How You Can Help Make A Positive Difference Towards Climate Change And Pollution

In the past few decades, greenhouse gasses have negatively effected almost all aspects of todays society. This is problematic, because not only are there a variety of challenges to deal with right now, like tons of pollution, but it has also resulted in other things like global warming, negative health effects, displacement of humans, a reduction in wildlife populations, and much more. The truth is that we need to do everything in our power in order to eliminate these issues and focus on the best possible outcome for years to come. We are here to talk about what has brought these greenhouse gasses into our daily lives, and also how WE as individuals can help make a difference and stop this issue from becoming even worse than what it already is at this particular time.

Which Gasses Contribute To The Greenhouse Effect?

It’s important to note that multiple greenhouse gasses contribute to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide for example is known for being responsible for around 53% of the global pollution levels at this particular time. In addition, we also have methane, which amounts to about 15% of the greenhouse gas in the world. The problem with methane is that it’s generated from oil and natural gas distribution, sewage treatments, agriculture, but also livestock production, among many others. It’s said to last for up to 12 years in the atmosphere.

When we talk about what causes the greenhouse effect, we also have to note halogenated compounds. These are responsible for approximately 11% of all greenhouse gasses emitted, and they are mostly generated as a result of chemical production in various different industries. These can last in our atmosphere from a few months to thousands upon thousands of years.

Another one of the gases contributing to the greenhouse effect is tropospheric ozone. It also contributes to approximately 11% of greenhouse gases. It’s created as a reaction between volatile organic compounds, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and many others. Nitrous oxide also contributes 11% to our total greenhouse gases, and this one comes from using fertilizers, sewage treatment and chemical production. It is thought to last up to ~114 years in the atmosphere from its original release/creation time, so it’s extremely problematic and will leave a negative impact for generations to come.

What Are The Causes Of The Greenhouse Effect?

It’s important to know exactly what the greenhouse effect is and that global warming is created from multiple factors, including when we are burning fossil fuels for transportation or various industry sectors. Burning and using fossil fuels is very problematic, but we do have an incredible reliance on fossil fuel products in our everyday lives. From the gas in your vehicle to the device you are reading this on, or from the heat in your home to the plastic water bottle you may typically drink from, we are extremely dependent on the use of fossil fuels.

The fact that the US produces around a third of greenhouse emissions is troubling, especially as there are 100's of companies which directly contribute to creating large amounts of green house gases. The most notable offenders are coal and oil producers who account for 71% of all carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere every year.

The greenhouse effect, which is caused by burning fuels and generating pollutants in the air from these activities, must be taken seriously. We need to take action now before it's too late.

Time is of the essence, because not only are greenhouse gasses contributing to the speed of global warming, we are also dealing with a vast range of other problems that stem from human activity. We need to do all that we can NOW in order to eliminate the collapse of the world as we know it and truly focus on a greener sustainable future. Even if the smallest contribution may not seem like a lot at first, any positive impact can add up to make a much larger difference if we all work together.

How You Can Reduce Green House Gases & Pollution

Greenhouse gases are a major contributor to climate change, but there are many solutions that can help reduce their impact. The most important thing is for people and industries to simply be aware of the problem caused by greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide among others. Some simple ways we could do this would include using less energy at home or taking public transportation rather than cars when possible.

Greenhouse gas emissions contribute significantly towards global warming; however much of it comes from everyday activities like driving our personal vehicles or heating up water in homes across the world- therefore they’re not difficult problems to solve if awareness was more widespread about how these actions affect us all on a broader scale throughout time.

Below we've organized a few ideas of how you can reduce your carbon footprint and lower the overall amount of greenhouse gasses and pollution!

Composting At Home

Composting is the process of decomposing organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings. Many people compost to reduce their environmental impact by returning nutrients back into soil which help plants grow better. Compost has many benefits including improving plant health in home gardens or yards, reducing weeds between planted rows, adding more vegetables per square foot of land space with healthy soils that contain a mix of minerals for optimal growth conditions and producing healthier fruits on trees like apples and pears.

Composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions from taking place because if it wasn't done properly then methane would be released instead which not only contributes to climate change but also smells terrible when improperly managed too! By creating compost instead of sending your scraps to the landfill you will be giving them the opportunity to decompose naturally and give nutrients back to our soil and plant life. Making for less space taken up at landfills and a better garden for free!

Recycling & Using Less Single Use Items

The benefits of recycling can have a huge positive impact on the environment. We have a full article on what exactly recycling numbers mean so you can recycle better!

But to put it shortly, recycling is a great way to reduce trash sent to landfills, be more mindful of your plastic and paper consumption, give a second life to 'single use' items, and help utilize sustainable practices to make the earth a better place! Recycling one ton of plastic can save about 2300 gallons worth of oil and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by four pounds, while also conserving water, energy, and a plethora other resources that are used to create new plastics from raw materials.

For example, Plastic water bottles use a petroleum product called polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which requires giant amounts of fossil fuels to make and transport. In order to supply the United States demand for plastic bottles approximately 63 billion gallons of oil (or 1.5 Billion Barrels) are used each year for the production and transportation of plastic bottles. It also takes a quarter (1/4) of 1 Liter of oil to create a single 1 Liter plastic bottle!

Most towns and cities have FREE recycling centers so there's no reason not to do your part and recycle!

Grow Your Own Fruit & Vegetables

Gardening is a great environmentally friendly activity with multiple benefits. It helps reduce the use of gas and other pollutants as it lessens the need to travel places for many veggies and fruits, which in turn reduces carbon dioxide emissions into our atmosphere. Gardening also releases oxygen that aids photosynthesis while at the same time absorbing greenhouse gases in the air like methane. Composting is also a great way to reduce waste and contribute to your garden!

Gardening can provide you with sustainable food sources, reduce your reliance on chain stores, incorporate healthier foods in your normal diet habits, save you a ton of money, and be a great way to help your community or neighborhood members by giving away any excess fruits or veggies. Plus caring for your garden will help you get more outdoors time which is always good for your physical & mental health.

Plant Trees In Empty Property Space 

Planting trees has been shown to help reduce greenhouse gasses. It is estimated that a single tree can absorb 1 ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime and this removes it from the atmosphere via photosynthesis.

Planting trees have long been known to be good for our environment by removing excess amounts of carbon dioxide through their capacity as natural filters, but now we are able go one step further thanks to new scientific research published recently in Nature Climate Change journal which suggests planting more than two trillion additional trees could reduce global temperatures enough so they do not breach dangerous levels during future heatwaves. 

Plus, trees also provide a long list of other benefits including soil stability, creation of ecosystems, homes for other plants and animals, shade from the heat of our sun, use for sustainable production processes, noise pollution reduction, and so much more!

Start Using Sustainable Transportation Methods

The thing we need to keep in mind right now is that having the right transportation habits can really make a huge difference. Carpooling and ride sharing is an excellent opportunity to use less fuel, less wear and tear on ones vehicle and its needed components (spark plugs, tires, oil, etc.) and you can create new relationships with others! We know that Covid-19 creates a barrier between using ride sharing opportunities but we hope you keep this option in mind when things are back to normalcy.

Your driving habits also make a difference, try using cruise control more often and less excessive acceleration to get better gas mileage and overall use less fuel. There's no sense in speeding especially when in a city as you're likely to catch a red light anyways, not only will your car be thankful for your mindful driving habits but so will other drivers.

There are a number of different transportation methods available to you as well, all with their own benefits. For example, biking or walking will not only benefit your health but also reduce costs and pollution emissions by using less gas/petrol for cars.

Change Your Daily Habits

Your habits at home and in public can make a big impact when you take a step back and think more of the long term effect of your actions. For example, when buying a few items at the store think about opting out of getting a bag or hey bring your own Earth Culture Re-Usable bag. Instead of buying a plastic bottle of water or case of bottles why not buy a filter for home and fill up your own Earth Culture Tumbler Bottle.

How many times in the day to you leave the lights or tv on when not in a room? Or how many times have you left the water running while brushing your teeth or washing your hands? Have you ever heard the saying "If it's yellow let it mellow, if its brown flush it down."  there are a multitude of ways to make better choices but it all starts with taking a step back and realizing the little things and how they really add up!

During the winter or colder months, you can take some steps to reduce your use of fossil fuels and even save some money in the process! Try lowering your homes temperature when at work or out of the house for an extended period of time (of course only if no one else is home) or make sure their are no areas with a draft such as windows and doors. Preventing drafts will keep the warm air in your home and keep the cold air out! Also if possible update your insulation, doors, windows, and HVAC system to get long term results while increasing your homes value.

And during the hotter months run your AC in intervals and run your AC slightly colder at night or early morning so it is easier to cool your home. You can also utilize your fan setting when its cooler outside to help pump in the naturally cool air. If it's really sunny outside be sure to close your curtains and window blinds to reduce the suns heat inside your home.

Make Some Changes To Your Diet

Eating sustainable, organic food can reduce your carbon footprint. The farming industry contributes to about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and is a major factor in global warming. It takes more than 400 gallons of water per day for one person just to eat their daily diet from conventionally grown produce that has been treated with pesticides (which also contaminate nearby soil and waterways).

Buying local or regional foods are generally better options because they don't have as much packaging waste associated with them when compared to being shipped over long distances. They also require less fossil fuels being used during transport as many food items bought at large retail stores such as Walmart, Target, Kroger, Etc. are shipped from around the world. 

The rise of sustainability is changing how we eat, and it's no different for meat products. Here are a few reasons why you should consider sustainable meats to help reduce your carbon footprint when eating out or grocery shopping:
1) Eating grass-fed beef can cut methane emissions by 11% compared with grain-finished cattle 2) When cows graze their carbon footprints stay smaller 3) Animal welfare - not only do animals have more space to move around but they also live longer lives on pasture 4) Free range means healthier soil for future use as grazing/roaming pastures 5). Creating less overall will also reduce the amount of excessive food waste and lower food prices  6). Last but certainly not least is the reduced environmental cost associated with pesticides, fertilizers & herbicides that come along using unsustainable farming practices! 

Educate Others & Spread Awareness

One way that we can reduce greenhouse gases is by educating others on how to do so. We need our immediate communities to be aware of what they are doing and why it affects the environment in negative ways, as well as teach them about sustainable living practices such as recycling or composting.

That's why we at Earth Culture are doing our part to spread awareness and incorporate our message into our selection of purposeful apparel and sustainable products! Be sure to check out our store and see what's currently available!

Conclusion

It’s never going to be easy to deal with greenhouse gasses and the greenhouse effect. However, simple changes made by all of us can really make a huge difference. As soon as we start eliminating these bad habits and start focusing on how our choices affect the world around us, nothing can stand in our way of being the change. But we need to understand just how bad pollution, waste, the greenhouse effect and global warming really are right now. As soon as we understand that, things will be a lot better. We need to come together and contribute to the universal way of eliminating these greenhouse gasses, becoming more sustainable, being less reliant on large retail stores, giving back to our planet, and helping others with information or otherwise we will face a very bleak future.