Reducing Carbon Footprint: Purchasing Power By Michael Nietfeld

Local food can: Buy local  Reduce the use of inorganic chemicals  Reduce traveling time and provide fresher food  Reduce energy used to transport the food thousands of miles

Eat at restaurants that serve local food Eat local  Many restaurants use pre- prepared food that requires packaging, transportation, and refrigeration.  Order food that does not have to travel far rather than foods such as coffee and native foods of other continents.

Do not buy excess packaging Buy Minimally  Excess packaging appeals customers by making foods look clean and fresh but has a large carbon footprint  Buy loose fruits and vegetables rather than packaged or boxed  Use reusable bags at the grocery store  Avoid using plastic bags whenever possible

Buy Minimally: Bottled Water  Bottled water not only uses plastics that require energy to make but also requires the transportation due to manufacturing at a facilities.  Order tap water from restaurants when possible  Use reusable bottles

Buy and Plant Native  Native plants often grow more efficiently in their natural environments  Native plants are often transported shorter distances because they were grown locally  Use local and organic soil  Plants help to reduce the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

Hold Out on a New Gas Car  The production of a new car has a large carbon footprint and is more harmful than keeping an older car with worse gas mileage for now  Even production of a hybrid car has a large carbon footprint on the environment  An eco-friendly produced electric car may be an option when found at a reasonable price in the near future

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