You can make a difference in our climate story!
Americans have always been resourceful and creative. We have weathered many storms - both environmental and economic - and have become even stronger as a result. Throughout our country's history, we can see that one person can make positive change and lead others to do the same.
Our climate future depends on human choices. Many of these choices may seem small at the individual level but when millions of people take action, it really adds up! While some increased warming is inevitable, our combined actions can help maintain a balanced ecosystem and watershed for both environmental and human health.
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Adapt Your Home!
The health of your environment at home has a direct impact on the health of your watershed and our country's water bodies.
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Chemicals and fertilizers impact our watershed by leaking into groundwater. Polluted waters from development in Atlanta harm aquatic life and water quality. In turn, this harms birds and animals that feed the fish and insects in dirty water. It also harms humans who fish and swim in the creeks connected to our river or who drink contaminated groundwater.
To help protect and conserve our waters and all the life that depends on them, treat your lawn as an extension of the river.
- Reduce or eliminate the amount of chemicals you use on your lawn to prevent leeching.
- Plant native flowers or create a butterfly garden to encourage pollinators in your community.
Even if you are not in the Chattahoochee River watershed, there are streams, rivers, ponds, lakes - and even oceans - that will benefit from your actions.
You can also take steps to conserve energy at home. This will reduce your carbon footprint and save you money!
- Purchase power strips for your outlets and make them accessible. After you are done using your electronic devices, turn off the power strip and unplug it. This prevents your electronics from using energy even when they are not in use.
- Weatherize your home. Investing in proper insulation and sealing gaps and cracks will save you money and help heat or cool your home more efficiently.
Purchase Wisely!
As a consumer, you have the power to direct your purchases to companies that are making a difference in our world.
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All companies use materials and energy to produce and sell their product to you. Whether you're making a big purchase or a small one, choosing how you spend your hard-earned money can send a strong message to businesses and encourage them to help preserve our planet.
Next time you make a purchase, consider different elements of the product.
- Is it recyclable?
- Is it energy efficient?
- Does it avoid excessive packaging?
Not only will energy efficient products help reduce your carbon footprint, but many of them will save you money in the long run. Investing in present purchases for long-term benefits is the smart thing to do. Make your money count for something!
Reduce Your Waste!
By reducing the waste you generate and the energy you use at home, you can save money while protecting our environment.
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Take action to reduce whenever possible:
- Ditch plastic water bottles and buy a refillable container.
- Invest in canvas shopping bags to eliminate the need for plastic bags.
- Buy used clothing rather than purchasing something brand new for twice the price.
- Maintain the items you already have by repairing things like household appliances or clothing when you can. vUse public transportation, bike, or carpool to reduce the amount of emissions produced from driving solo.
- Recycle everything you can! If you don't have a recycling service available, locate a center in your community and make biweekly or monthly trips to drop off your recyclable waste.
These individual actions can make a real difference in the fight to protect our terrestrial and marine landscapes.
Last updated: August 3, 2015