In the face of more and more weird weather events – also known as climate change – we are all striving to lower our impact on the environment.

The phrase “carbon footprint” is pretty often used nowadays, especially in regard to how we can lower it. But before I talk about super easy ways to help our Planet, let’s take a look at what exactly carbon footprint is.

A carbon footprint is defined as: The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Source: Time for change

There are ways to calculate it and it especially if you are quite geeky. I gave it a try and according to the calculator my footprint is half of what other people in my country put out. And I’m below the target to combat climate change. So, go me!

With that in mind, here are some easy ways to help our planet when you are at home and when you travel.

Go vegan

Or at least reduce your meat and dairy consumption by a lot. Eat mostly fruits, veggies, beans, and grains. Meat and dairy productions are responsible for 14.5% of the global green house emissions. Let that sink in before you plan your next meal.

I’ve been vegan since August 2017. For years, I’ve eaten a mostly vegan diet but still had some fish and dairy. But eventually I did decide to give them up.

Planning to visit Budapest as a vegan? Check out these vegan eateries and restaurants for vegans in Hungary’s capital.

Choose local food

Aim to eat local food that is in season for most of your meals. Sure, we all love an avocado (and definitely that’s not local for me). But the bulk of the food should come from the local sources. Bonus points if you get it from the farmer’s market.

Take into account the transportation and how many resources are needed to keep the food fresh until it gets to you.

I love to explore the farmer’s market whether at home or when I travel. I’m fascinated by the local veggies and fruits, as well as how seasonality can differ from country to country.

Shop with a reusable shopping bag

My current one was given to me by my main freelance employer, but I’ve had reusable shopping bags before. And I used them a lot. I’m still getting better at this and still buy shopping bags that can be recycled.

Choose a laptop over a desktop

Laptops use a lot less energy than desktops. I’ve given up desktops in 2006 but back then it was because I wanted to be free to travel and work from anywhere. Win-win!

Also read about:
>> Gadgets to Boost Productivity and Comfort
>> Time Management & Productivity Tips, Tricks, and Tools (from an experienced location-independent freelancer)

Switch the lights off when you are not in the room

This is something that has been engrained in my mind by my late grandma. She used to yell at my late grandpa to switch off the lights if he wasn’t in the room. Of course, back then we did it to save money on energy. Now I do it to save money and to lower the impact on the environment.

Unplug the devices when you don’t use them

When we travel, we unplug everything but the fridge/freezer. On a daily basis, I always unplug the washer. And if we are away for longer hours, we also unplug our computers.

Ditch the car (or car pool)

While I do have a driver’s license, I don’t own a car nor do I rent. When we do travel by car, it’s a quick taxi ride from the store we usually get groceries from or we car pool with colleagues when we go to tango events or on trips.

Reduce the number of flights you take each year

We usually fly at most a non-stop round-trip per year. Some years ago, we did two such trips a year but we also had year when we didn’t fly at all.

My rule is to take the train if the trip takes 5 hours or less on the rail.

Use a water bottle

While I always travel with a water bottle, I’m getting better at using it when I go to tango classes, too. There are so many to choose from. My current one was picked up in a Decathlon store last year.

Walk or hike a lot

We love to walk and hike. Just the other weekend we did a 30k walk to the forest and back.

When we travel, we walk a lot and use public transportation for long distances (i.e. airport).

As much as possible, chose low-energy activities such as walking, hiking, or cycling.

Reuse whatever you can

Cute jars become pencil holders. Once street t-shirts become house only t-shirts. Hubby’s baggy t-shirts become my night attire. Old clothes become the clothes I use when I go to my parents and do a BBQ in the yard. You get the point.

Take shorter showers

I never liked to soak in the tub for hours and I have always enjoyed showers. Only that, sometimes, I got carried away and enjoyed the feeling of the water drops playing on my skin. Now, I’m more careful (plus I somehow always manage to rush to shower just before I have to go out…).

Replace old appliances with eco-friendly ones

The first thing I did when I moved on my own was to start replacing the old appliances. The fridge was ancient. And let’s say my old TV wasn’t that much better, either.

Next up were the lights. Nowadays, we have either LED or eco-friendly lights.

Have a small family

We are child-free by choice. When I decided that I wasn’t mother material, it was more about realizing what has become of this world and not wanting to bring another human being on the planet. Now, I’m glad I decided that because “the biggest ultimate impact is having one fewer child, which the researchers calculated equated to a reduction of 58 tonnes of CO2 for each year of a parent’s life.” (source: The Guardian)