Discussions - Greener Future

A major concern and topic of interest to millennials is a greener future, and being eco-friendly. The first step to that is reducing your carbon footprint. I think there are four main areas where you can reduce your carbon footprint such as transportation, energy, food and personal actions.

Transportation includes cars, trucks, buses, planes and even boats polluting our airways and waterways. Some of the simplest ways you can lower your carbon footprint is just by walking, carpooling or taking the bus. As a university student, this method is easy and practical. You can walk or bus to classes, if you are going home for the weekend take a bus or carpool with friends! Another innovative method is to buy an electric car however this is not always a practical option.

In terms of energy, Canada has a small population but we make up for that by all the energy we waste which is not a good thing. So, some easy ways we can increase our energy efficiency is to switch to LED lightbulbs and get energy efficient shower heads. The smallest changes to the temperature where you live has a huge impact as well. Try using fans or opening windows in the summer and drying your laundry in the sun. With the advancement of technology families can install systems that allow you to control your hot water and lights from apps on your phone to save energy as well.

There are many options when it comes to food, organic, locally grown, vegetables vs meat. Try to buy food from local market so the waste from imports, storing and processing foods decrease. Organic foods are able to grow naturally without chemicals. If you are looking for a new diet try being vegetarian or vegan since their carbon footprint is lower. When you are cooking foods use gas stove over an electric one. Instead of putting your leftovers in the garbage you can compost them.