Approaching climate change with the intention of having an impact feels much like approaching a tidal wave with an umbrella. Every day we hear so much about climate change that we end up feeling depressed and wonder if we can really make a difference at all alone or as a community or even a nation. The answer is that we can. With some lifestyle changes we can all take part in making a difference and reduce our carbon footprint on the planet. Even undertaking just a few of the suggestions below can make an impact.

Ditch Fossil Fuels

Probably the most difficult and daunting challenge is to eliminate our need to burn coal, oil and natural gas. Our entire nation’s economy and the livelihood of many other countries are built on products created with these fuels. In addition coal-fired energy provides about half of the electricity consumed in the United States and worldwide. While there are no perfect alternatives, every alternative makes a difference.

Attempting to avoid fossil fuels and their derivatives make a huge difference in the amount of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere. Choose plant derived plastics, biodiesel, wind and solar power whenever you can. Also promote change by investing in companies that are actively trying to find alternatives to fossil fuels.

Infrastructure Upgrade

Buildings are responsible for over 30% of greenhouse gases worldwide, with the U.S. leading the pack at 43%. Our power demands rise as our population grows, yet our power grids are already running at capacity. Meanwhile bad roads are lowering the fuel efficiency of cars. New infrastructure is sorely needed. Upgrading highways and transmission lines would lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as well as driving economic growth.

The only downside is the amount of cement these upgrades require, especially with the U.S. producing 50.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide as a side product of their cement creation. In order to help cut down on greenhouse gases we need to build greener buildings while finding a way to produce cement with other types of fuels.

By building energy efficient buildings now and producing less CO2 when making cement we can help to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions now and into the future.

Cut Down Your Commute

One gallon of gas produces 20 pounds of CO2, so reducing the amount your drive can have a significant impact on greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

Everyone can make a big difference by moving closer to work, using mass transit or finding another way to get to work besides driving (walking, cycling or carpool). Many companies are also open the option of having worker telecommute from home a few days a week.

Airplanes are one of the quickest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions and happen to release CO2 in the worst possible place (higher up in the atmosphere). Travel by plane is probably one of the only sources of greenhouse gas where there isn’t an alternative since jets require high-octane kerosene to get around.

Cutting down on long-distance travel is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. By using air travel only when absolutely necessary and using alternative transportation methods like trains when possible we can help cut down on airplane emissions.

Buy Less

It may sound too easy, but you can make a difference in greenhouse gas emissions just by buying and consuming less. Choose paper over plastic (or reusable cloth bags), walk instead of drive and buy less goods that require fossil fuels to produce.

When you need to buy something, consider the impact it has on the planet. For example, a small hybrid car is certainly a greener choice than a diesel truck, and it will even save you money in the long run.

When buying groceries and other products, consider the packaging the product is contained in. Opt for recyclable cardboard or glass over soft plastic, and buy bulk items if possible since they require less packaging.

Increase Efficiency

As citizens of a developed country we have developed an unhealthy habit of consuming much more than we need. One of the biggest changes we can make is a small one: get more out of less.

Driving habits can be huge gas wasters and also increase carbon dioxide levels in out atmosphere. Make your vehicle more efficient by completing regular maintenance and driving at a reasonable speed.

Any older appliance you have in your home should be replaced by a more energy efficient model. Refrigerators, air conditioners and washing machines can be large electricity wasters and can save you money when replaced with newer models.

Other small changes make a huge difference: turning off lights when leaving the room, lowering your thermostat one degree and replacing your light bulbs with fluorescent ones will not only give you more cash in the form of lower electricity bills but will also cut down on CO2 used for electricity production.

Get to Know your Food

Any corn consumed in the U.S. required barrels of oil in order to make fertilizer, as well as diesel to harvest it and transport it across the country. Even organic produce may have come from anywhere in the world, and beef, pork and poultry requires pounds of feed per pound of protein.

Trying to balance your food needs with that of a healthy planet is a difficult task, particularly since it is difficult to know where your food has come from. Even a simple change to vegetarianism can reduce an individual’s greenhouse gas production by 1.5 tons per year. Additionally less room is needed to grow crops than to keep livestock which means more trees can be planted.

Cut Down on Trees

Each year the equivalent of 33 million acres of trees are harvested. These actions in tropical regions alone result in 1.5 billion metric tons of CO2, or 20% of greenhouse gas emissions being pumped into our atmosphere.

The keys to cutting down this amount is to increase paper recycling and responsible forest management, by ensuring that an appropriate number of trees are planted to replace the ones that are being harvested.

When buying wood products try to purchase used goods or at least ensure that the wood products are sustainably harvested. We need to preserve as much of the Amazon rainforest as we can if we can every hope to combat climate change.

Pull the Plug

Unbelievably, Americans consume more energy with devices they aren’t using that ones that are on. Many of us don’t realize that even when turned off most of our appliances and gadgets are still using energy, which is why they should be unplugged when not in use.

Investing in energy efficient items not only save you money, but also reduce the amount of greenhouse gas that is released into the environment. For example, having efficient battery chargers could potentially save $100 million in energy costs and cut down on 1 million metric tons of CO2.

Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescents can certainly help, and if every American did this to one fixture in their home enough energy would be saved to power 3 million more homes. That’s huge!

Population Control

The U.N. Environmental program estimates that it takes 54 acres to provide an average human being with food, clothing and other items. As such, choosing to have a large family is also choosing to contribute to an unsustainable planet.

While many developed countries are experiencing falling birth rates, the planet has a long way to go before the population drops to a level that it can support. Probably the most significant contribution you can make to a healthier planet is choosing to limit the number of children you have.

Alternative Energy

There is a lot of potential in some of the new alternative fuels out there, from ethanol to hydrogen energy from water. Unfortunately each of these new energies has drawbacks, and it will be some time before any of them can compete with fossil fuels to fill our energy needs.

The downside to biofuel is that is has the potential to increase food prices, and can actually take more energy to make than it produces. Hydrogen needs to be created by reforming natural gas or using electricity. Currently biodiesel electric vehicles are looking like the most promising solution to cutting down on car emissions, especially since it is estimated that electricity generation in the U.S. is sufficient enough to charge all vehicles in America should they switch to plug-in hybrids, which would make a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.

The downside with plug-in hybrids is that the electricity they are using is still predominately created by burning coal. Cleaner types of energy, such as solar-thermal or nuclear power are needed before a large reduction in CO2 emissions can be reached.

Hopefully by undertaking the suggestions above, each of us can make a significant contribution in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and save our planet. If these actions do not produce results though, there is still one other option:

Geoengineering

This radical concept proposes to change the climate of the earth by blocking sunlight or cutting down or greenhouse gases on a global scale, should it be required if other, more conventional attempts fail.

Ideas include releasing sulphate into the air to cool the earth’s temperature, placing mirrors in space or covering portions of the earth with a reflective film to reflect sunlight, even putting iron in the ocean to enhance the carbon absorbing abilities of plankton and increasing the amount of cloud cover or the reflectivity of current cloud cover.

However, no one truly knows whether these actions will have the desired effect, or if they have the potential to cause more harm than good. We will certainly need some type of geoengineering to help dig the planet out of the hole we have dug for it, even if only in the form of carbon capture and storage to prevent the increase of more CO2 in the atmosphere. Hopefully this can serve as a stop-gap while we try to come up with more advancements in alternative energies and carbon reducing strategies.