Washington,
D.C.----As we head into 2012, many of us will be resolving to
lose those few extra pounds, save more money, or spend a few more hours with
our families and friends. But there are also some resolutions we can make to
make our lives a little greener. Each of us, especially in the United States,
can make a commitment to reducing our environmental impacts.
"The
global community, and particularly people living in industrialized societies,
have put unsustainable demands on our planet's limited resources," says
Robert Engelman, President of the Worldwatch Institute, a global
environmental research organization based on Washington, D.C. "If we
expect to be able to feed, shelter, and provide even basic living conditions
to our growing population in years to come, we must act now to change."
The
United Nations has designated 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable
Energy for All. Broadening access to sustainable energy is essential to
solving many of the world's challenges, including food production, security,
and poverty. "With so many hungry and poor in the world, addressing
these issues is critical," says Danielle Nierenberg, director of
Worldwatch's Nourishing the Planet project. "Fortunately, the solutions
to these problems can come from simple innovations and practices."
The
Nourishing the Planet team recently traveled to 25 countries in sub-Saharan
Africa, and will be soon traveling to Latin America, to research and
highlight such solutions. The project shines a spotlight on innovations in
agriculture that can help alleviate hunger and poverty while also protecting
the environment. These innovations are elaborated in Worldwatch's flagship
annual report, State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the
Planet.
Hunger,
poverty, and climate change are issues that we can all help address. Here are
12 simple steps to go green in 2012:
Recycling
programs exist in cities and towns across the United States, helping to save
energy and protect the environment. In 2009, San Francisco became the first
U.S. city to require all homes and businesses to use recycling and composting
collection programs. As a result, more than 75 percent of all material
collected is being recycled, diverting 1.6 million tons from the landfills
annually----double the weight of
the Golden Gate Bridge. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, for each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy
resources necessary to generate roughly 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity----enough to power a city the size of
Pittsburgh for six years!
What
you can do:
- Put a separate
container next to your trash can or printer, making it easier to recycle
your bottles, cans, and paper.
(2)
Turn off the lights
On the
last Saturday in March----March 31
in 2012----hundreds of people,
businesses, and governments around the world turn off their lights for an
hour as part of Earth Hour, a movement to address climate change.
What
you can do:
- Earth Hour happens
only once a year, but you can make an impact every day by turning off
lights during bright daylight, or whenever you will be away for an
extended period of time.
(3)
Make the switch
In
2007, Australia became the first country to "ban the bulb,"
drastically reducing domestic usage of incandescent light bulbs. By late
2010, incandescent bulbs had been totally phased out, and, according to the
country's environment minister, this simple move has made a big difference,
cutting an estimated 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2012.
China also recently pledged to replace the 1 billion incandescent bulbs used
in its government offices with more energy efficient models within five
years.
What
you can do:
- A bill in Congress to
eliminate incandescent in the United States failed in 2011, but you can
still make the switch at home. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use only
20-30 percent of the energy required by incandescents to create the same
amount of light, and LEDs use only 10 percent, helping reduce both
electric bills and carbon emissions.
(4)
Turn on the tap
The
bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010, generating
nearly $11 billion in profits. Yet plastic water bottles create huge
environmental problems. The energy required to produce and transport these
bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a year, yet
approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not recycled----they end up in landfills, litter
roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans. And while public tap water is
subject to strict safety regulations, the bottled water industry is not
required to report testing results for its products. According to a study, 10
of the most popular brands of bottled water contain a wide range of
pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, fertilizer residue, and arsenic.
What
you can do:
- Fill up your glasses
and reusable water bottles with water from the sink. The United States
has more than 160,000 public water systems, and by eliminating bottled
water you can help to keep nearly 1 million tons of bottles out of the
landfill, as well as save money on water costs.
(5)
Turn down the heat
The
U.S. Department of Energy estimates that consumers can save up to 15 percent
on heating and cooling bills just by adjusting their thermostats. Turning
down the heat by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit for eight hours can result in
savings of 5-15 percent on your home heating bill.
What
you can do:
- Turn down your
thermostat when you leave for work, or use a programmable thermostat to
control your heating settings.
(6)
Support food recovery programs
Each
year, roughly a third of all food produced for human consumption----approximately 1.3 billion tons----gets lost or wasted, including 34
million tons in the United States, according to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO). Grocery stores, bakeries, and other food
providers throw away tons of food daily that is perfectly edible but is
cosmetically imperfect or has passed its expiration date. In response, food
recovery programs run by homeless shelters or food banks collect this food
and use it to provide meals for the hungry, helping to divert food away from
landfills and into the bellies of people who need it most.
What
you can do:
- Encourage your local
restaurants and grocery stores to partner with food rescue
organizations, like City Harvest in New York City or Second Harvest
Heartland in Minnesota.
- Go through your
cabinets and shelves and donate any non-perishable canned and dried
foods that you won't be using to your nearest food bank or shelter.
(7)
Buy local
"Small
Business Saturday," falling between "Black Friday" and
"Cyber Monday," was established in 2010 as a way to support small
businesses during the busiest shopping time of the year. Author and consumer
advocate Michael Shuman argues that local small businesses are more
sustainable because they are often more accountable for their actions, have
smaller environmental footprints, and innovate to meet local conditions----providing models for others to learn
from.
What
you can do:
- Instead of relying
exclusively on large supermarkets, consider farmers markets and local
farms for your produce, eggs, dairy, and meat. Food from these sources
is usually fresher and more flavorful, and your money will be going
directly to these food producers.
(8)
Get out and ride
We all
know that carpooling and using public transportation helps cut down on
greenhouse gas emissions, as well as our gas bills. Now, cities across the
country are investing in new mobility options that provide exercise and offer
an alternative to being cramped in subways or buses. Chicago, Denver,
Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C. have major bike sharing programs that allow
people to rent bikes for short-term use. Similar programs exist in other
cities, and more are planned for places from Miami, Florida, to Madison,
Wisconsin.
What
you can do:
- If available, use your
city's bike share program to run short errands or commute to work.
Memberships are generally inexpensive (only $75 for the year in
Washington, D.C.), and by eliminating transportation costs, as well as a
gym membership, you can save quite a bit of money!
- Even if without bike
share programs, many cities and towns are incorporating bike lanes and
trails, making it easier and safer to use your bike for transportation
and recreation.
(9)
Share a car
Car
sharing programs spread from Europe to the United States nearly 13 years ago
and are increasingly popular, with U.S. membership jumping 117 percent
between 2007 and 2009. According to the University of California
Transportation Center, each shared car replaces 15 personally owned vehicles,
and roughly 80 percent of more than 6,000 car-sharing households surveyed
across North America got rid of their cars after joining a sharing service.
In 2009, car-sharing was credited with reducing U.S. carbon emissions by more
than 482,000 tons. Innovative programs such as Chicago's I-GO are even
introducing solar-powered cars to their fleets, making the impact of these
programs even more eco-friendly.
What
you can do:
- Join a car share
program! As of July 2011, there were 26 such programs in the U.S., with
more than 560,000 people sharing over 10,000 vehicles. Even if you don't
want to get rid of your own car, using a shared car when traveling in a
city can greatly reduce the challenges of finding parking (car share
programs have their own designated spots), as well as your environmental
impact as you run errands or commute to work.
(10)
Plant a garden
Whether
you live in a studio loft or a suburban McMansion, growing your own
vegetables is a simple way to bring fresh and nutritious food literally to
your doorstep. Researchers at the FAO and the United Nations Development
Programme estimate that 200 million city dwellers around the world are
already growing and selling their own food, feeding some 800 million of their
neighbors. Growing a garden doesn't have to take up a lot of space, and in
light of high food prices and recent food safety scares, even a small plot
can make a big impact on your diet and wallet.
What
you can do:
- Plant some lettuce in
a window box. Lettuce seeds are cheap and easy to find, and when planted
in full sun, one window box can provide enough to make several salads
worth throughout a season.
(11)
Compost
And
what better way to fertilize your garden than using your own composted organic
waste. You will not only reduce costs by buying less fertilizer, but you will
also help to cut down on food and other organic waste.
What
you can do:
- If you are unsure
about the right ways to compost, websites such as HowToCompost.org and
organizations such as the U.S. Composting Council, provide easy steps to
reuse your organic waste.
(12)
Reduce your meat consumption
Livestock
production accounts for about 18 percent of all human-caused greenhouse gas
emissions and accounts for about 23 percent of all global water used in
agriculture. Yet global meat production has experienced a 20 percent growth
rate since 2000 to meet the per capita increase of meat consumption of about
42 kilograms.
What
you can do:
- You don't have to
become a vegetarian or vegan, but by simply cutting down on the amount
of meat you consume can go a long way. Consider substituting one meal
day with a vegetarian option. And if you are unable to think of how to
substitute your meat-heavy diet, websites such as Meatless Monday and
Eating Well offer numerous vegetarian recipes that are healthy for you
and the environment.
The
most successful and lasting New Year's resolutions are those that are
practiced regularly and have an important goal. Watching the ball drop in
Times Square happens only once a year, but for more and more people across
the world, the impacts of hunger, poverty, and climate change are felt every
day. Thankfully, simple practices, such as recycling or riding a bike, can
have great impact. As we prepare to ring in the new year, let's all resolve
to make 2012 a healthier, happier, and greener year for all.
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