YSK how to lower your greenhouse gas emissions

Climate change is real and caused by humans. After months of reading research I compiled a list of personal lifestyle changes that can reduce person's GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions by a significant amount.

This list has been approved by climate change researcher during one of the AMAs.

FOOD:

• eat less meat, dairy, and other animal products (none is the best)
• eat less industrially produced food, less processed food, less packaged foods (for example, bottled water uses energy to be packaged and refrigerated and produces plastic waste, so drink tap water)
• eat proper portion sizes
• remember that food which pets consume also has impact on the environment so adopt-don’t-shop to discourage their production, and choose pets that are herbivores
• avoid palm oil (aside from food it is common ingredient in other products, for example soaps and washing powders)

ENERGY:

• drive less, cycle and walk as much as possible, avoid flying
• use efficient lightbulbs, turn the lights off when you're not in the room
• Unplug devices when not in use (to simplify this you can get remote controlled electrical outlet, some are very cheap)
• insulate your home, don't warm or cool the rooms more than necessary
• criticize and complain about large buildings like malls that warm up or cool down the air too much
• forgo living in a single-family house in favor of apartment-style housing. (that way more people get to live on less land, sharing walls is more energy efficient, commutes are shorter etc.)
• buy solar panels (prices are dropping significantly each year)

WASTE

• reduce, reuse, recycle (in that order)
• avoid items with too much packaging
• don't buy more than you need (but for items that you are certain you will use and can last for a while buy in bulk to avoid extra packaging)
• buy recyclable items (q-tips with paper stick instead of plastic, bamboo toothbrushes, etc.)
• avoid single-use items (don't use disposable cutlery and cups, disposable wipes, disposable plastic bags, if you are menstruating use menstrual cups instead of pads or tampons, etc.)
• contact manufacturers and complain of excess packaging

WATER:

• don't flush the toilet when not necessary
• don't throw anything in the toilet except bodily fluids and solids, and toilet paper (no cotton pads, no q-tips, no floss, no tampons, no cigarette butts, no paper towels...)
• turn the water off while you are lathering, brushing your teeth etc.
• cut down on showers and baths
• don't water your lawns, try to plant local plants that don't need watering

ACTIVISM:

• Encourage others to adopt sustainable lifestyle (feel free to share this list)
• Donate money to environmental charities
• Be careful who you vote for, pressure your representatives and politicians
• Look into buying carbon emission offset (this is the only point on this list that I haven't researched yet, so I'm not sure)

Not everyone can do everything off this list, and you may have areas of your life where you can reduce impact even further, but it's a good starting point in realizing that items and amenities you use pollute during manufacturing process, i.e. before they reach you, and long after you discard them.

Feel free do add anything that you think is relevant. This list is constantly evolving.