The journey toward sustainable living often feels like a roller coaster ride, with both positive and negative news about our environmental impact. In 2024, Earth911 is calling on all Earthlings to join us in making strides to reduce our environmental footprint by 50% before 2030.
Why 50%? To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the United Nations urges society to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. The United States is targeting a 50% reduction in emissions by the end of the decade compared to 2005. So far, it looks like we are falling short of these targets.
It is up to each of us to take action to cut wasteful consumption and transition to a circular reuse economy in our communities. Earth911’s editorial calendar for 2024 will focus on reducing personal impact by 50%, and we invite you to join us in sharing steps to end food waste and reduce single-use packaging.
Small Changes Add Up
After almost six years at Earth911, I have learned a lot, and as a result, my household now produces one-fourth of the trash it did in 2018. We have tripled our recycling volume by finding new local options for various materials. Simply becoming more engaged in mindful consumption creates the awareness from which meaningful changes can emerge.
We all need to take more action, especially in the face of another record-breaking year in human history. My journey is taking me to a new, sustainably built home in the country, where I aim to lower our household’s impact by 70% in the next five years. I will be sharing what I learn along the way about reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and wasteful industrial systems.
A Word On Choices
There are countless ways to live sustainably, each with its unique mix of choices. By becoming intimate with the products we use and understanding their impact, we can make informed decisions that contribute to lowering our overall environmental impact.
Each of us will make our own choices, and in my case, my choice involves moving to a sustainably built home in a location with wildfire and flood risks, all in the pursuit of creating a more sustainable society. We all have different trade-offs and ways of living that can be sustainable.
Make Your Life 50% Better
Sustainability is not a sacrifice but a contribution to wellbeing, neighbors, and nature. It’s about making small changes, such as buying less but better-made products and giving up fast fashion in favor of well-made, timeless clothing. There are countless ways to live sustainably, and our community will continue to share ideas and improvements to help everyone reduce their impact by 50%.
And A Favor To Ask
Please consider supporting Earth911 to help us grow the most comprehensive reuse and recycling information source. Your backing will help support our daily work in researching local listings. Thank you for joining us in another year of progress toward living in harmony and restoring nature.
