What can I do for the environment?

[Hog]

Vegan Forum recently had a thread about climate change deniers. The debate will continue for a long time. In the meantime, please give me suggestions on how I can reduce my environmental footprint. Going vegan is a move in the correct direction. Reducing consumption is also a good idea. Going on expensive vacations to experience the beauty of nature is possibly a bad idea.

 

[Lou]

I think there are two Big categories of things to do for the environment. People will argue about which is most important but they are not incompatible so let's skip the arguing and just do both.

The first one (and not necessarily in order of importance )is policy change. And this has never been more true than in 2020: Policy change requires the election of democrats. So one of the most important things YOU can do is to make sure that our elected officials are democrats. You live in one of the best states there is for enacting that kind of change*. Your state is just barely blue. Your contributions can really make a difference. Besides President, I'm fairly sure you have Federal Senate and House races. Plus all those state things. If I remember right your state is mostly controlled by Republicans - but it's close - it is something that won't be futile to work on.

Of course getting out to vote yourself is really important. But making money and time contributions to candidates is really important. Maybe as a first step contact your local chapter of MoveOn or Indivisible and see where you can help.

The second category is what you can do on an individual level. Being vegan may be the most important thing you can do to help the environment. However some articles on the subject don't even mention diet. But after gleaning mutliple articles I'm convinced a vegan diet makes the most difference. The next biggest category is transportation. Cutting out one flight a year is much easier to do when you fly ten times a year vs just once. And driving a hybird is most effective if you actually commute to work.

Then there are lots of little things you can do. They only have small effects but the idea is that there are lots of little things You Can Do.

What lifestyle changes will shrink your carbon footprint the most?

www.sciencenews.org

New Study: Vegan Diet Reduces Carbon Footprint by 73% - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

vegconomist.com

Thinking About Having a ‘Green’ Funeral? Here’s What to Know - The New York Times

www.nytimes.com

* I sometimes think i should move to Arizona or Oregon so my work can make a difference. I live in a blue city in a blue county, in a blue congressional district and in a blue state. I have to drive (literally) hundreds of miles to work against a Republican incumbent. And I have. And I will.

 

[Lou]

This just in

Climate change: Top 10 tips to reduce carbon footprint revealed - BBC News

www.bbc.com

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Great point on the politics. If you live in Arizona then voting for Democrats in both houses and the Presidency, and trying to convince one other on-the-fence family member or friend to do the same, while contributing financially to those campaigns and giving your time to those campaigns, perhaps should be your top priority for 2020. And then make your personal emissions top priority for 2021 which isn't an election year.

On the personal emissions, you are already vegan which is perhaps the no 1 thing most people can do for the environment. The next biggest thing re climate change is to reduce or stop long haul flights or even all flights. If you already do that, you can look at your home energy, buying less stuff in general, and car footprints. Let me know if you want more detail on that.

 

[Hog]

Thank you Lou and Jamie for your suggestions. Keep them coming!

Please Note:

01. I am too cheap to do airplane trips. I prefer virtual vacations on Youtube. Virtual vacations are more convenient.
02. I am too cheap to drive very much. Driving also stresses me out lately.
03. We have a family of 4 cramped in a two-bedroom apartment with 840 square feet.

Still, I feel that I need to do more.

I periodically see people dumpster dive in my neighborhood. One guy seemed unnecessarily embarrassed. I said, "You are saving the planet. Thank you for your contribution." I fear that personal vanity keeps me from doing the right things such as dumpster diving and buying clothing at Goodwill.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Vegan and no flights already ticks the two most important boxes actually, you are doing OK.

Car depends on the miles per gallon and the miles per year you do.

Apartment so you can't do solar or geothermal. You could try and reduce your electricity consumption by a certain amount. Get an electric meter and go around the house measuring what uses what. For example, I found I spent $5 a month leaving set top boxes on standby overnight, and that one of the TVs used 8W when turned off (but still plugged in) while the other drew less than 1W. So the 8W TV is unplugged if not in use. However, don't feel a need to do this if it sounds a hassle because the gains are quite small.

Given the size of the apartment, and the fact that it is in a southern state, and the fact that it is an apartment (you share heat with neighbours instead of wasting it in a detached house) the heating impact on the environment might be low. Do you use gas? If you spend $300 a year on gas or other fossil fuels for heating, then it's not such a big deal. If it's $1000 a year, you might benefit from installing insulation anyway financially. Insulation can sometimes have a 2 or 3 year payback period whether that's windows, wall insulation, or simply blocking the draft space under the door.

 

[Lou]

@ hog, forget about making all those little changes. With the diet and transportation boxes ticked, you need to work on policy change. It can be something like supporting a local progressive. Or just going to the local Biden For President office and stamping envelopes.

 

[Nekodaiden]

Vegan Forum recently had a thread about climate change deniers. The debate will continue for a long time. In the meantime, please give me suggestions on how I can reduce my environmental footprint. Going vegan is a move in the correct direction. Reducing consumption is also a good idea. Going on expensive vacations to experience the beauty of nature is possibly a bad idea.

Doubt it. Our new moderator is seeking to introduce a rule that will eliminate dissenting opinions on the topic of globalwarming/climate change based on the collectivism/majority rules power of the "we".

You can reduce your environmental footprint by ceasing to breath. If the premise (CO2 based warming) is true, all humans are "guilty" by merely taking in oxygen and expelling CO2.

 

[Luis Halson]

Doubt it. Our new moderator is seeking to introduce a rule that will eliminate dissenting opinions on the topic of globalwarming/climate change based on the collectivism/majority rules power of the "we".

You can reduce your environmental footprint by ceasing to breath. If the premise (CO2 based warming) is true, all humans are "guilty" by merely taking in oxygen and expelling CO2.

All the CO2 you breathe out originally was absorbed by plants that you ate - they grow by turning CO2 into O2 (oxygen) and sugar (which is used to make starch, cells, energy etc.), and then you eat the plant and release equal, if not less CO2 than the plant absorbed.

 

[Mischief]

Voting is the most important thing you can do for the environment. Without wide ranging policy and legal changes, anything and everything an individual does in his personal life is just a drop in the ocean.

 

[Nekodaiden]

All the CO2 you breathe out originally was absorbed by plants that you ate - they grow by turning CO2 into O2 (oxygen) and sugar (which is used to make starch, cells, energy etc.), and then you eat the plant and release equal, if not less CO2 than the plant absorbed.

The carbon cycle works for all CO2 expelled. Plants don't "differentiate" between human expelled CO2 or a coal fired plant.

 

[Hog]

Lou - I think you are correct as usual. Thank you.

Mischief - Voting, donating time, and money are great ways to support the cause. - At least you convinced me.

Nekodaiden
- I think that beliefs about global warming fall on a long spectrum.
- I would probably try to avoid attacking the moderator.
- At least, I am not the moderator. I would accidentally ruin the board in a matter of weeks.

 

[Nekodaiden]

Lou - I think you are correct as usual. Thank you.

Mischief - Voting, donating time, and money are great ways to support the cause. - At least you convinced me.

Nekodaiden
- I think that beliefs about global warming fall on a long spectrum.
- I would probably try to avoid attacking the moderator.
- At least, I am not the moderator. I would accidentally ruin the board in a matter of weeks.

I didn't 'attack' the moderator but merely pointed out what he is doing in another thread (this one). Dissenting opinions weren't a "problem" on topics before the merge and the new moderation staff. What he is proposing is nothing less than a broad sweeping thought control for several of the people on this forum that simply cannot handle opinions that differ from "mainstream".

 

[David3]

Vegan Forum recently had a thread about climate change deniers. The debate will continue for a long time. In the meantime, please give me suggestions on how I can reduce my environmental footprint. Going vegan is a move in the correct direction. Reducing consumption is also a good idea. Going on expensive vacations to experience the beauty of nature is possibly a bad idea.

Hi Hog,

Electricity generation in Arizona is fairly clean, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Arizona generates a small % of its electricity from coal: Arizona - State Energy Profile Overview - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Although the U.S Environmental Protection Agency is currently led by Andrew Wheeler (a former coal lobbyist), the EPA website does include information about greenhouse gas emissions and their sources: Greenhouse Gas Emissions | US EPA

Here is a graph of U.S. greenhouse gas sources:
Link: Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions | US EPA

This can serve as a guide to personal action to fight climate change, but the biggest needed changes are systemic - major overhauls to world electricity generation, agriculture, forestry, industry, and transportation. These changes require huge investment by government and industry.




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[Daniel Swords]

I believe my duty to the planet is to minimize the negative impacts of my temporary existence
Therefore:
• I will avoid trespassing in paradises
• I will leave nature as I find it
• I will respect and be considerate of other beings
• I will minimize my material possessions
• I will make conscientious consumption choices
• I will minimize my use of energy and my waste production
• I will dispose of my waste and sewage properly

 

[beforewisdom]

In the meantime, please give me suggestions on how I can reduce my environmental footprint.

The top thing you can do is that if you don't have children yet is to limit yourself to making 2 children of your own and adopting the rest if you want more.

First world countries have lower populations but per capita they use about 11 times the resources as the third world per capita. Same for pollution generation. Even environmentally conscientious people do this as much of it is built into our infrastructures.

Beyond that I would not get caught up in minutia. Do the most effective things an ordinary person acting on their own, a consumer can do and do not worry so much about less effective activities:

A list of the most effective environmental activities an ordinary person can do

 

[veggannie94]

Hey! I think that to help the environment we should reduce our material goods. Does that make us happy? Rather than spending money on rubbish it's better to invest it, to help ourselves..And not gather things. I started reducing my things about one year ago because I decided that it's better to go for an amazing trip rather than buy another clothes that I don't wear. It makes me really better because I can save money and also help the environment..Of course, small steps are needed to make our lives better!

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Yes, I agree. I am fairly minimalist. Most of my possessions I have either had for years or were given to me as presents. However, being more minimalist only works as an environmental strategy if you look at the whole picture.

You have saved $$ so what are you going to spend it on? If you save up the money and use it to help retire earlier or quit your boring but well paid corporate job to be your own boss and work from home and earn less money, it's a win-win. But, if the money just gets spent on something else later, there is no net benefit (unless it is donating to environmental causes or tree planting etc).

 

[Hog]

My older son is autistic. Thus, I invest heavily in index funds. I retired early to take care of my wife who is on disability. We still manage to save lots of money. This may sound strange, but, I make no compromises about our quality of living. I am a world traveler thanks to Youtube. No lines. No waits or worries. I go first-class all the way. I frequently travel in my 3D, 360 VR headset. (Expect to pay $10 for a good headset.)

There is nothing in the world that I want. Actually, I want opposable toes, a tail, and wings. But, my doctor said there is not a surgery for that yet.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Hog, it looks like your previously mentioned feelings of guilt just for using air-con and heating are probably misplaced since you don't seem to have a high carbon lifestyle at all. So I wouldn't let this stuff bother you too much or leave any sleep over it, I don't see the point. You seem to be very humble and thoughtful and caring.

That being said.......about funds...Many (most?) funds have at least some of the money invested in fossil fuel companies.

I chose 3 ethical/sustainable funds instead (via Fidelity). If anyone wants to look them up, I have:

FP WHEB Sustainability Fund Class C Acc
Impax Environmental Markets
Landlord Account M&G Positive Impact Fund I Acc

Since I invested in them, I think I slightly beat the stock market average.

Bank accounts are more difficult because almost all of them, especially mainstream ones, are invested in fossil fuels to a greater or lesser degree.

Particularly bad banks in the US for fossil fuel investment include JPMorgan Chase, Citi and Bank of America. For the UK, Triodos and maybe the Co-Op are free of fossil fuels.

I wrote to my pension provider Standard Life in April and they have investments in Shell and BP so I'll probably change pension fund at some point.

But the amounts matter. Someone who rarely goes above $1000 in their bank account and has no savings is contributing a miniscule amount to fossil fuel companies, while someone with $50,000 savings really could do a lot of good by being thoughtful about who it gets invested with. As usual, it's the rich rather than the poor that are causing the most climate change.