Living a Greener Life: ​3 Ways to Help Save the Environment & Fight Climate Change From Home This Summer by 30Seconds Mom

The fight against climate change has been headline news in the United States. CNN reports that President Biden recently re-entered the Paris Agreement, reversing many of the decisions his predecessor made. The U.S. was the only country to officially exit the agreement in 2015, but now is once again committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2060. That is likely to result in a push for green policies, and a focus on how homeowners and residents can join in the fight against climate change.

Focusing on how you can save energy at home is always important, but as we enter the warmer summer months, there are other things you can do around the home to lessen your impact on carbon emissions and the environment. If you want to live a greener, more sustainable life in 2021, then these tips will help you get started:

1. Laundry

Rethinking your laundry habits in the warmer months can certainly help reduce carbon emissions on a domestic level. For example, washing your clothes on 30 degrees F can help save the environment, suggests HomeServe Living. By turning down the dial, you use less energy to power your washing machine, and in turn that saves you money and reduces carbon emissions.

That is not the only element of laundry in which you can save money in warmer months, either. The warm weather means you can hang clothes out to dry rather than power up the dryer. The Department of Energy estimates that 4 percent of domestic electric usage goes on drying clothes. To check your own usage, be sure to visit the U.S. Government’s energy calculator, and possibly discover other areas you can save electricity.

2. Composting

Summer is a time to be out in the garden, enjoying the warmer weather and your outdoor space. If you grow flowers, vegetables or border plants, then you would be wise to consider composting as a method of helping the environment. In the U.S., 30 percent of the waste we throw away could be composted.

Instead of throwing waste into the garbage, install a composting area and let it break down naturally, providing you with a fertile addition for the soil around your home. In doing so, you will reduce methane emissions from landfill sites, too, helping edge toward carbon neutrality nationally.

3. Avoid Disposable Products

While this applies all year round, when out and about in the summer, it's easy to find yourself using disposable products. On a trip to the beach, how convenient is it to have paper plates and disposable cups so there are no dirty items to carry back home? Too easy, but it is also negatively impacting the environment.

The same goes for things such as drinking straws – you are more likely to use them for cold drinks in the summer, but a plastic straw is used once and then forever an environmental problem. A paper straw can be recycled or will break down in the earth over time. The same goes for water bottles. They almost always come made in plastic, so think about reusing bottles time and again, rather than disposing of them and buying new ones.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community. Inspire and be inspired.