When I think of environmentalism, I usually tend to think about it in terms of electricity usage, water usage, and transportation usage. It is not often that I think of it in terms of eating habits. In researching websites focused on at-home environmentalism, I am learning how I can reduce my carbon footprint by eating meals that are plant-based. I can reduce my footprint by the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over an average animal-based lunch. These 2.5 pounds are about 40% of the greenhouse gas emissions I would save by driving around for a day in a hybrid. Turning towards a plant-based diet also will result in conserving water.
These facts about plant-based eating are not ENTIRELY new to me, but they certainly are putting some things into perspective for me.
I would like to make three intentional actions towards reducing my ecological footprint:
(1) I will reduce my consumption of beef to 2 meals a month
(2) I will unplug the extension cord that connects to my hair blow dryer and hair straightener when I am not using them-- this will hopefully help in my issue of leaving my straightener on (sometimes I accidentally leave it on all day....)
(3) I will turn off the faucet when I am brushing my teeth
Surprisingly, I am struggling just limiting myself to 3 actions items towards becoming more environmental. There are so many things that I could do differently! I am excited to see how my awareness of my ecological footprint increases and the challenges that come along with it.
