There is some great news on the front lines in the war (meant literally) for the heart and minds towards the reality of climate change. Despite the sentiment represented by the White House and Donald Trump’s backing out of the Paris climate agreement, a new survey shows that seven out of 10 Americans believe climate change is a true problem. Only 13 percent of those polled don’t believe in the existence of a climate problem.
People around the world are ready to do something about the issue of climate change and support those corporations who are making an honest effort to clean up their act.
Yale and George Mason Universities confirm in their biannual survey that Americans have more of a reasonable view on issues of sustainability than a few years ago. This means it will be easier for companies to start investing more money towards sustainability and not have to worry about going broke while they’re at it. Seems like every sector is gearing up to confront global climate change and sustainability..
Here are some ways all of us can be vanguards towards changing our own behaviors in order to push change instead of sitting around and complaining about it.
1. Start by Travelling Clean
There are those who argue that electric vehicles don’t really have that big of an impact on the environment. They argue, somewhat in a silly fashion, electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 may have zero emissions, but since they are essentially powered by power plants, then that in itself makes them not truly “green.” They also explain that where such vehicles can really have a positive impact on the environment is “in certain places where most of the electricity comes from a mix of low-carbon sources such as the sun, wind or nuclear reactors.”
But the big brains at MIT have asked and answered their own question:
“Could existing electric vehicles (EVs), despite their limited driving range, bring about a meaningful reduction in the greenhouse-gas emissions that are causing global climate change? MIT Researchers have just completed the most comprehensive study yet to address this hotly debated question, and have reached a clear conclusion: Yes, they can.”
Scientists at MIT who were behind the study feel that electric vehicles very well could replace 90 percent of carbon emitting vehicles taking into account electric vehicle’s’ range and energy requirements at present.
The thing is, as time goes by, more and more are we seeing the switch to renewable energy such as geothermal, hydroelectric, solar and wind power. As a matter of fact, a new report has shown that wind turbine technician is the fastest-growing profession in the US. And where there’s jobs there is a market.
2. Consumer Demand Is Driving the Clean Energy Market
It was in 2015 that a survey showed that 81 percent of consumers are willing to make personal sacrifices in order to address social and personal issues in the world. Another 91 percent of global consumers express that they feel companies should take up more responsibility as well. And with another 90 percent going as far as to say they would boycott companies that behaved irresponsibly, the sign is in the times. The good thing however, is that the clean energy market never looked better, and rapid advances in sustainable energy (solar, first and foremost) are bringing us closer and closer to zero emission future.
We often see the now cliche term “disruptive” being thrown around in every industry as they scramble to meet consumer demand for a greener planet. Maybe this public sentiment has come as a surprise to many of these companies, as they find themselves running around desperately trying to design new technologies that will ultimately answer these hard brought questions.
3. It Is Time for Us All to Play Our Part Every Day
If we want change to continue, we all have to play our part every day and in every way we can. In order to force the industries to take responsibility, we, too, must start taking a stand within our own lives. This means travelling clean and doing little things that show we mean business. We can’t afford to be part time “green” energy or part time “environmentally” conscious.
If you are ready to make that stand, then here are some things you can start doing:
- Go around the house and unplug every possible appliance or electronic item that doesn’t need to be plugged in, to minimize the impact of energy vampires.
- Use natural egg dyes instead of artificial ones to decorate your Easter eggs. Make your own from leftover produce and other kitchen items.
- When you wash your hands in a public restroom, shake them dry instead of using a paper towel.
- If you are able to in your area, try growing a small vegetable garden. Not only does this keep you away from questionable produce but it’s also fun to have a green thumb.
- Let it mellow at home. Don’t flush the toilet unless you need to — even modern, low-flow toilets use around 1.6 gallons each flush. If you normally flush the toilets 5 times, flushing it only once will save more than 6 gallons of water.
- See if you can eat only unprocessed foods for the day: whole grains, fruits and vegetables, meats. Not only are they better for you, but they require fewer resources and less energy to produce.
- Use the Greendex calculator to see how you rank in being environmentally responsible compared to others.
- Empty out your car’s trunk. Every 50 pounds of stuff you drive around with in your car can reduce fuel economy by 1 percent.
- Buy a WaterSense-labeled showerhead. Your household can save as much as 2,900 gallons of water a year… not to mention the energy needed to heat all that water.
- Run your errands on foot or bike. Ditch the car and walk to the post office, school, or supermarket today.
