What individuals can do to reduce greenhouse emissions By Harshil and Sam

Making homes more efficient In the USA, over half of a households energy bill is caused by heating. This can be reduced by: Weather-stripping - Adding an extra layer of plastic/metal around doors/windows to prevent drafts – keep the home more insulated. Caulking – Sealing gaps around doors/windows to prevent heat from escaping the house. Double glazed windows.

Making homes more efficient Replacing old boilers with efficient ones. Programmable Thermostats – Control room temperatures – heaters automatically turn off when not needed. This can lower your energy use by 10-20%.

Energy efficient home

Making travelling more efficient For shorter journeys – walk/cycle – zero emissions! For longer journeys – use public transport. This produces 6 times lower emissions than using a car. Carpooling just once a week lowers emissions by 20%. And if you have to use a car…

Make driving more efficient Maintain a steady speed – avoid changing speeds. Accelerate slowly. Anticipate stops and starts – ease breaking. Driving more efficiently will reduce the fuel brunt by 15%. Make your next car a low emission car.

Waste less food In the USA, 25% of all food is wasted – left to produce methane in landfill sites. Compost food waste in the back garden instead of sending it to landfill. Buy more local produce – avoid transporting foods long distances – lower emissions. Eat less red meat – livestock farming releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It is the largest food contributor of greenhouse gases with 30%.