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Here’s Why You Should Finally Ditch Your Car This Year

February 9, 2022 0

Cars are a combination of convenience and trouble for the environment, essentially becoming a necessary evil for the most part. However, something has to tip the balance. With the state of the environment growing more dismal by the day, you may have a few new reasons to ditch your car this year, and here are some of them.

You Can Carpool

There’s a chance that everyone else you know owns a car. If you know someone who works in the same place as you or even close by it, you can carpool with them and someone else. This makes it possible to live without a car because work is the main reason that many people need to have a car in the first place. Ask around from your neighbors to find out which one among them is willing to carpool, and you will enjoy not only saving resources but also leaving a smaller carbon footprint as a group.

The Environment Will Thank You

With the United States roadways averaging over 5,891,000 motor vehicle accidents a year, this is clearly due to having a large number of cars on the roads. While people may do their best to drive safely, car trouble and unforeseen issues like extreme weather can lead to accidents that are unavoidable to a large extent. When you ditch your car, you will not only help put one less possible accident on the highways, but you will also decrease the carbon emissions you’re responsible for, and for this, the environment will be grateful!

You Can Work Remotely

A few years back, there was a small fraction of jobs and employees that would allow working from home. It’s becoming the norm now, and so if you bought your car to get to and from work like many other people, there’s a chance you won’t need it. It’s possible to make your next position a telecommuting one and spend a majority of your time in and around your home. Even if you will need to go to an office physically on one or two days of the week, you can manage to do so without a car as you simply need to find means for those days.

There Are Many Ridesharing Apps

In this age of ride-hailing apps like Uber, you can enjoy the convenience of a taxi service that will pick you up from your home and drop you at the doorstep of where you need to be. This means that you need not worry about living too far from public transport stations as you can hail a car from wherever you are. This is especially true if you don’t need to commute daily, and even if you do, hailing these car services will be a lot cheaper for you than keeping a car. With around 125 oil rigs currently in operation in the Gulf of Mexico, there’s a lot of oil around, but it’s still a costly commodity. Rather than fuel your car every time you need to go somewhere and maybe get poor value per gallon depending on your car, you can rideshare.

You Will Be Healthier

Finally, not having a car will mean that you will need to walk a bit more than you would have otherwise done, and this is a form of exercise in itself. If you keep this up for a while, you will get into good shape without needing to sign up for a gym membership. Breathing the clean, fresh air as you enjoy the scenery will remind you what a great decision you made too!

If you were wondering whether it’s worth it to get rid of your car, the reasons above should make it easier for you to decide. The benefits outweigh the perceived downsides, so go ahead and ditch it this year and start your journey in green living.

Clever Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint This Summer

April 9, 2021 2

There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint in the summer months. You can exercise more and use the car less frequently, grow a garden, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and conserve energy using energy-saving devices. Below are some specific ideas of how your and your family can reduce your carbon footprint this season.

Try a New Mode Of Transportation

Just one gallon of gasoline emits tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Cut down on using your car this summer and walk and bike in your neighborhood instead. Think about walking to the mailbox instead of driving to the local post office to mail letters. When you drive somewhere and park, walk an extra few blocks rather than drive around to nearby destinations. You do not have to park as close as possible. Consider using the bus for local transportation, as choosing public transit can reduce the number of other vehicles on the street. There are over 6 million car accidents in the United States yearly, partially due to overcrowded roads. Choose local parks and trails in your state and walk and hike locally or enjoy taking a stroll around the block instead of a nightly drive to clear your head.

Not only do cars come with harmful emissions, but they can also be expensive to maintain. Around 96% of Subarus sold during the past decade are still on the road, which means many drivers may also have to deal with expensive vehicle maintenance to keep their cars operable. You can cut down on necessary repairs by ditching your car for a bike this summer whenever possible. Biking is a great way to exercise or get from point A to point B. If you live close to where you work, walking or biking to work in good weather can be a great way to burn calories, shed a sedentary lifestyle, and reduce your environmental impact. You can bike or walk in parks, local college campuses, the neighborhood, or in the heart of the city. Don’t forget to learn the safety rules and follow them when biking or walking. Walk and bike to places a few miles near your home to start; you might find you love it so much that you try not to take the car if you don’t have to!

Plan a Garden Or Grow Plants in Pots

Plant a garden this year and start growing some herbs and vegetables. Go to a local garden center and purchase native flowers, vegetables, and herbs. You should also stop using chemical pesticides and buy organic pesticides made from natural ingredients (or make your own at home!). While Oklahoma has over 540 common pests, they can be kept out of your garden in ways that won’t harm the surrounding environment if you stick to natural pesticides and insecticides. Your garden center can tell you how to care for the plants you buy. Buy plants for the deck or patio if you don’t have the time to care for a garden. You can use the vegetables and herbs you grow when cooking. This can help you reduce the environmental impact associated with purchasing groceries that come from far-away farms. You might even consider collecting water in a rain barrel to use to water the lawn and your plants at home, thus saving water!

Use a Programmable Thermostat and Fans to Reduce Energy Consumption

Installing a programmable thermostat will help you save on your electric bill when cooling the house. This handy device can increase or decrease the temperature, even when you’re not at home. Other ways to cool the house include closing the shutters, blinds, and shades during the day. You can also use a fan instead of an air conditioner or to supplement your AC. You might even think about switching to a green energy plan powered by renewable energy. Remember to unplug appliances you’re not using and cook on the outdoor grill instead of using the oven to reduce your overall energy consumption and to keep your home more comfortable throughout the hotter months.

Eat Local and Reduce Meat Consumption

This summer, shop at your local farmers’ market where they sell local produce grown in your region. You should always aim to buy seasonal produce, as it is less expensive and can be transported in a more environmentally-friendly way. You can always prepare your vegetables in large batches and freeze for later use to reduce waste. Find some new recipes for vegetable, fruit, and pasta salads or soups and try them out this summer. Be sure to try some new fruits and vegetables you have never eaten before every week. You can also reduce meat consumption in your diet, as the meat industry can be incredibly harmful to the environment.

These tips will help you reduce your carbon footprint and help you find a way to promote green and natural living in the warmer months.

You Can Be a ‘Green Parent’ Too! 3 Simply Steps to Get You Started!

September 24, 2014 0

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by Amanda

As you may already be aware, green parenting has fast become a new trend. Even though many of us have been on this band wagon for a long time, celebrities as well as people of all walks of life are now taking steps to not only reduce their carbon footprint but their kiddo’s as well. Hooray! Green parenting can be achieved through a series of simple thoughtful changes. There are endless ways you can do your part but we’ve put together a few expert tips on how you can easily reduce your baby’s carbon footprint starting today. Here’s a list of a few of our favorites:

1. Breast is Best
It’s not like you need to hear another beneficial reason to breastfeed but know that it is the ultimate green source of food for your baby. The milk you produce will be environmentally friendly because it doesn’t need to be processed, packaged and shipped to the shops, unlike formula milk.

2. Say YES to Hand-Me-Downs
Like with most things, the main carbon and environmental impact of clothing and furniture is in its production. Taking hand-me-downs from friends and family or getting clothes from charity shops extends the life of a garment and diminishes its carbon impact. Additionally, by using second-hand cribs, high chairs, strollers, etc. you will extend the life of that object and negate the need for a new one to be created.

3. Be Smart with Washing/Drying
We all know that kids, especially babies, are incapable of staying clean for longer than five minutes. However, start being more considerate of how often you are changing their outfits and make sure that the washing you do is unavoidable. Something else to consider is drying your clothes outside on a line or inside under a fan when possible as the tumble dryer uses enormous amounts of energy and adds a big chunk on to baby’s carbon footprint.

One of the best things you can do as a parent is to create eco conscious children. Talk to your kids from a young age about the importance of a low-carbon lifestyle and explain your reasoning. They will grow up to follow your example and pass the message on to future generations!