit around most of the time so it’s just a matter of learning how to share the car.
- Look into federal and local funding and financing opportunities.
- Stop buying things, and buy differently: Food, clothing, household appliances, furniture, toys: All of these things normally have some “embodied carbon,” so they are made of petroleum-based products, or are shipped long distances. It would be a great experiment if everyone in a community could try a day or a week at a time where they buy nothing outside of essentials for survival (food, medication, safe shelter with heating and cooling, etc.). If we keep buying stuff, producers will keep making it, and doing all the damage associated with that.
- Buy used whenever possible, find something locally like “Buy Nothing Carbondale.”
- For food, get produce from local farmers at farmers markets (check online for dates/times or ask around), or plant your own garden. Get help from friends or family who know what they’re doing.
- Think twice before buying, or thinking you need to buy. Is what you’re considering buying essential for survival? Or at least, put it off for a day, see if you still think you need it the next day.
- Fortify your household: This is no joke. Energy prices are going up, and they’re going to continue going up while we switch our massive energy infrastructure to renewable energy.
- Many utilities offer funding for energy efficiency improvements, and there are several other funding sources out there right now for this, including federal and state. Do everything you can to optimize energy efficiency, there are lots of how-to’s out there.
- Xeriscape your yard. To save the planet, stop mowing your yard. Or, mow a smaller part and get an electric-powered mower. No joke here either. Plant pollinators and native plants and trees for shade. Collect all the yard waste and take it to the closest compositing facility. Get a neighborhood group going, get your homeowners association on board.
- Some people want to tax dirty energy, then give the money directly back to the people, it’s sometimes called a “carbon tax.” It’s nice because people get money in their accounts to help with the costs of the transition. Look into that for your community.