Hey Kids! Here are 15 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Easy ways to help make a real difference
Amanda Pagliarini Howard,
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The Nature Conservancy defines our carbon footprint as the total amount of greenhouse gases that are generated by our actions.

A carbon footprint is like a pair of muddy shoes. If you run through your house with muddy shoes, you’re going to leave tracks. That impacts the environment of your home. And little things that we do each day impact our planet.

People living in the United States have a carbon footprint that is four times greater than people in the rest of the world. That’s four times more mud in the house!

But there are ways for each of us to cut back and reduce our carbon footprint every day. In honor of Earth Day, here are things you can easily do to help make a difference:

  1. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
  2. Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth.
  3. Take stairs instead of elevators.
  4. Walk, bike, or take a scooter to nearby places instead of driving.
  5. Recycle all your paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, and glass jars.
  6. Plant a garden.
  7. Turn off your electronics when you aren’t using them.
  8. Unplug your chargers when not in use.
  9. Always choose to use a refillable water bottle instead of plastic ones.
  10. Go grocery shopping with you parents and make sure they skip the plastic bags for produce. Agree you’ll give the fruits and veggies a rinse when you get home.
  11. Fruits and veggies about to go bad? Instead of tossing them, use them for a smoothie, bake with them, or compost them in your yard.
  12. Cut your shower time. See how fast you can soap up and rinse!
  13. Turn off the TV or iPad and go outside to play.
  14. Get a new toy? Create a cool craft project with all of that plastic packaging.
  15. Making a Target run with your mom? Be her reminder to bring the reusable shopping bags.

Want to learn more about how you can help to protect our planet? Check out these books you can get at your neighborhood library (That’s a bonus tip! Check out books from the library rather than buying new):

IndexaspxWhat a Waste, by Jess French

 

 

 

 

Index 1aspxJoin the No-plastic Challenge!, by Scot Ritchie

 

 

 

 

Index 3aspxWhy Should I Recycle?, by Jen Green

 

 

 

 

Index 2aspxOld Enough to Save the Planet, by Loll Kirby

 

 

 

 

Index 4aspxClimate Action, by Seymour Simon

 

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