What can I do?
Climate change is a global problem, and yet each individual has the power to make a difference. We can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making some small changes in our daily behaviour. These changes won't affect our quality of life - in fact, they can help us save money.
Tips for saving energy at home
• Turn down the heat in your home. Even a small reduction of temperature saves energy.
• Insulate your home well. Seal air leaks, add more insulation and replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing. In the long term, good home insulation is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions and to save energy.
• When airing your home, open the windows for only a few minutes at a time
• Use air conditioners sparingly and look for the most energy-efficient model.
• Avoid placing your cooling equipment next to the cooker or boiler. Defrost them regularly. Let your food cool down before putting it in the fridge. When it's time to buy new equipment, choose energy-efficient models.
• Cover your pots while cooking.
• Switch to green electricity generated from climate-friendly, renewable energy sources such as wind, hydro, wood, biogas, and solar.
• Use energy-saving light bulbs. Switch off the lights when you don't need them.
• Don't leave your tv on standby. Unplug your mobile charger when you're not using it. Don't keep your computer on day and night.
• Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full. Use a tumble dryer only when absolutely necessary.
• Take a shower instead of a bath. When boiling water, boil just the amount you need. Turn off the tap while brushing teeth and fix a dripping tap.
• If you have a garden, use a push mower instead of a gas or electric mower. Compost your yard waste.
• Consume locally produced, seasonal food and eat vegetables. Food transportation and meat production both release greenhouse gases.
• Reduce waste by reusing shopping bags and choosing products that come with little packaging.
• If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle organic waste, paper, cardboard, beverage containers, and glass. Organic waste can also be composted. Recycling saves lots of the energy needed to produce a new materials. It also decreases carbon dioxide and methnane emissions, which result from landfilling waste.
Driving and travelling
Most of us need to use cars and other transportation - some more often than others. The burning of fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change. There are many small actions we can take to make driving and travelling more climate-friendly.
• When ever possible, try alternatives to driving a car - walk, cycle, carpool or use public transportation.
• Make sure you have correct tyre pressure
• Keep a steady speed when driving
• Use air conditioning sparingly.
• Try washing your car by hand or using a pressurized water jet instead of going to a car wash.
• When replacing your car, consider the fuel economy of your new vehicle
• Travel by train. Driving a car produces three times more carbon dioxide emissions than travelling the same trip by train.
• Flying is the world's fastest growing source of carbon dioxide emissions. When possible, explore alternatives to flying.