Welcome to 2018. The ECRG wish you a year full of well health, happiness and success. We hope the start of a new year brings an exciting freshness and new opportunities to you. We, the ECRG, have a busy start to the year. In the past months, we have had three successful Masters defences, two undergraduate degree completions, representation at COP23 in Bonn by four of our team, and many more other successes. We welcome 2018 with three of our team spending time in the Arctic with partner communities to initiate new research and disseminate research findings, continual collaboration with research partners in Fiji, and hard work all around.
As we enter a new year, we encourage you to take this time to think about the everyday choices you make. We have made a list of just some small changes you can make in your life to better the planet. Do you already do some of these? If so, keep going! Perhaps there are some things on the list you do sometimes but could do with improvement.
Every day we make choices in our lives that affect the environment, the climate and other species. From what we eat to how many children we decide to have, there's a lot we can do to “choose wild” and reduce our environmental footprint to leave more room for wild animals and plants.
1. Think twice before shopping
“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” may feel retro, but it's just as important today as when the phrase was first coined. Every product we purchase has an environmental footprint, from the materials used to create it to the pollution emitted during manufacturing to the packaging that ends up in landfills. So, before you buy, ask yourself if you really need it. If you do, consider buying gently used instead of new, and look for minimal packaging and shipping.
Watch The Story of Stuff and learn more about the zero waste movement.
2. Ditch the plastic
Plastic never goes away. Today billions of pounds of it can be found in swirling convergences making up about 40 percent of the world's ocean surfaces. Every year thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed after ingesting plastic or getting tangled up in it. You can start cutting down on your plastic waste in a few simple steps: always bring reusable bags when you shop, ditch one-time use water bottles and avoid products made from or packaged in plastic whenever possible (e.g. select unwrapped produce at the grocery store, shop local, cut down on online shopping.)
Learn more about plastics pollution in our oceans.
3. Boycott products that endanger wildlife
Products made from animals on the endangered species list are illegal to buy, sell, import or trade in the United States, but if a plant or animal hasn't been listed yet, they can still be harmed for someone's profit. Also, some products harm endangered species by threatening their habitat, from cutting down old-growth forests to using up the water that riparian species need to survive. To avoid contributing to the endangerment of wildlife, shop conscientiously and look for products made from sustainable materials like bamboo and dine at restaurants that refuse to serve imperilled species like bluefin tuna.
Join the Bluefin Boycott and learn more about protecting ancient forests.
4. Pay attention to labels
From coffee to fruit to clothing, the number of options out there can get overwhelming — but there are some clear leaders when it comes to minimizing your impact on wildlife and the planet. If you're a coffee drinker, look for “shade-grown” coffee, which is grown while keeping forest habitats intact for migratory birds and other species. Choose Fair Trade certified goods when possible to support companies dedicated to sustainable production and paying labourers a fair wage. Buy organic food whenever possible; it may cost a little more, but it keeps harmful pesticides out of our land and water, protecting farm workers, wildlife and your family.
Check out Shop Ethical!'s guide that draws into one place information on the environmental and social track record of the companies behind common brands.
5. Be water wise
Skip the bottled water. Bottled water companies try to give tap water a bad name, even though the water from your faucet is practically free and much city water has won quality tests and taste tests against name-brand water. And the extraction of water and production of all those plastic bottles is notoriously harmful to communities and wildlife. Water conservation is also critical, especially as our growing population puts increased demand on the nation's water sources and we face unprecedented droughts. You can conserve water by taking shorter showers, fixing leaky toilets, and choosing low-flow and low-water appliance options. Also, consider xeriscaping your yard, a landscaping technique that uses native, drought-adapted plants that require less water and maintenance over time, and provide habitat and food for birds and bees.
Check out The Story of Bottled Water.
6. Drive less, drive green
Changing your driving habits can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation whenever possible. Combine errands to make fewer trips. Participate in, or start, car-free days in your community. It's also important to keep your car in shape with regular tune-ups and tire inflations. Tune-ups can increase your fuel efficiency by 4 percent to 40 percent, and if every American kept his or her tires inflated, gas use nationwide would decrease by 2 percent.
Learn more about transportation and global warming.
Learn more about transportation and climate change.
7. Green your home
Just as keeping your car in shape improves your fuel efficiency, keeping your home in shape improves your energy efficiency. Make sure your home has adequate insulation and energy-saving windows, and use a programmable thermostat for more efficient heating and cooling — and, of course, energy-saving lightbulbs for more efficient lighting. Many states now offer incentives to help you green your home or rental at low or no cost. Call your energy provider to see if it offers free energy audits or knows of a company that does.
For more tips on greening your home, check out these neat tips.
8. Take extinction off your plate - eat less meat
Meat production is one of the most environmentally destructive industries on the planet, responsible for massive amounts of water use, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and habitat destruction. You have three chances a day to improve the health of the planet — by reducing your meat consumption you can reduce your environmental footprint. Eating locally sourced fruits and vegetables also lowers the amount of fossil fuel used to transport food over long distances.
Learn more about how to adopt an Earth-friendly diet.
Thanks for reading. We encourage you to do your best in 2018 to protect our precious planet. Every effort makes a difference.
Remember...
Written by Renee Currenti
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