Sometimes, like voting, you might wonder how what you do matters. But, like voting, if everyone did what they could, the world’s outcome could be changed. And, curiously it doesn’t even have to be difficult. Turning out lights, eating less meat, conserving water -- all simple and take neither time nor money.
This page is packed with things to do whatever your resources, whether you have five minutes or 5 hours a week, whether you have the ability to reduce plastics in your world, add solar to your home, or organize to create an climate change advisory board in your town.
The worst impacts can still be avoided if we compel local and national leaders to step up and lead the fight against climate change. Call on your officials today.
In addition to lowering your carbon footprint, electric vehicles are more affordable to run, have lower maintenance costs, and tax incentives can reduce the purchase price.
Keeping everything else (chicken, dairy, pork) we could achieve between 46 and 74 percent of the reductions needed to meet the 2020 greenhouse gas emission goals. Yikes. We can do that!
Give your yard a climate makeover and convert it into a carbon sponge. Get Rid of the Gas Guzzlers, and focus Instead on Native Plants and creating a Bird Friendly Habitat.
Saving water is easy. Really easy. Here are more than 100 useful water-saving tips for your home and office. Learn how to save water indoors and outdoors. Incorporate these tips into your everyday habits. Before long, you’ll be a natural at water conservation.
Many appliances use just as much power when off. Washing machines with digital displays, smart TVs, toasters and computers are all drawing power. A coffee maker can use as much in a day as someone in Niger uses in a year.
From getting an energy audit to setting your water heater at 120 degrees to installing a programmable thermostat, here are simple cost saving solutions.
Understanding and adapting to climate change is a massive, interdisciplinary undertaking and the sites listed here have lots of information from every possible angle.
NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have released a guide that provides resources for adapting to and mitigating impacts of climate change. The guide, Building Alliances for Climate Action, includes various perspectives, stories,…
Since 2005, the federal government has incentivized homeowners to switch to solar through the solar investment tax credit (ITC), also known as the federal solar tax credit. Currently, this tax credit lets you claim 26%…
Individuals can empower themselves with information about what is happening, what is being done by key stakeholders and how they can contribute to climate change mitigation at the individual level.
As we continue to move away from fossil fuels toward 100 percent renewable energy, we’ve seen some trends emerge, particularly regarding the jobs that will support the new clean economy.
Saving the planet sounds huge doesn’t it? And in essence, it is. But there are many simple ways you can do your bit to help. Check out this list of fifty easy ways to go…
Solving our biggest environmental problems will require huge changes in policy and business practice. But it turns out that our personal actions can help too, if we focus on the right things. Here are some…
Use this solar panel calculator to quickly estimate your solar potential and savings by address. Estimates are based on your roof, electricity bill, and actual offers in your area.
What You Can Do: The easiest and most important thing you can do is ask the question: "Do you serve sustainable seafood?" Let your favorite businesses know that ocean-friendly seafood's on your shopping list.
There is hardly any aspect of modern life that isn’t affected by the current problems facing the environment. As we learn more about how human behavior is harming the planet, we’re creating new ways to…
Every human on earth—even the most indifferent, laziest person among us—is part of the solution. Fortunately, there are some super easy things we can adopt into our routines that, if we all do it, will…
Local and national citizen-led climate activist groups have sprung up in communities around the world to organize for 350 days of action. Find out about campaigns, projects, and local groups here.
This column will give you some tools to help mitigate the damage we’re causing to the planet. But, first, let’s look at why you — yes, you — should pay attention to this.
I’ve been making some lifestyle changes this past year. First I went vegan. I’d been vegetarian for a decade and a half, but I’ve always loved cheese so much that taking that next step seemed…
Are you looking to reduce your energy bills? While decreasing the amount of electricity you use each month is an excellent way to save money, it doesn’t address the bigger issue. Believe it or not,…
Before you hit play on a new song, think about how many times you might listen to it. Believe it or not, this decision can have a small, but real impact on climate change —…
We’ve recycled in my household for years, so it was only natural that my daughter, Sofie, was exposed to the concept early on. With early exposure, recycling becomes as habitual as putting garbage in the…
Here’s the thing: Small changes alone won’t save our planet. To keep the Earth from warming above the critical 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) limit, climate action needs to happen at an institutional level.…
Veganuary, a campaign that started in the U.K. to get people to give up meat and dairy for the month, is in its third year in the U.S., where it's catching on slowly.
Climate activism is what happens when people from all over the world come together to put pressure on national and business leaders to take action to safeguard a liveable future. Solving the climate crisis requires…
A couple of months ago, the International Panel on Climate Change published their last report. It was awful. Carbon and methane emissions are killing everything. Not only us humans, literally, with all those fumes from…
BBC News recently ran a post titled, "Climate change quiz: How can you cut your carbon emissions?" In it, the quizmasters ask "how can you play your part at home, and what changes would have…
People who never considered themselves at risk from climate change are waking up to floods and fires. From June 2021 to August 2021, 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster. Preparing for the next…
As our planet faces the challenges of climate change, population growth, and dwindling natural resources, many people are looking for ways to take small steps to make a big difference. This can mean familiar measures…
We are often encouraged as individuals to reduce our personal impact on the climate, but the truth is some people’s actions have greater effect than others. The super-rich “polluter elite” immediately come to mind. But…
Take advantage of the free home energy audits offered by many utilities. Then put the recommendations into practice. Simple measures, such as installing a programmable thermostat to replace your old dial unit or sealing and…
We make it easy for you to donate your vehicle. Whether it's running or not, your car, truck, boat, RV, or motorcycle will support the Sierra Club Foundation. Give Today.
In case you missed it – our planet isn’t really doing great. And, finding effective ways to help the environment should top our priorities. That is if we must save ourselves, and generations to come.
Those of you who have been reading or listening to Volts for a while know that I am fairly obsessed with clean electrification, which involves shifting all the things we do now with fossil fuels…
Environment America and Energy Sage are partnering to help you shift to renewable energy and lower your electric bill. Environment America advocates for policies that protect the places we love and the environmental values we…
You do your best to live lightly on the planet, but some greenhouse gas emissions are inevitable. When you have already become as energy-efficient as you can, and the energy you use is as sustainable…
A few simple yet effective weatherization strategies will boost your home’s comfort and efficiency, as well as help you save on energy bills. Here’s how to safeguard your home and your wallet from the weather,…
Rewiring America is an organization dedicated to decarbonizing the economy by electrifying everything. They have recently published a report “No Place Like Home: Fighting Climate Change (and Saving Money) by Electrifying America’s Households” by Saul…
It is a question we have been debating on Treehugger forever: does personal responsibility matter in the fight against climate change? Or is it all a ruse, a plot by Big Oil, to divert us…
The question of whether personal lifestyle changes make a difference, when 100 companies are emitting 71% of carbon emissions, has long been a subject of debate on Treehugger and elsewhere. My colleague Sami Grover writes…
People who live along the Atlantic seaboard are accustomed to dealing with environmental extremes: salt spray that can kill just about anything green; relentless wind that whips vegetation into Leaning Tower of Pisa shapes; sand,…
In 2019, youth-led protests calling attention to the worsening climate crisis spread across much of the United States and several parts of the world from the Philippines to Uganda. That same year, the United Nations…
We all understand just how dire the circumstances facing our planet are and that we all need to do our part to stem the tide of climate change. When we look in the mirror, we…
Greetings! We’ve gone dark for a few weeks here at RA because, as with the rest of the world, our attention has been fixated on Washington. Since the New Year, we’ve been busy presenting our…
As a reporter covering climate solutions, I receive one query more than any other: “What’s the best thing for me to do to protect the planet?” The annoyingly squishy answer is: It depends. Politicians can…
Ethical investing is not boring. Conversely, it’s fast becoming a popular way to achieve market-beating returns as new and innovative companies launch products and services that make the world a better place.
It all started when her toaster broke. And her desk lamp. And her vacuum. Sandra Goldmark, a theatre set designer and university professor in New York, was on maternity leave in 2013 and found the…
At our house we have a goal to produce 80% of our fruit, veggies, meat and dairy within five years of moving onto our land. We only eat a little meat and dairy, but we…
As the climate of the Earth changes, bees and pollinators are under increasing threats from urbanization and development, heavy chemical and neonicotinoid pesticide use, and shifting weather patterns that create increased temperatures, droughts, fires, floods…
My wife and I built a zero energy home in 2015. The energy model we conducted as part of that process said that we would need to generate about 6200 kWhs per year to provide…
4/30/19 ...is what Diego Rose, a professor of nutrition at Tulane University, advises. 1/5 of Americans eat too much beef and diary. Americans throw out 1/5 of all the food that they buy.
1/2/18 Textile production is one of the most polluting industries, producing 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) per year, which is more emissions than international flights and maritime shipping.
Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention, but a more inconspicuous instrument is helping to reshape America’s energy economy right now: The humble light bulb. Over the past decade, traditional incandescent bulbs,…
Take one round-trip flight between New York and California, and you’ve generated about 20 percent of the greenhouse gases that your car emits over an entire year. If you do fly, you can buy offsets…
Submit an official comment urging the EPA to stop Trump from gutting the landmark Clean Power Plan, which would reduce carbon pollution from power plants by 32 percent if left in place.
