As we celebrate our beautiful Earth today, we at Dreamer & Co have been thinking about the impact our actions have on the environment. Each decision we make can have a positive or negative impact and we desire to be mindful not only about our human impact but also our environmental impact. 

One way we can make a difference is by reducing our carbon emissions, and we have been researching ways that as a company we can reduce our own carbon footprint. 

Carbon Footprint

So what is a carbon footprint? The definition in a recent New York Times article said, 

 “A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the production, use, and end-of-life of a product or service. It includes carbon dioxide — the gas most commonly emitted by humans — and others, including methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, which trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming.”

As the definition implies, there are many different factors that contribute to our carbon footprint. It can be overwhelming to know where to begin. We think it is important to be gracious with ourselves and recognize that we are not going to be perfect at this right off that bat. It takes time to develop and build sustainable habits. 

We love the Nature Conservancy’s carbon footprint calculator which helps you understand your individual footprint to see areas that you can make changes. In addition to that resource, we would like to share 3 simple ways you can reduce your footprint. 

Refuse: Be picky about your products! Say no to single-use plastics and items that can’t be recycled. 

Reduce: In areas where you can’t refuse, think about reducing the amount of a non-recyclable or wasteful product and be mindful of where you can cut back. 

Reuse: Be creative! Reuse plastic and paper bags for other items, repair things when they break or give items a second home. 

Recycle: Recycle your goods! Think before you throw things away that will end up in a landfill. Educate yourself on the local laws of your community as different cities have different rules about recycling. 

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Transportation makes up around 28% of carbon emissions in the U.S. Make a plan to minimize your use of transportation by carpooling, biking when you can, using public transportation when available, and staying more local for vacations. 

If you have a trip you have to fly for, think about offsetting your transportation emissions through an organization like Carbonfund.org.  You can donate to Carbon Fund based on the miles you traveled and they will use that money to expand renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects globally that reduce carbon dioxide emissions 

Take a visit to your local farmers market and buy foods locally or join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in your local area. In order to minimize food waste, you can meal prep. When you plan out food ahead of time you are much less likely to buy things you don’t need or forget about foods you have in the back of the fridge. If you think you won’t eat something that week, freeze it so it doesn’t go to waste. 

We all have a part to play in caring for our environment. As Wendell Berry said,

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our hope.”