How can we save our planet

How can we save our planet

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The scale of the challenges facing our planet can seem daunting, but we can all do something. Here are 10 simple ways you can help reduce your impact, and help in the fight against climate change.

We are the first generation to know we’re destroying the world, and we could be the last that can do anything about it. Speaking up is one of the most powerful things you can do especially if it’s to the right people. Talk to your MP. Tell them to commit to action to protect our natural world.

Contact the brands you buy from and get them to tell you how their products are sourced. Use social media – this is one of the most effective ways to get brands to listen to you, so tell them that you want a change.

It’s not just about speaking to the people in charge. Talk to your friends, neighbours and colleagues and get them to make positive changes too. Speak up, speak to everyone, and make your voice heard.

One of the best things you can do is to keep yourself informed – the more you know the better. It leaves you better equipped to have those conversations with your friends and family and the people you want to influence. Get yourself clued up on the facts, stay up to date with recent news on the state of our natural world and work out what you can do.

We have the world at our fingertips, so learn from influential people, keep up with the news and research organisations that are working to make our planet a better place.

Everyone in the UK over the age of 18 can vote for their MP. This is an opportunity to vote for someone who is representative of you and your views and will make the environment a top priority.

Being politically engaged is not limited to voting and it certainly isn’t limited by how young you are. Every year more and more young people are working together to show our political leaders that they want change.

We need to ensure we hold our politicians accountable. You can do that by contacting your local MP or attending constituency meetings where you will have an opportunity to make your voice heard. Find out who your MP is and how you can contact them.

Transport is one of the most polluting sectors in the UK. But holidaying closer to home can make a big impact on your carbon footprint. One short haul return flight can account for 10% of your yearly carbon emissions, and long-haul flights can completely determine your carbon impact.

If you have the time you can usually get trains to European destinations to cut your carbon footprint. Get creative and try to find alternate ways to travel.

If you do choose to go abroad and are looking to see the local wildlife, keep in mind how to go about it ethically. Attractions that involve you being able to pet, hold or feed animals for money are generally a no-go. Be wary of attractions involving any unnatural interactions with animals. As a rule: observe animals from afar in their natural habitat and look to support local conservation projects.

Food production is a major driver of wildlife extinction. What we eat contributes around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for almost 60% of global biodiversity loss.

Farming animals for meat and dairy requires space and huge inputs of water and feed. Today, one of the biggest causes of forest loss is the expansion of agricultural land for animal feed production, such as soy. And producing meat creates vastly more carbon dioxide than plants such as vegetables, grains and legumes.

Moving away from a meat-dominated diet towards a more plant-based diet can lower your impact on the environment. Vegetarian and vegan foods are massively on the rise and becoming far more common in restaurants, cafes and supermarkets, so you’ll rarely struggle.

Not only that, but cutting down on meat and dairy products can reduce your weekly food bills.

We need to make wasting our resources unacceptable in all aspects of our life. Every product we buy has an environmental footprint and could end up in landfill. The impact of plastic pollution on our oceans is becoming increasingly clear, having drastic impacts on marine life.

Recycling what we can reduces the amount of new materials we are making, and upcycling is a creative way to make old items into something more valuable. This could be reusing a jam jar as a candle holder, or using old tins as plant pots – the possibilities are endless!

It’s not just the products we buy. It’s estimated that a third of all food produced in the world is lost or wasted. Do your bit by eating up leftovers and use any ingredients you have spare to make interesting meals. Try to waste as little food as possible, and compost the organic waste you can’t eat.

Download the WWF My Footprint App

We can all do more to be more conscious about what we buy, and where we buy it from. Buying less will save you money, reduce waste and improve your environmental footprint. Living a less consumerist lifestyle can benefit you and our planet.

Use your purchasing power and make sure your money is going towards positive change. By supporting eco-friendly products which are less damaging to the environment, you’re encouraging companies to source and produce their products in a sustainable way.

Our amazing supporters are helping us to restore nature and tackle the main causes of nature’s decline, particularly the food system and climate change. We rely on generous donations to carry out our projects all around the world.

There are lots of ways to give. Become a member of WWF, adopt an animal, take on a challenge for Team Panda or encourage your family and friends to donate by setting up a Facebook birthday fundraiser.

The latest in WWF’s flagship research series, the Living Planet Report, shows that the size of our planet’s wildlife populations have now plummeted by 68% since 1970 – and there are no signs that this downward trend is slowing.

If the global economy had shrunk by this much it would be like wiping the top 10 largest economies off the map. Populations of birds, mammals, fish, plants and insects across the world are teetering on the brink. And we have got to this point even faster than we had dared fear.

It has never been more clear: the natural world is in freefall.

Volunteering can be daunting, and expensive if you don’t know where to look. But it doesn’t need to be this hard to do good.

Often local nature reserves or parks are looking for regular volunteers, which can give you practical conservation experience as well as helping to restore nature your local area.

We want everyone to have the opportunity to help and kickstart a career in conservation. We have a network of youth internship schemes across the world where you can work on a placement with a WWF team or with one of our projects in the field. It’s an exciting opportunity to be able to work in the front line of nature conservation.

Can the Earth Be Saved?

The answer is ‘yes’ with some big ‘ifs’. Here are 3 things we must do right now.

September 16, 2020

The science is in: We don’t have to accept doom and gloom for the Earth. Together, we can slow the dual crises of climate and biodiversity loss. This is a hopeful wake-up call, but only if we act with great urgency.

Be Part of the Solution

Support real science-based conservation action that’s essential for a more hopeful future.

Our planet faces the interconnected crises of rapid climate change and biodiversity loss. We have years, not decades, to address these existential threats. In published research from The Nature Conservancy and 12 peer organizations, science points us to a better path for building a more sustainable, more hopeful future for the Earth.

A future in which catastrophic climate change is kept at bay while we still power our developing world. A future in which we can feed 10 billion people worldwide and provide cleaner, more abundant drinking water while also protecting life-giving lands, lakes and rivers. A future in which nature’s wild heart still beats strong through healthy wildlife and magnificent landscapes while our cities are strengthened by harmony with nature.

A Path Forward New science shows a clear path we must take to prevent irreversible damage to the lands and waters that sustain us all. It’s not too late to choose a more sustainable future where nature and people thrive together. To reach it, we must transform the way we get our food, fish and energy right now. © Matt Champlin

A future in which people and nature thrive together. What we do between now and 2030 will determine whether we slow warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius—the level scientists agree will avoid the worst impacts of climate change—while also conserving enough land and water to slow accelerated species loss. This vision of the future is achievable, and we must join together and put all our effort to make this vision a reality.

The 3 Things We Must Do

The stakes couldn’t be higher. If we follow the path that science shows us, we have the power to save nearly all habitat types across the world’s lands. That’s a huge win for wildlife, birds, plants, insects and the diversity of life that makes our natural world such a treasure.

Interactive Graphic

How can energy, agriculture, and fishing contribute to a better path to 2050?

Urgent action is essential, and we must seize the unprecedented opportunities to change the course of history. The international community is preparing to make path-defining choices for the future, with once-in-a-lifetime agreements that have the power to stop catastrophic climate change and preserve biodiversity on Earth.

This must be the decade we save the planet. We must follow through on the promises, policies, and collaborative effort needed to protect nature from collapse.

Here are three ways we need to up-end ‘business as usual’ and act boldly to advance conservation.

1. Produce More Food on Less Land

Targeted agricultural expansion Identify areas where crops grow best to avoid destroying nature.

Problem:
Today’s version of large-scale agriculture is the biggest source of land conversion, drives deforestation that worsens climate change, uses 70% of the world’s freshwater supply and relies on fertilizer practices that pollute our waters. As the need to feed a billion more people increases, agricultural expansion could devastate habitats, release even more carbon into the atmosphere, and dry up rivers.

How to fix it:
Produce food where it’s most likely to thrive, which will use less water and less land.

How we’re taking action right now:
We’re analyzing satellite images and local yield potential to pinpoint where soy farming and cattle ranching can expand without destroying nature. This approach is especially vital in Brazil’s Cerrado region, where half of all natural habitat has already been converted to cropland and pasture. Cooperating with farmers on sustainable practices can help save what’s left of the Cerrado’s rich savanna.

Fishing for More Data One of the biggest challenges in managing vital fisheries in developing countries is lack of data on which species are being caught and in what quantities. The Nature Conservancy is pioneering innovative technology and data tools that have the power to help bring back oceans teeming with fish. © Jeff Yonover

2. Eliminate Overfishing

Targeted fishing Use technology to catch only the right species.

Problem:
Overfishing and poor fisheries management is not only devastating to the fish species being pushed to the brink of collapse. It endangers food webs and ocean ecosystems by disrupting the balance of all sea life. And it threatens billions of people who rely on seafood as an important source of livelihood and animal protein. Without serious changes, 84% of the world’s fish stocks will be in peril in our lifetime.

How to fix it:
Refine our fishing methods to only take what the fish populations can tolerate now, so our oceans can be more abundant and healthier in the future.

How we’re taking action right now:
We’re making it fast, easy and affordable for fishers to use data to manage their catches more sustainably. Like image recognition software, FishFace technology we’re pioneering in Indonesia uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify fish species and track their numbers so fishers can avoid catching too many or the wrong kind.

20 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Save Our Planet

1. Pay attention to what you are buying. I understand that we all have a budget, but in today’s world, you also have OPTIONS. Find a happy medium for house-hold goods, and if nothing else, make an effort to purchase goods and clothing that are made in sustainable ways, from companies who are mindful of what they produce and how. Buy paper products made from recycled goods, etc.. Research what kind of things you buy from where and if there are better alternatives that are close in price. It DOES matter. Your choices matter and directly impact the market for these goods. There are even environmentally friendly companies for beer. New Belgium Brewery out of Fort Collins, CO is consistently on the lists of best companies for the environment. Keep these companies afloat AND become a more mindful consumer.

2. Recycle. If you don’t recycle, COME ON. It’s 2014. Don’t blame it on your building or your house or your town. Find a recycling center, get some bins or re-use boxes and RECYCLE everything that you possibly can. There is no excuse not to.

3. Be mindful of what you throw away. Can it be donated? Can it be saved? Recycled? Composted? The dumpster should be the last resort. So much of what we use can be reused, and not just thrown away. Find out what you can do with all of the things you usually throw out to ensure that you are not wasting things that can be saved. Waste doesn’t magically disappear when you throw it out.

4. Become a vegetarian. I know this seems extreme, but it isn’t as hard as you might think. Vegetarians have far fewer health problems than meat-eaters, and live longer lives. Vegetarian athletes have been proven to out-perform their meat-eating competitors, and most of the nutrients our bodies need can be found in their most efficient forms in their non-meat sources. How much pollution and waste is created because of meat farming and production? The short answer: A LOT. And in case you need another reason, most meat production is extremely inhumane. Research ‘ag-gag’ laws if you need convincing. A vegetarian diet is healthier for you, the planet, and kinder to animals that meat production has disconnected you from. Fake meat products are more delicious than ever now, too. I know there are many people who cannot or won’t become vegetarians, but it is worth considering. Even eating less meat will help reduce demand.

5. Volunteer. Give your time, or at least some of your cash to worthy causes. Help clean up areas where you live, walk dogs at your local shelter, or raise some dollars to give to a worthy cause. There are people out there fighting for the planet and its animals. Help them out!

6. Give meaningful gifts. The next time you don’t know what to give someone you love for a gift, consider making a donation in their name. Symbolically adopt their favorite animal for them from WWF, or donate a heifer to a hungry family. If your loved one already has it all, don’t create need for more materials to be produced, and ultimately for something that gets produced to take up space in a landfill.

7. Go paperless. With the fluidity and ease of emails today, there is no need for any of our bills or mail to be in paper form. Most companies are pretty good about rewarding their clients or customers who go paperless, or at least providing the option to go paperless. It’s less piles of paper to have to recycle!

8. Adopt an animal. It’s heartbreaking that there are still people out there buying puppies and kittens, when there are THOUSANDS of dogs and cats who get euthanized daily because they are homeless. Save a life. You will feel the reward paid back to you a thousand fold and give some loving animal a home. *Don’t forget to get that pet spayed or neutered, too!*

9. Get mad. All it takes is a little research to find out the horrifying truths about how little is being done about climate change, pollution, waste, and bad practices. Pick a cause to be mad about, and do something. It’s your planet, too, and nothing will help more than individuals caring about what is going on. Turning a blind eye to species who are becoming extinct, environments being destroyed, and destructive practices staying in place will not fix it; it will expedite the trip to those terrifying and heartbreaking ends. DO something!

11. Carpool. This is a no-brainer. Why waste gasoline and create more pollution than necessary? The ride is better with other people anyways.

12. Don’t waste water. Don’t you know it’s better for your hair the less you wash it? Don’t run the dishwasher with nothing in it. Don’t flush the toilet unnecessarily. There are people on the planet with no water to drink, yet we waste water at an alarming rate. Call me a hippy, but if it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down. Don’t waste gallons of fresh water unnecessarily.

14. Ride a bike. Get exercise AND pollute less. If you can walk or ride your bike to work, it’s a win-win. Your actions DO matter. And don’t forget a helmet.

15. Be a leader. People around you, people you work with, and your friends will see you changing aspects of your lifestyle to be more mindful of what we are doing to the planet. Take responsibility for being a citizen of the Earth, and don’t expect “others” to make changes. We all need to do our part and make INFINITELY better decisions, and if this is you, know that you will make a difference to the people in your life. It isn’t easy, it isn’t cheap, and it can be time-consuming to figure out what the best choices actually are, but it’s worth it. Just because other people don’t care doesn’t mean we should just throw our hands up. Lead by example.

16. Donate your used clothing and furniture. Why throw something away that someone else might want? You never know what just might fit someone else’s bill, especially if they’re in need.

17. Don’t have children if you don’t want them. The Earth is overpopulated as it is, and there are so many children who need homes. We continue to reproduce, even when we aren’t sure if we want to be parents. Old ways of thinking need to fall away completely in order to stop pressuring people to have kids if that isn’t what they want. If only the people who truly wanted to be parents had kids, there would be a lot fewer human beings in bad situations.

18. Stop making excuses. Don’t expect the rest of the world to make good choices to make up for yours. YOU MATTER. What you buy and consume matters, and it directly affects the rest of the world. Don’t expect all the ‘hippies’ to eat organic and locally, or even worse, don’t just decide it’s not worth trying. It IS. Even if you don’t care about the people of the planet (we’ve done this to ourselves), at least make an effort for the animals. THEY DESERVE BETTER! The animals of this planet do not deserve to go extinct because of OUR poor choices and lack of caring.

19. Buy locally grown produce & groceries. In buying food from people in your area, you are not only supporting them, but you are cutting demand for large companies that probably produce a great deal of waste. Go to farmers markets, shop locally, and know where your food comes from. This solves so many problems. Simply buying ‘organic’ doesn’t always necessarily guarantee quality or environmentally friendly production.

20. Teach young people the importance of treating our environment with care and that we CAN make a difference. In fact, we HAVE to make a difference and QUICKLY. If we don’t teach our children that what we do DIRECTLY affects the planet, things will never change. Everything we do matters, and if we don’t STOP the practices that past generations have put in place, our planet truly is doomed. Wyoming, where I live, is particularly awful when it comes to educating children about what gas and coal industries are doing and will continue to do to the environment, but we are not powerless. Children learn from those around them. Inspire them to help us and make them part of the rescue efforts. The mind of a child is a beautiful thing, and sometimes they come up with solutions and feel greater conviction to stop injustice than adults.

No one person can change the world, but together, if we all choose changes to make and causes to fight for, we can change many things. The planet needs immediate help, and your everyday actions matter. We can’t all be perfect, but we can all be conscious global citizens. Lead the way wherever you are, and take responsibility for your impact on this one place that we have to live. Make it a place that future generations will be able to live in, too.

How can we save our planet? Three scientists put it simply

From what we eat to how we travel, the little choices we all make every day can have a huge impact on the planet

Tackling the climate crisis is something that requires action from governments, corporations, scientists, and individuals, says Associate Professor Dirk Erler.

“I think part of the problem, especially in the younger generations, is that there’s a bit of gloom about the future of what they can do at a personal level,” he says. “I think that’s a big issue. It’s important to realise that a lot of people making small changes actually has a huge impact.”

Associate Professor Dirk Erler

“Scientists and educators have to convince people, especially young people, that the solutions do exist,” Erler says. “They are out there and it is possible to make change happen.”

So what are the small changes that Erler and his colleagues believe can make a real difference? We spoke to three scientists at Southern Cross University to find out more about the everyday habits that can help to future-proof our world.

Eat local

Dr Hanabeth Luke, who coordinates Southern Cross University’s regenerative agriculture courses, says: “I think it’s really important to think about where you get your food from. There’s so much amazing local food across so many different regions in Australia, so buying Australian produce is a really important thing people can do today to improve the resilience of our country.”

Dr Hanabeth Luke

“And in Australia, we produce so much good food, vegetables, meat, wheat, grains and fruit that we shouldn’t really need to be importing much at all. So encouraging the shopping centres and the places that you do buy food from to stock more Australian produce by choosing Australian, I’d say that’s really important.”

Tweak your transport

“If people live in cities, a huge thing is taking public transport and walking,” Luke says. “All those old-fashioned things!”

Go solar

Professor Damien Maher

Own your home? Installing solar panels on the roof can help you cut your electricity use.

Professor Damien Maher says: “It’s quite clear that our greenhouse gas emissions are heading in the wrong direction and we need to turn that around. One way of doing that is reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. And one of the big fossil fuel emitting industries in Australia is electricity generation through coal-fired power plants. By adding rooftop solar, we’re using a renewable energy source.”

And, he adds, “there’s a bunch of government incentives out there at the moment to make that cost-effective”.

Turn off the tap

“If everyone’s part of the solution then you can make things happen

“Australia is the land of drought and flood, so water is a precious resource and a limited resource. During drought periods we see that water restrictions are implemented, and people are really focused on that, but it’s an all-the-time issue that we should be mindful of.

“It takes energy to treat that water and move it around, and every drop of water that we’re using we’re taking out of the natural environmental cycle, whether that be through dams or extracting it from groundwater. We should be looking at water as a very precious resource, rather than just something that we turn on with the tap and it comes out.”

Recycle (the right way)

We all know the importance of recycling. But when we’re using our yellow and green bins, it’s crucial we only put the right stuff in there.

“A couple of plastic bags in your green waste can actually ruin the whole compost process. For a truck that’s contaminated with plastic waste, that means that green waste has to go to landfill because it’s contaminated with plastic.”

Vote with your wallet

Single-use plastics end up in landfill, which is why it’s so important to go for products with minimal packaging. And Erler believes reducing the amount of plastic waste currently produced has to be consumer driven.

“If, as consumers, we’re demanding our products be sustainable and equitable, then that will drive industry towards producing those products,” he says. “It’s about consumers being willing, ultimately, to pay a little bit more for products if we want them to be sustainable.”

Don’t be a fool for fast fashion

The average Aussie throws 23kg of clothing in the bin every year. That’s a 600,000-tonne landfill mountain.

Australia is also the second highest consumer of textiles per person in the world, second only to the US.

Luke recommends buying well-made, second-hand clothes. “I buy quality second-hand clothes made of natural materials,” she says.

There is also a growing market out there in which fashion labels offer discounts if you return your old clothes.

Stay hopeful

What’s ultimately most important, Erler says, is to not give in to pessimism.

“Ultimately we want everyone to be making a big change but I don’t think society or nature work that way. We work more incrementally. First of all, it’s about people being convinced that making small changes would have a positive impact. That might be something very simple, like walking to work on occasion or using a sustainable product that might cost a little bit more, or choosing to purchase an electric vehicle as opposed to a petrol car.

“You don’t have to do everything. You just have to do those small things that you know make a difference.”

Discover more about Southern Cross University’s leading sustainable energy initiatives.

10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth

By: Katie Lambert & Sarah Gleim | Updated: Apr 20, 2022

The United Nations suggests that climate change is not just the defining issue of our time, but we are also at a defining moment in history. Weather patterns are changing and will threaten food production, and sea levels are rising and could cause catastrophic flooding across the globe. Countries must make drastic actions to avoid a future with irreversible damage to major ecosystems and planetary climate.

But what about individuals? What can we do to pitch in and help save the Earth? There are plenty of things you can do every day to help reduce greenhouse gases and your carbon footprint to make a less harmful impact on the environment. Taking care of the Earth is not just a responsibility, it’s a necessity. ­In that spirit, HowStuffWorks has come up with 10 things you can do now to help save the planet.

1. Conserve Water

The little things can make a big difference. Every time you turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth, you’re doing something good. Got a leaky faucet? You might be dripping as much as 90 gallons (340 liters) of water down the drain every day [source: EPA]. So fix it! It’s easy and cheap. And stop drinking bottled water. Switch to filtered tap water. You’ll save a ton of cash and help reduce a ton of plastic waste in the process.

2. Be Car-conscious

If you can, stay off the road two days a week or more. You’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,590 pounds (721 kilograms) per year [source: EPA]. It’s easier than you think. You can combine your errands — hit the school, grocery store and dog daycare in one trip. And talk to your boss about teleworking. It’s a boon for you and your company. But being car conscious also means maintaining your car on a regular basis. You can improve your gas mileage by 0.6 percent to 3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure, and be sure to make necessary repairs if your car fails emission [source: EPA].

3. Walk, Bike or Take Public Transit

Walking and biking are obvious ways to reduce greenhouse gases. Plus you’ll get some good cardio and burn some calories while you do it. If you live in an area that’s not walkable, take advantage of your local mass transit if you can. Or carpool. Even one car off on the road makes a difference.

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

You can help reduce pollution just by putting that soda can in the recycling bin. It really does make a difference. Paper, too. The average American household dumps 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year, most of it junk mail and packaging [source: University of Southern Indiana]. But you can also take reusable bags to the grocery, and avoid using disposable plates, spoons, glass, cups and napkins. Contact companies that send you junk mail to get off their mailing lists. When you order online, see if you can group your packages together for mailing. Buy products that are made of recycled materials. And don’t forget to recycle your own paper. It all makes a difference.

5. Give Composting a Try

In 2018, (the last year figures were available) Americans generated 292.4 million tons (265.3 million metric tons) of trash. Only 25 million tons (23 million metric tons) of that was composted. Some was recycled and some was combusted for energy, but half of it — 146 million tons (132 million metric tons) — ended up in the landfill. Imagine if you could divert more of that to your own compost? It would help reduce the amount of solid waste you produce, and what eventually winds up in your local landfill. Plus, compost makes a great natural fertilizer.

More Tips to Save the Earth Now

6. Switch to LEDs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are great. They can last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and they use at least two-thirds less energy, but even CFLS have issues. They’re hard to dispose of because they contain mercury. Enter light-emitting diode, or LED bulbs. They emit light in a very narrow band wavelength so they’re super energy-efficient. Start replacing your old incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs now (if you haven’t already). They do cost more than CFLs and incandescents, but equivalent LED bulbs can last at least 30,000 hours compared to 1,000 hours for incandescent bulbs, or 8,000 to 10,000 hours for CFLs.

7. Live Energy Wise

Make your home more energy efficient (and save money). Your home’s windows are responsible for 25 to 30 percent of residential heat gain and heat loss. If they’re old and inefficient, consider replacing them. Also be sure your home has proper insulation. Insulation is measured in terms of its thermal resistance or R-value — the higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation. The amount of insulation your home needs depends on the climate, type of HVAC system, and where you’re adding the insulation. Smaller things you can do right away include replacing your air filter regularly so your HVAC system doesn’t have to work overtime. Keep your window treatments closed when it’s extremely hot and cold outside. You can also consider installing a programmable thermostat like Nest so your system isn’t running (and wasting energy) when you’re not home.

8. Eat Sustainable Foods

Today, large-scale food production accounts for as much as 25 percent of the greenhouse emissions. So how do you eat sustainably? Choosing food from farmers that aim to conserve the natural resources and have as little impact on the land as possible. But even buying as much as you can from local farmers makes a different. Eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts, and less red meats and processed foods does too. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. You can grow a garden!

9. Plant a Tree (or Two)

The 2022 United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report found that things are worse now than ever before. Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and most countries are not reducing carbon emissions. But there is a natural way to combat climate change: Plant a tree. Plants naturally absorb carbon from the air. One young tree can absorb CO2 at a rate of 13 pounds (5 kilograms) per tree. Every. Single. Year. And that’s just an itty bitty baby tree. Once that tree reaches about 10 years old, it’s at its most productive stage of carbon storage. Then it can absorb 48 pounds (21 kilograms) of CO2 per year. Trees also remove all other kinds of junk from the air, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and small particles. So go ahead, plant a tree. It’s good for everybody.

10. Give Up Plastics

The statistics are shocking: People around the world buy 1 million plastic drinking bottles every minute, and use up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags every year. Humans are addicted to plastic, and hardly any of it — about 9 percent — gets recycled. A staggering 68 to 219 million tons (75 to 199 million metric tons) of plastic is currently in our oceans. Break the cycle. Stop buying bottled water. Say no to plastic shopping bags and use cloth bags instead. Don’t use plastic straws. Drink from a reuseable cup instead of a plastic one. Avoiding plastic can divert a ton of waste from the oceans and landfill.

This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.