Fossil Fuels are Burning Our Planet

The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Sheda Morshed and Ryan Craig.

Our planet is on fire. With Europe, the U.K., the Southwest, Great Plains states and the Southeast all experiencing record heat, there can be no denying the connection to climate change.

This is just the beginning. All climate models show increases of such temperatures by 10 times or more.

Our addiction to fossil fuels for energy and consumer goods has changed our earth’s systems—including water systems, critically important for our corner of the planet—that have shaped and supported all life forms on earth.

Here are simple ways to reduce your fossil fuel footprint:

1. Eat less meat: Although livestock and agriculture directly account for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions, converting land to support livestock accounts for a whopping 51% of emissions due to soil degradation and the removal of natural carbon sinks. Eating less or no meat could be the most impactful change any of us can make.
   

2. In 2020, transportation accounted for 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report by United States Environmental Protection Agency. You can:

   
   

   a. Switch from gas-powered vehicles to EVs.

   
   

   b. Walk and bike nearby errands, and group other errands when driving.

   
   

   c. Stop idling when stopped in traffic for more than 10 seconds. When stopped, your car burns more greenhouse gases per second than when in motion.

   
   

   d. Consume less. Buy quality, and buy less. Visit Resilient Palisades’ Zero Waste campaign page to find local sources.
   

3. Power your home with the sun. If you haven’t already looked into it, Resilient Palisades has partnered with four local rooftop solar installers to bring you the most competitive rates and better service plans on the market. But government rebates end this year. (And contrary to some belief, you do not need to wait until you get a new roof.) Visit resilientpalisades.org/microgrid to get your free quotes.
   

4. Divest from investments in fossil fuels and fossil fuel-intensive industries. Learn more at fossilfreefunds.org.
   

5. Compost kitchen scraps, from egg shells to leftover foods. The breakdown of organic material in landfills is another leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. Email info@resilientpalisades.org for free weekly compost pickup in 90272 or visit lacompost.org for a fee-based pickup service; goodneighborscompost.com to locate a neighbor accepting compost; or Resilient Palisades Zero Waste campaign’s “Compost” page about composting at home. Using your green bin is OK, but transporting your organics dozens of miles away uses fossil fuels and does not loop organics back into the earth.
   

6. Buy responsibly harvested forest products: From your chocolate, coffee and crackers to your computer paper and toilet paper, our consumer choices could be destroying virgin forests that help cool the planet. Follow the frog (rainforest-alliance.org), avoid products with non-certified palm oil products, and purchase only FSC-certified paper and wood products.
   

7. Start the conversation with your gardener about ditching gas-powered leaf blowers (minimally), but also mowers and trimmers. This equipment is not only emissions intensive, but incredibly toxic to gardeners and residents (heavy, noxious compounds don’t float away but rather, linger at ground level). Visit the Resilient Palisades Gas-Free Gardens campaign page.
   

We got into this climate change mess due to bad habits. We can change our way out of it, and Palisadians have the knowledge and resources to help lead the way.