Concerned about climate change? Here are some steps Laguna Beach residents (and everyone else) can take to combat climate change and help the environment.
- Walk more, drive less. Use the trolley…it’s free.
- Turn lights off at home.
- Use LED light bulbs — they use up to 80% less energy than other bulbs.
- Combine driving errands into one trip.
- Use your garbage disposal for food waste. That waste is converted into energy at the treatment plant.
- Eat less meat.
- For only $5 more a month, you can opt for your electricity to come from renewable power sources only. Sign up with your utility company.
- Don’t leave your car or truck idling.
- Run full loads in your washer, clothes dryer, and dishwasher.
- Limit use of your home’s heater and air conditioner, and close drapes and blinds when it is hot outside.
- Buy less stuff. It creates a lot of greenhouse gas to make and deliver all of those items.
- Keep your car longer, and consider an electric or hybrid vehicle when you replace your old one.
- Take the train the next time you go to San Diego or LA; even Santa Barbara is only a four hour train ride from the Irvine station (and parking is free).
- Encourage candidates and elected officials to prioritize climate action.
- Support climate change initiatives and education by financially supporting and volunteering with groups committed to those goals.
All of the above are simple to do, and also save you money. Many are also healthy.
On item 6, it is also presented as eat less beef, since cattle emit methane and contribute more greenhouse gases than other forms of meat or fish.
The above list is called “Climate-Wise Actions”, and is being distributed by the Climate-Wise Laguna group of Laguna Beach. This is headed by Tom Osborne, a climate historian, and author of the climate column Green Light in the Laguna Beach Indy. It is an amazing group of climate activists and climate related professors. The list was contributed to by the group, and compiled and printed by Debra Steel. Others in the group, called Climate-Wise Laguna, are Ginger Osborne, Jane Hall, Kate Clark, Irene Bowie, Bill Steel, Scott Ferguson, Ramin Pejan, Patrick Rafter, C. F. Goodwin, Breene, Bernd Scheuchl, Allan Schoenherr, Adam Coghill, and Dennis Silverman.
