Earth911’s Mitch Ratcliffe asked Brett Jenks, CEO of the global regenerative development non-profit Rare.org, to share his advice for people who want to make a positive difference for the environment, particularly with their money. This is Brett’s answer from this week’s episode of Sustainability In Your Ear.
I used to hate this question because five years ago, I had no answer other than, please vote. So, I’ll start with that: Please vote. Please vote, especially if you’re right now in the United States. Do it now. And if you’re not registered or don’t know where you’re voting, get online today and figure it out. There’s nothing more important you can do for the environment and the nation.
Let’s assume you’re already voting. Then it gets really interesting. Your choices depend on who you are, but if you are an American who wants to address climate change, there are seven things you can do. Maybe you can’t afford all of them, but about 20% of Americans can easily do all of these things. So that’s 60 million people right there. And if you take just one or two of these steps, you’ll make a positive difference.
You can adopt a plant-rich diet. Your spouse or your kids want you to make this change. Your doctor has probably already suggested it. There’s a good reason to change: if you’re on any kind of drug for your heart or your blood pressure, it’s because you’ve been eating too much meat and cheese throughout your life. So eat a little less red meat. That’s a great thing to do. It’s good for you and good for the planet.
You can buy carbon offsets. Perhaps you think they’re political, but ask yourself, “Do I believe in planting trees?” Are trees a good thing? There’s not a lot wrong with planting a tree. Consider which kind of tree would be native to your home.
Consider buying an offset when you don’t have a place to plant a tree. It is donating to somebody doing the right thing in some ecosystem, such as contracting green energy.
If you own your home, figure out how to install solar panels. Depending on where you live, the payback can be between a month and 10 years. The day you do it, it’s net-neutral, and you’ll save a lot of money over time. Perhaps you rent — then check out a renewable energy credit or a community solar program that gives renters and homeowners access to renewable energy.
Don’t waste food. Everybody agrees that we should waste less food. Forty percent of food is wasted globally. Imagine how much goes into growing your food, including how much biodiversity loss and deforestation go into the cattle that turn into the hamburger you eat. Imagine wasting forests. Factor in the water pollution and other impacts when you have leftovers — the damage is real, so plan your shopping to prevent contributing to the 40% of our food waste in our homes. We can reduce that significantly.
Electrify your vehicle. Make sure to make your next car electric. Yes, hybrids are a good transition technology. But go electric! You can charge at home; if you have those solar panels, your travel impact will be drastically reduced.
Fly one fewer times each year. Flying contributes more to personal carbon footprints than almost any activity. Fly once less, and drive, take the train, visit somebody closer by just once a year. One less flight makes a big difference.
Getting socially engaged and sharing your environmental actions may be the most significant change you can make. Whatever you do, let other people know you’re doing it and why because, ultimately, you are more influential than you think. People follow your lead no matter who you are.
We would also love for you to go to rare.org to donate. We’ll use the funding to help restore coastal fisheries and provide smallholder farmers in the Global South with the tools and resources to keep their farms vibrant and productive, to name just two of the more than 60 projects our work supports.
