January 1, 2021 By Jared Umphress
As the clock strikes 12 am, I am sure many are thinking, what are some steps I can take to live a more sustainable lifestyle? Well lucky for you, this article will provide 7 resolutions to live a more environmentally sound lifestyle! These actions will be ways to reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact.
1. Reduce red meat consumption
This is one of the most effective ways to lower your contribution to climate change, water, land, and resource usage. Start out by eating beef only once per week, then once per month, until you eat it only on occasion. For those who like hamburgers, you can try the indistinguishable plant based burgers from Carls Jr, and Patch Burger.
2. Minimize your waste
Try and recycle and compost as much as possible. Composting involves turning food scraps, yard scraps, and napkins into usable soil. One idea is repurposing a plastic bottle into a plant pot. Electronics can be recycled at Goodwill. Hazardous waste such as chemical products can be dropped off at Yolo County Central Landfill Fridays and Saturdays 7:30 am to 3:30 pm.
3. Minimize your buying
Ask yourself, is this item I’m buying going to add value to my life? Instead of participating in mass consumption, buy less. For clothing, which contributes to 10% global emissions, consider buying thrifted clothes, or environmentally conscious brands such as fordays.com. After you’re done with the clothing, you can return it and they will recycle the material, while giving you a discount on your next purchase.
More on eco-friendly products: https://theecosoldier.com/2020/12/14/realtreeorfaketree/
4. Travel greener
Bike as much as possible, and when things return to normal, carpool. When it comes time to replace your car, consider a hybrid or electric vehicle which has produce far fewer greenhouse gases. When traveling by plane consider offsetting some of the damage by purchasing offsets on websites like https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/collections/projects
5. Raise a native plant to your area
Once established native plants only require natural rainfall, and attract beneficial wildlife to your area. Either volunteer to plant natives in your community, or add one to your home.
For example, California Fuchsia (shown above) is an easy California Native to add to your garden. Sun: Plant in a sunny outdoor location Soil: Standard Potting mix, or native soil Water: When there is no rainfall, water every 7-10 days. After two years you can water in early fall, get natural winter rainfall, then water once a month at the most during the summer. Notes: Attracts hummingbirds, trim in the fall
6. Conserve Energy
One of the most underrated green energies is to simply reduce the amount of energy you use. So, turn down the thermostat during winter months, and reduce AC usage during the summer; especially during peak hours. Another small resolution is to not leave the shower running, and turn off the water when scrubbing. If possible, switch the source of energy you purchase to renewable energies. For example, SMUD charges as little as $8 more to get your energy from 100% renewables. If you think it is an extra cost, it is the same cost as a couple of coffees a month.
7. Get Involved
Volunteer and get involved in your local organizations. Educate yourself and have discussions with friends and family. (Shameless plug) Recommend this website. And finally, advocate for what you believe will bring a better planet in the future.
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/best-way-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-one-government-isn-t-telling-you-about Images: https://foodspike.co.uk/vegans-questions-avoid/ https://www.illinoiscleanenergy.org/natural-areas-program/k-12-pollinator-schools-program https://environmentaldefence.ca/2020/12/24/will-2021-be-a-good-year-for-the-environment-here-are-our-predictions/
So let me know in the comments, what is one resolution that you will try to add to your life this upcoming year?
The Eco Soldier 
Hello! Very informative article, thank you for the ideas of how we can reduce our carbon foot print this new year. I have been thinking of planting some natives in my yard that attract hummingbirds since we seem to have an abundance of them. For now, we have a hummingbird feeder. Out of curiosity, do you believe there are drawbacks of having a hummingbird feeder instead of a native plant to supply them with nectar?
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I myself have thought about buying a hummingbird feeder. They are successful in attracting hummingbirds, but they do not come without harms. First, make sure you keep the feeder at least five feet away from windows to prevent hummingbird collisions. Since feeders concentrate all the nectar into one area, it could cause conflict between big groups of hummingbirds; where they may engage in a javelin battle with their beaks. Also, hummingbirds have naturally evolved alongside flowers and serve the purpose of pollinating, which in the case of feeders they are not doing. Finally, according to Audubon Society, feeders need to be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned in order to prevent pathogenic growth, which could infect the hummingbirds. Cleaning could be up to every two days during hot periods.
All of this sounds pretty debbie downer, but you could still use hummingbird feeders. Just make sure to clean it thoroughly every 4-7 days, and have it alongside native plants.
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Thanks for the info Jared! I will be sure to keep that in mind 🙂
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Happy New Year! Thank you for these great suggestions and reminders. Do you have any references or articles that list the native plants for specific regions? I’d like to start researching so I can prepare to replace or add native plants to our backyard in springtime. Thanks in advance!
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Great to hear that you will be adding natives to your backyard! In the website https://calscape.org you can go to the map and actually click the city you live in, and it will provide a list to all the plants that are native to that area.
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Awesome, thank you! Keep up the great work!
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Btw, I came across this article and wondered what your thoughts are about this innovation.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/world-economic-forum_step-into-the-future-for-more-ideas-and-activity-6749447920120074240-S_Fq
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I am excited about its release and watching some reviews about it. Making flip flops out of algae lipids is definetily a sep up from petroleum extracted via drill. My concern is over the ease of its biodegradability. With biodegradable plastics they must be placed in compost piles in order to break down, but they make take over a year. The flip flop is supposed to breakdown in 18 weeks within a compost pile; hopefully that is true.
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Another good burger joint in SoCal is Monty’s Good Burger. What are some other fast food or restaurant options for a person attempting to transition to a diet with decreased meat consumption?
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Taco Bell has a vegetarian menu that can be made vegan. For the majority of pizza places, you can ask for no cheese, then add your own vegan cheese; I add tofu. I know that Indian restaurants are a non fast food restaurant that have plenty of plant based meals. I myself am only entering the field of vegan foods, and am open to any other suggestions by members!
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Chipotle is one of my favorites – they make a delicious vegetarian burrito for $6.50. Qdoba is similar with their grilled fajita veggie burrito (or burrito bowl). Both places allow you to pick which planet friendly items you want on your burrito.
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Thank you for the suggestions, I will try those for myself!
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