Orlando, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — April 22nd is Earth Day, celebrated in more than 190 countries. Millions of people want to do their part, but some “green” habits don’t help as much as you think. While others can make a big impact. So, what really helps the planet and what doesn’t?
But some of the most common “green” habits don’t make much difference at all while others can cut your carbon footprint fast.
Community gardens like this one do more than beautify a neighborhood.
“There are some seminal cherry tomatoes over here which are native,” said Yarissa Matos-Soto.
They cut down on “food miles.” In the U.S., food typically travels about 15 hundred miles before it reaches your table. One change experts say can have an immediate effect, cutting food waste. The EPA says food is the number one item sent to landfills in the U.S., making up about 24 percent of solid waste.
Think paper bags are always better than plastic? Not necessarily. One analysis found you have to use a paper bag more than four times to beat the global impact of using one plastic bag.
And recycling does help, but only if it’s done correctly. The U.S. produces about 35 million tons of plastic waste each year, and less than 10 percent of it actually gets recycled. Contaminated recycling is one of the biggest reasons items don’t get reused. Experts say food, liquid, or the wrong materials in a bin can contaminate an entire truckload. Sending it all to a landfill instead of a recycling center.
Want to make one of the biggest differences? The United Nations says if you skip driving just two days a week, you can cut about 16 hundred pounds of carbon dioxide a year, the equivalent of planting a dozen trees. Another change with a big impact: your home energy use. The UN says lowering your thermostat just one degree in cold weather can cut energy use by up to 10 percent a year.
Plastic straws are often labeled environmental hazards, but they may not be as big of a problem as you think. Straws make up less than one percent of the plastic that’s dumped in the ocean. And one more thing, buying “eco” products doesn’t always cut emissions. Experts say using what you already own longer is often better for the planet than replacing it with something new.
Contributors to this news report include: Julie Marks, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor.
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Sources:
https://daily.jstor.org/on-earth-day/
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-material-specific-data
https://earth.org/the-biggest-environmental-problems-of-our-lifetime/
